Clapcich and Harris deploy Météo France weather buoy during Transat Café L'OR
by Team Francesca Clapcich 4 Nov 04:23 AEDT
2 November 2025
Francesca Clapcich (ITA/USA) and Will Harris (GBR) are 2,300 nautical miles into the 4,350 nautical mile Transat Café L'OR race from Le Havre, France, to Fort-de-France, Martinique in the Caribbean.
On Sunday the duo, while lying in second place after seven days of racing their 60-foot foiling IMOCA raceboat 11th Hour Racing, deployed a Météo France Surface Velocity Program (SVP) drifting weather buoy at 22 36o N 19 00o W between the Canary Islands and Cape Verde.
Since 2015, the IMOCA Class has been working closely with the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) of UNESCO to make sailors key contributors to oceanographic research. The Météo France buoy will record and transmit atmospheric pressure, sea surface temperature, and ocean current data in real time via satellite, helping scientists around the world to better understand the global climate situation, to improve weather models and forecasts, and to gather data on ocean health.
"When you're out here in the middle of the ocean, you feel how alive and powerful it is," said Park City, UT resident, Clapcich (37). "Being able to support ocean science and education during a race reminds us that sport can be a force for good - connecting what we love with what we need to protect."
Alongside the buoy, Clapcich and Harris are also carrying a small Argonautica beacon, part of CNES's (the French Space Agency's) educational program. This Argos satellite-tracked beacon will stay onboard the boat and be followed by more than 200 classrooms across France taking part in the Argonautica project.
Through the special 'Régate & Satellites' [Races & Satellites] program - created especially for the Transat Café L'OR - students will track the team's progress on the ArgOcéan platform, learning how satellites, data, and oceanography come together to study the Earth's systems.
"It's amazing to know that young people will be following our journey in real time," said Harris. "They'll see how technology and adventure can work together to understand our planet - and hopefully get inspired to explore science and the sea themselves."
Watch the buoy deployment here.
The Argonautica program uses Argos satellite data, along with oceanographic and hydrological information, to study marine environments, water cycles, and climate. It brings together scientists, educators, sailors, and students in a shared mission to understand and care for the ocean.
For Clapcich, this collaboration fits perfectly within her Believe, Belong, Achieve campaign, a platform focused on creating impactful change in the sailing and sports worlds with access and opportunity through advocacy, education, and collective action. Combined with the team's sponsorship by 11th Hour Racing, whose mission is to advance sustainability and climate action within the marine industry, this collaboration shows how professional sport can bridge worlds, linking sailors, scientists, and students through shared purpose and passion for the sea.
"Every action counts," Clapcich added. "Whether it's deploying a buoy, mentoring students, or changing how we race, we can all contribute to a healthier ocean and a better understanding of our world."
Clapcich is the first American woman to take on the Transat Café L'OR. As of 1700 UTC, on Monday, November 3, Clapcich and Harris are lying in third position in the 18-strong IMCOA fleet and are due to arrive in Fort-de-France, Martinique, in the Caribbean from November 8 onwards.