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A 15-Year Legacy in Action: Watch Our 2025 Story
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Composting, tennis, shipping methods, music festivals, eelgrass restoration, marathons, sailing - 2025 was a whirlwind year full of unforgettable moments.
But what ties these moments together and guides our every action?
Since 11th Hour Racing was established in 2010 to restore the balance between people and planet, we’ve channeled our work into protecting the ocean that connects us all.
Whether through sport, coastal resilience, and marine innovation or from global events to backyard compost piles, every second matters.
Every initiative, every program, every partnership flows back to the ocean. Protecting it isn’t just our mission - it’s a mindset, guiding how we support communities, drive innovation, and amplify our impact around the world.
This is our legacy and 2025, as shown in the video at the top of this page, was a true celebration of 15 years of ocean action and creating positive change.
And do you know the most exciting part? We can’t wait to buckle up and go on another epic ride in 2026!
Our ambassadors help drive our mission and inspire people to act for the ocean. @11thHourRacing
Already watched the video above? Scroll through this timeline to see every initiative, event, and milestone showcased.
NEW CHAPTERS, STARTING STRONG
January – March
- Celebrated 15 years of 11th Hour Racing by supporting 59 grantees advancing ocean health around the world.
- Entered a new chapter for UpWind by MerConcept with Anne-Claire Le Berre stepping in as skipper, reinforcing a women-led, high-performance sailing team.
- Launched the Ocean Lover’s Guide to Compost, sparking conversations around food waste, soil health, and ocean impact.
- Announced Team Francesca Clapcich Powered by 11th Hour Racing, backing her campaign toward the 2028 Vendée Globe.
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UpWind by MerConcept is paving the way for women in sailing. ©David Lupion / 11th Hour Racing
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RUNNING AT SPEED
April – June
- Supported sustainability initiatives at the Rhode Races in Newport and Providence, and the Amica Newport Marathon - diverting 5,109 pounds of waste and collecting 2,838 pounds of compost.
- Visited grantee Save the Sound to see eelgrass restoration in Long Island Sound using innovative clam-based planting methods.
- Renewed and expanded our support for the IMOCA boat class Francesca will be racing in the Vendée Globe.
- Visited the Rhode Island School Recycling Project where our funding will help more than 100 schools with their composting efforts in the next two years.
- Sponsored the SuMoth Challenge in stunning Lake Garda, Italy, by bringing together the university students that are reshaping design and engineering in the marine industry.
- Celebrated with UpWind by MerConcept as they became the first all-female team to win a race on the Ocean Fifty circuit in Concarneau, France.
Francesca Clapcich is preparing to take on the formidable Vendée Globe in 2028. ©Julien Champolion/ PolaRYSE/ 11th Hour Racing
Francesca Clapcich is preparing to take on the formidable Vendée Globe in 2028. ©Julien Champolion/ PolaRYSE/ 11th Hour Racing
SUMMER OF ACTION
July – August
- Anyone for tennis! We checked in with our grantee TeamFAME to see how tennis is being used to support youth education through a brilliant after school program. We then sponsored the Hall of Fame Open in Newport and eliminated 32,717 single-use plastic bottles with canned water, refill stations, and reusable cups which helped earn us a third consecutive Green Event Certification.
- Supported The Magenta Project’s global equity and inclusion survey.
- Visited another grantee Novak Lab in Nantucket to further learn about how assisted migration supports the growth of resilient eelgrass in warming waters.
- Cheered on ambassadors Illiterate Light as they biked 700 miles from Virginia to Newport.
- Helped gather 4.8 TONS of recycling, 2.3 TONS of compost, and eliminate 82,000 single use plastic water bottles at the Newport Folk and Jazz Festivals.
- Debuted our interactive artistic experience about marine ecosystems - the Living Gallery - at Folk Fest.
- Published an inspiring case study highlighting grantee-led ecosystem restoration efforts across Puerto Rico, including the largest mangrove restoration project ever attempted in North America.
- Funded composting services across three Rhode Island towns, supporting a goal of 2,500 households composting locally.
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Festival spectators really engaged with the sustainable initiatives running alongside the music. ©bosconcertphoto
ON THE WORLD STAGE
September – October
- Spent time with our grantee the Community Boating Center in New Bedford alongside Francesca Clapcich who joined a session with their all-women offshore sailing team.
- Gathered all our passionate ambassadors together in Newport to connect, learn, and strengthen our collective storytelling approach.
- Co-sponsored the Nest Climate Campus during Climate Week NYC, where we also launched the Water Alliance with Protect Our Winters.
- Visited our grantee the Billion Oyster Project to see how they are restoring oyster reefs in New York Harbor.
- Traveled to London for the Sport Positive Summit, where the Sustainability Toolbox team hosted an interactive session.
- Supported UpWind by MerConcept and Team Francesca Clapcich at the Transat Café L’Or in France, marking major milestones including a second-place finish and a historic Atlantic crossing by an all-female team.
- Supported the Norman Bird Sanctuary Harvest Fair and helped compost 540 gallons of organic material.
- Sponsored the World Sailing Impact Award, recognizing the Royal Yachting Association’s LIFE Recreation ReMEDIES Project.
This is our legacy and 2025 was a true celebration of 15 years of ocean action and creating positive change.
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Tackling sustainability solutions at Metstrade was an inspiring way to finish 2025. ©11thHourRacing/polaRYSE
TeamFAME helps build confidence and inspire Newport’s youth to dream big. ©Kate Lucey / International Tennis Hall of Fame
CLOSING WITH MOMENTUM
November – December
- Convened with maritime industry partners, including the MarineShift 360 team, at Metstrade in Amsterdam to turbo launch sustainability solutions across the marine sector.
- Closed out the year at the Jane Pickens Theater with newportFILM, celebrating powerful storytelling, live music from ambassador Todd Hannigan, and 15 years of shared impact.
We can’t wait to see what 2026 brings. Come along for the ride!
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