Clapcich and Harris Utilise Météo France Weather Buoy to Enhance Oceanographic Research During Transat Café L'OR

In the throes of the Transat Café L’OR race (spanning a remarkable 4,350 nautical miles from Le Havre, France, to Fort-de-France in Martinique), Francesca Clapcich and Will Harris have placed themselves in the spotlight not only for their racing prowess but also for their addition to the field of Oceanographic research. Their 60-foot foiling IMOCA race boat, named ‘11th Hour Racing’, served as the deployment site for a Météo France Surface Velocity Program (SVP) drifting weather buoy. This buoy, introduced between the Canary Islands and Cape Verde, has been met with considerable enthusiasm as it enables the capture and transmission of essential climate data, including atmospheric pressure, sea surface temperature, and ocean current dynamics.

The Météo France weather buoy is not the pair’s only contribution to the scientific sphere. They are also carrying along a small Argonautica beacon - a component of France’s Space Agency’s (CNES) educational program. This beacon, tracked by the Argos satellite, serves as a learning aid for over 200 classrooms across France involved in the Argonautica Project. The ‘Régate & Satellites’ program allows students to track the team’s progress on the ArgOcéan platform, fostering a keen interest in satellite technology, data science, and oceanography.

At the heart of these initiatives is Clapcich’s mission encapsulated by her campaign ‘Believe, Belong, Achieve’. The campaign, in association with their team sponsor, 11th Hour Racing, seeks to usher in transformative changes within the realms of sailing and sports. It does so through advocacy, inciting collective action and promoting inclusivity. Pleasingly, the deployment of the weather buoy mirrors this mission perfectly, symbolising the role sports can play in fostering a greater understanding of our world and contributing positively towards it.