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Bold by Design: The Standout Boat Sending a Powerful Message Around the Globe
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Offshore racing is a sport as old as time. Over the decades, its heroes have become household names and their vessels the stuff of legend.
Traditionally male-dominated, the sport is shifting, and Team Francesca Clapcich Powered by 11th Hour Racing’s campaign Believe, Belong, Achieve is a testament to that progress in more ways than one. Now, there are new heroes on the block.
Believe, Belong, Achieve explores how self-belief, inclusion, and belonging can improve individual and team performance. Rooted in competitive sailing, the program also delivers workshops, internships, and training focused on leadership, teamwork, psychological safety, and creating inclusive environments.
The campaign, which leads up to the 2028 Vendée Globe, needs a fitting counterpart and Francesca “Frankie” Clapcich’s 60ft IMOCA racing yacht delivers. Striking and colorful, fast and powerful, it’s been turning heads since its unveiling in March.
Before Frankie kicked off her IMOCA Globe Series at the 1000 Race in Port-la-Forêt, France – where she finished fifth in her first ever solo race – we caught up with 11th Hour Racing Co-founder and CEO Jeremy Pochman to uncover the story behind the design and why the campaign is like no other.
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Frankie is aiming to race the 60ft IMOCA yacht at the 2028 Vendée Globe. ©Marin Le Roux - polaRYSE / 11th Hour Racing
Daring to be different
At first glance, the new design is bold. Audacious, even. But linger longer, and a narrative begins to take shape. “At the boat launch and the unveiling, all of the excitement and beauty I had seen in it dawned on me,” said Jeremy.
“What I loved about it from the start is that it has layers, and as you look and spend more time with it, there’s always going to be something more to pull from it—something that plays differently in different settings as the boat is actually moving.”
On the dock, the boat stands out, with bright, detailed visuals across the 60ft IMOCA. The design has been carefully crafted by Van Orton Design, twin brothers from Italy who are globally renowned for their distinctive style, and French designer Jean-Baptiste Epron who enabled the vision to practically come to life through his experience in boat design. Even the choice of the twins, from a non-sailing background, sets the tone for the individualism at the heart of the campaign.
Jeremy Pochman
"It has layers, and as you look and spend more time with it, there’s always going to be something more to pull from it."
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Jeremy Pochman is the CEO & Co-Founder of 11th Hour Racing. ©BrianNevins
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“It’s so exciting because this sail is going to be accompanying Frankie all around the world, looking forward with all the ideas of 11th Hour Racing behind it,” Jeremy explains.
“The beauty, the science, the data, the sport, the survival, the dance. Every bit of it is sailing and navigating along with Frankie, helping to find the most beautiful path forward.”
Alongside being a state-of-the-art racing machine capable of navigating some of the sport’s most unforgiving conditions, the livery and overall design are framed as a storytelling tool intended to capture the imagination of those who encounter it.
As Jeremy puts it: “It’s important we make this beautiful and inspiring. Why not? It invites people to dream, and offers something for everyone to truly connect with — to see themselves reflected in it.”
Believe, Belong, Achieve explores how self-belief, inclusion, and belonging improves team performance. ©Eloi Stichelbaut / polaRYSE
Believe, Belong, Achieve explores how self-belief, inclusion, and belonging improves team performance. ©Eloi Stichelbaut / polaRYSE
Competitiveness, competence and compassion
For Jeremy, the alignment between Frankie’s values and 11th Hour Racing is clear. When asked what has inspired him most on this journey so far, he points to her consistency: "With Frankie, I always come back to her honesty and sincerity, and that she is always present and committed."
Strong leadership creates strong teams, and in offshore racing, races can be won and lost off the water as much as on it. Leadership and personality set the tone, but ultimately it’s compassion that defines a team.
“I wish there was a simple way to sum up BELIEVE BELONG ACHIEVE, but the reality is any boat or team—no matter how big, how fast or how perfectly designed—gets really tough if you’re surrounded by people that aren’t kind.
“There is no one else in the world we’d want to be partnered with on this, because Frankie really does embody this campaign.”
Jeremy Pochman
"I think it allows and invites others to dream, and there’s something for everyone to find in it, really connect to, and see themselves reflected in it.”
Italian duo Van Orton Design and French designer Jean-Baptiste Epron brought the boat to life. ©Maud Helfgott - polaRYSE / 11th Hour Racing
Frankie's kindness and relentless motivation is what makes her the ideal person to carry the message forward across multiple sectors and Leeds Beckett University will research how the Believe, Belong, Achieve framework can drive positive outcomes across not just sport but society and climate-impact work in general. However, one of sailing's most legendary races will remain front and centre.
“She has a fierce competitiveness and competence on the water. The Vendée Globe is incredibly tough, but incredibly rewarding if you make it the whole way around. I’m so excited to watch her.”
The magnitude of the Vendée Globe
As Jeremy explains, the Vendée Globe sits at the center of Believe, Belong, Achieve. Often described in simple terms as solo, non-stop, unassisted, around the world, the reality behind those words is far more complex. It is widely regarded as one of the toughest sporting events on the planet, not only for its physical demands, but for its duration, isolation and relentless conditions.
Starting and arriving in Vendée, France, sailors spend anywhere from around two to four months at sea, crossing the Southern Ocean and navigating some of the most hostile environments on Earth, with no external support and no pause button.
Jeremy Pochman
"It’s so exciting because this figure is going to be accompanying Frankie all around the world with all the ideas of 11th Hour Racing behind it."
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The Vendée Globe is a solo, non-stop, unassisted, around the world sailing race. ©Marin Le Roux - polaRYSE / 11th Hour Racing
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Frankie's kindness is what makes her the ideal person to carry the message forward. ©Eloi Stichelbaut – polaRYSE / 11th Hour Racing
At its heart lies a paradox: a solo race made possible by a team. As Jeremy reveals: “It’s not one person standing alone, it’s a whole group working together, supporting each other and building collective goals as we move towards them.
“Frankie will be in her own encapsulated world for two and a half to three months, alone at sea; the teamwork that happens before this moment is essential.”
Sport at this level has always pushed boundaries but campaigns like this show it’s never just about one person, using teamwork to drive change and inspire a more thoughtful, responsible way forward for both the planet and each other.
We can’t wait to see how the journey unfolds.
You can follow Team Francesca Clapcich Powered by 11th Hour Racing’s progress via the official channels:
Website
Facebook
Instagram
LinkedIn
Hero image credit: ©MarinLe Roux - polaRYSE / 11th Hour Racing
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