Francesca Clapcich and 11th Hour announce of campaign to drive climate justice

IN BRIEF:

Professional athlete and record-breaking sailor, Francesca Clapcich, launches BELIEVE, BELONG, ACHIEVE, a global campaign with partner 11th Hour Racing to foster belonging and drive climate justice.

The double Olympian and the only Italian to win The Ocean Race is setting in motion a series of academic and education initiatives that, from grassroots to elite level sport, will empower athletes, coaches, fans, and the wider sporting community to embrace the values of belief and belonging to achieve positive change for their performance, for people and for the planet.

Clapcich: “Belief and belonging matter because when we limit people, when we deny parts of them, we lock out potential, creativity, and progress. I’ve personally experienced the challenges of not being truly accepted for who I am, and not having equal opportunities or benefits from my sport. When everyone believes in themselves and feels they belong, we can all achieve more together.”

Clapcich’s BELIEVE, BELONG, ACHIEVE campaign has been launched alongside the world premiere of a short documentary Between Waves at the ONA Short Film Festival, in Venice, Italy, which shares the Italian sailor’s journey from a small town in northern Italy to competing on the biggest global stages in sport.

Double Olympian, America’s Cup athlete, and record-breaking round the world sailor, Francesca Clapcich, has announced a new global campaign that will foster belonging and drive climate justice. Supported by her partner, 11th Hour Racing, Clapcich will launch a series of practical and academic initiatives that will help tackle discrimination and climate change through education, advocacy and collective action. From grassroots to elite level sport, the programs will empower athletes, coaches, fans, and the wider sporting community to embrace the values of belief and belonging, to achieve positive change for their performance, for people and for the planet.

 The Italian/American sailor, who grew up in Trieste, Italy and now lives with her wife and daughter in Park City, UT, USA, has personally experienced the challenges of not being truly accepted for who she is, and not having equal opportunities or benefits from her sport.

“Belief and belonging matter because when we limit people, when we deny parts of them, we lock out potential, creativity, and progress. I’ve personally experienced the challenges of not being truly accepted for who I am, and not having equal opportunities or benefits from my sport and now I have the privilege of feeling free to be who I am and using my voice for more than just myself. When everyone believes in themselves and feels they belong, we can all achieve more together.”

 - Francesca Clapcich

A self-professed outdoor enthusiast who lives in the mountains and races on the ocean, Clapcich sees a clear connection between strong, united teams and effective climate action. She believes that a lack of belonging prevents individuals and teams from fully optimizing their performance and it holds back effective climate action by missing out on solutions achieved via meaningful conversations with those most affected by it.

 While promoting solutions to engender inclusion and belonging in the sport of sailing, Francesca is also advocating for climate justice. She believes in a collective responsibility to listen to the voices of the most vulnerable communities affected by climate change in order to take action that truly supports all people and our planet.

 “My ambition is that our BELIEVE, BELONG, ACHIEVE campaign will help raise awareness of social and climate injustices, break down barriers, and change the status quo, while working with others on solutions to help accelerate a transition to a more fair and just society, for everyone. Fostering belief and belonging in sport enables everyone to fulfill their potential and when we apply these principles to the challenges our planet is facing, we can uncover better solutions to tackle climate change by centering decision-making through the voices of those most affected,” said Clapcich.

 The first phase of the BELIEVE, BELONG, ACHIEVE campaign is already underway with the commissioning of a research study which will explore how ‘belief’ and ‘belonging’ both optimize achievement in elite and grassroots sailing and can enable more effective climate action. In addition, Clapcich’s team is devising a series of training programs, workshops, and digital courses focused around the role of belief and belonging in effective teams and the importance of being able to bring ones full self to teams at all levels to drive optimum performance. The first data sets and early conclusions from the research study will be published later this year.

Clapcich launched her campaign the day after the worldwide premiere of Between Waves at the ONA Short Film Festival in Venice, Italy, which features life-changing stories of outdoor sports, nature, and environmental awareness. The film, produced by 11th Hour Racing, documents Clapcich’s early years as she overcomes personal grief after the death of her greatest ally - her father - and which drove her ambition to represent Italy at the Olympic Games, something she achieved in both 2012 and 2016.

As 11th Hour Racing continues to broaden its work beyond environmental sustainability and ocean health, supporting Francesca Clapcich is part of its commitment to setting new benchmarks for inclusivity and equity, reshaping the sport to be more accessible and environmentally responsible. Jeremy Pochman, CEO of 11th Hour Racing commented, "Francesca is committed to breaking down barriers, advocating for equal pay, and building a sports community that values diversity and belonging. Her focus on ensuring equal opportunities for everyone in sports, particularly sailing, aligns perfectly with our vision for inclusivity and equity in the sport. We are proud to support her BELIEVE, BELONG, ACHIEVE campaign. This campaign will bring the same solution-based focus to the long-term strength and health of the human side of sport, building off the material and operational sustainable successes we have created together in the past.”

 In 2024 and 2025 Clapcich’s sporting focus is racing in the Ocean Fifty Series, skippering UpWind by MerConcept. She’s the first female skipper in the 24-year history of the race series and she leads the very first all-female team. In addition, she is a member of the New York Yacht Club American Magic team for the first-ever Puig Women’s America’s Cup, which will take place in Barcelona, Spain, in October 2024. Clapcich’s next sporting goal is to race in the 2028 Vendée Globe and if she does, she will become the first person in the world to compete in all the ‘big four’ sailing events - The America’s Cup, The Ocean Race, the Olympics, and the Vendée Globe.