Between Waves: Watch Trailblazer Francesca Clapcich Explain Why Belonging Matters
In 2023, the double Olympian became the first Italian sailor to ever win The Ocean Race in its 50-year history, and her mission is by no means stopping there.
Having experienced the pain of not being truly accepted for who she was in the past, Francesca, or Frankie as she is affectionately known, is now on an inspiring journey to reshape the narrative of offshore sailing.
In the intimate new film produced by 11th Hour Racing called Between Waves (watch above), Frankie explores her life and career alongside revealing why the importance of belonging is so critical to success. To understand how Frankie has arrived where she is today though, we first have to understand where she has come from; this is the hope of Between Waves - to showcase her full journey up until today.
An outlet for grief
Frankie is synonymous today with a contagious smile that stands out in any crowd and never seems to waiver. However, her route to becoming a champion sailor was not always full of laughter and happiness. The story begins with heartache, grief, and the loss of the “biggest ally that I had in life”.
Before her father was diagnosed with leukemia when she was 10, sailing trips on the family small boat were memorable occasions in the waters off the small coastal town of Trieste, Italy. By the time he passed away three years later, sailing became an outlet for her grief.
“It was a tough moment,” Frankie remembers. “I had all my family around me and the only thing I wanted was for everyone to go away. Nobody could bring that person back.
“It was then that I really got into sailing. It wasn’t that my dad was really into boats or had a dream to see me as a sailor. It was my way of dealing with that grief.
“The sport gave me freedom, the ability to have time for myself, and to focus on something.”
“I want to do more and use my voice more effectively as a force for good.”
Through this experience, her love for the ocean and the greater outdoors became unbreakable and added fuel to her future ambitions. Whichever direction her career path went, it would involve being outside in mother nature - the very thing that makes her feel the most alive.
“There are no restrictions when it comes to the ocean,” Frankie says. “The endless beauty, risk, adventure, I love it all.
“I feel the same joy and happiness in the mountains as well. The wind, the brutal environment, and knowing that you’re just a little tiny bit of nothing.”
One word: Belonging
Like many offshore sailors, Frankie was influenced from an early age by big events such as The Ocean Race (ex Volvo Ocean Race), The America’s Cup, and the Vendée Globe. However, the representation wasn’t always there for her to aspire to become a sailor of this caliber, as women were scarcely involved.
As her professional success has grown, so has an overwhelming sense of responsibility to course-correct what she feels held her back at times. She’s determined that for the next generation of demographically underrepresented sailors, the odds won’t be so stacked against them and they will have the opportunity to follow their dreams.
Her focus isn’t limited to addressing one thing, either. It’s greater than that; it’s about setting a benchmark for inclusivity for all unheard voices.
Frankie says: “In a world facing unprecedented challenges - societal divisions, environmental crises, and widening inequality - we need every ounce of everyone's potential to break down barriers and find solutions.
“Belonging matters because when we limit people when we deny parts of them, we lock out potential, creativity, and progress. We are all responsible.”
“The sport gave me freedom, the ability to have time for myself, and to focus on something.”
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Although she spent much of her formidable years living and competing for Italy, Frankie now lives in Park City, Utah, USA with her wife Sally and their two year old, Harriet. Her career has seen her compete all around the world, literally, and in multiple disciplines for different teams. Often, it has been hard to truly feel like she belonged.
“When you don’t feel like you belong, it’s a strange and often uncomfortable sensation,” she says. “This has happened to me many times, even in my personal life.
“The typical reaction for most people, which is just human nature, is to try to fit in. But that means forcing ourselves to be someone we’re not.
“This approach can stifle our potential and what we can contribute to a team or workplace.”
It’s not you, it’s not me, it’s us
After making history by winning the previous edition of The Ocean Race, Frankie felt it was time for a change. Going out on the water and trying to win races no longer felt “sufficient”, instead, she wanted to make waves through another medium: Her voice.
“I want to do more and use my voice more effectively as a force for good,” she says. “Over the last few years, I’ve realized how impactful sports can be in sharing ideas and strong messages, and that became part of my goal.
“With 11th Hour Racing, we began having discussions about what we could do to make our sport, and the world, a better place, by using the influence we have in this space.
“Our values are aligned, and our work is purpose-led. We’re not selling a product here, we’re selling a message.”
“Belonging matters because when we limit people when we deny parts of them, we lock out potential, creativity, and progress. We are all responsible.”
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Her voice is backed up by positive, concrete action. Underrepresentation of women and minorities is still one of the biggest issues in the sailing (and outdoor) industry, and therefore Frankie’s first project following her success in The Ocean Race is about tackling diversity, inclusion, and sustainable excellence.
The UpWind by MerConcept is an initiative skippered by Frankie and run by MerConcept, the French sailing hub renowned for its successful project management and innovative boatbuilding with a focus on sustainable performance.
11th Hour Racing is the Founding Sponsor of the pioneering initiative that aims to create a solid pathway for women in the sport of sailing to access elite racing such as the Ocean Fifty Series.
“I grew up in an environment with limited representation, and even now, [my favorite] sports lack diversity. Walking around the docks at most races, you repeatedly see the same type of person,” Frankie says.
“It’s time for this to change.”
With all that Frankie has achieved and overcome during her career, you just know this is another fight she will dedicate herself to until visible change has materialized and the narrative has been shifted.
Want to follow the movement?
Hero image credit: Amory Ross / 11th Hour Racing
Never miss a moment
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Jamie Haines, sailor “I grew up on the ocean, and in order to protect it, we need to solve the climate crisis. It all goes hand in hand.”
Ian Walsh, big wave surfer “As athletes, ocean health and sustainability are at the heart of what we do – without the ocean, we wouldn’t be here.”
Steve Benjamin, filmmaker “I really want people to fall in love with the ocean, to appreciate it more, and to try to alter their behavior around it. Everything ends up in the ocean, and it’s such a dumping ground for humanity. My hope is that people see the ocean as a living entity that needs to be protected.”
Amory Ross, storyteller “How can I describe the ocean? The ocean is impossible to describe because it is endless; it is full of life, wonder, and mystery.”
