Team Francesca Clapcich unveils bold new visual identity ahead of 2026 offshore race season
by Francesca Clapcich 24 Mar 02:32 PDT
Team Francesca Clapcich unveils bold new visual identity ahead of 2026 offshore race season © Maud Helfgott - polaRYSE / 11th Hour Racing
Team Francesca Clapcich Powered by 11th Hour Racing has unveiled its bold new racing livery after a four month winter refit.
The striking new branding on the 60-foot sail boat has been created by Italian award-winning duo Van Orton Design - twin brothers Stefano and Marco Schiavon. Their instantly recognizable graphic style has earned them commissions from brands including the NBA, Marvel, and Disney, as well as global rockstars Pearl Jam and Bon Jovi. This design will ultimately be sailed around the planet as Clapcich aims to take on the 2028 Vendée Globe - racing solo, non-stop, and unassisted around the world.
This is the second sailboat livery Van Orton Design has now undertaken for Team Francesca Clapcich's title sponsor, 11th Hour Racing, following their acclaimed work for the eponymous team, which went on to win The Ocean Race 2022-23. For this new iteration, the pair were tasked with bringing to life in a visual form the three pillars of Clapcich's Believe, Belong, Achieve campaign for an equitable and sustainable world. The result is a design with a head as the central motif incorporating graphics of the natural world to showcase the intertwining of human beings and nature.
On seeing the full livery on the sails and hull for the first time Clapcich commented, "It's quite humbling to see our purpose campaign come to life in this spectacularly visual way. I've spent my career trying to fit into sailing and now I want sailing to fit more people, where everyone can believe in themselves as they are, belong in an equitable and sustainable world, and achieve their dreams.
"Believe means showing what's possible - if you can see it you can be it. Belong means building teams and communities that create opportunities for everyone and protects the environment. And Achieve means driving the collective action needed to create real, lasting change - for people and for the planet. I think Stefano and Marco have absolutely nailed it in bringing these deeply personal beliefs of mine to life."
The livery's central image is a face composed of interlocking human silhouettes - a visual metaphor for community, connection, and mutual support. The design abandons the black outlines characteristic of the studio's earlier work in favour of a more fluid, textural approach, where layers of imagery blend to reflect the multiple aspects of Clapcich's campaign. A rich, dynamic colour palette, rooted in the team's brand colors and expanded with additional hues for visual depth, gives the boat a presence unlike anything previously seen on an IMOCA.
"Compared to the past design, we focused more on the human side, trying to let emotion emerge while staying true to our signature style. The real stylistic innovation was abandoning the black outline as we experimented with a more fluid identity where textures and images blend to highlight the people behind the athlete," said the Van Orton brothers. "The result is a mosaic of interlocking elements that form the visual heart of the project."
The final design was ultimately brought onto the physical boat by renowned naval graphic designer Jean-Baptiste Epron, who worked with the Van Orton studio's artwork to develop a fully coordinated hull treatment - extending the visual language from the sails and deck onto the lower sections of the hull. Over 1,600 hours of work went into the painting of the sails and hull, using 11 colors mixed by the team's official paint supplier partner, Boero Yacht Coatings.
"As Francesca takes on one of sailing's greatest challenges, this boat will travel the world carrying a visual reminder that the health of our ocean depends on all of us," said Jeremy Pochman, 11th Hour Racing CEO and co-founder. "When people can see themselves reflected in a mission like this, they're more likely to feel connected to it and motivated to take action. We hope it sparks curiosity, conversation, and ultimately action wherever it goes."
Alongside the application of the new livery, Team Francesca Clapcich's technical shore team have completed an extensive winter refit program following her second place finish in the Transat Café L'OR with co-skipper Will Harris. Over the past four months the team has carried out a thorough program of structural inspections, systems upgrades, and performance optimizations, ensuring the boat is ready for the demands of four offshore races this year.
Clapcich commented, "Every detail matters in offshore racing. The winter period is a crucial window to prepare the boat to the highest possible standard, and I'm incredibly proud of what the team has achieved in the shed in a relatively short space of time. We're coming out of this refit faster, stronger, and more ready than ever to go racing!"
There will now be five weeks of technical 'shake down' sailing - a chance to test every element of the boat - before the team head into the 2026 race schedule which this year comprises three solo races and one fully crewed - The Ocean Race Atlantic - with two Atlantic crossings and one race to the Arctic Circle and back.