On Sunday, Park City-area sailor Francesca Clapcich will head toward the Arctic Circle from Les Sables d’Olonne, France, as part of the Vendée Arctique race.  The eight-to-10 day race is the second on the IMOCA (International Monohull Open Class Association) Globe Series, the premier interna tional series for 60-foot monohull sailing yacht racing. Clapcich raced the 1000 Race in early May in the Atlantic Ocean, finishing in fifth place of seven sailors.  Clapcich believes the first race taught her many lessons, which she’ll look to use in the Vendée Arctique. Like the prestigious 2028 Vendée Globe race around the world, which the Vendée Arctique is the first qualifying race for, there will be no designated path for sailors to take in this race.  “After the start, I was slightly behind compared to the group in the front,” Clapcich said about the 1000 Race. “But then I was able to really sit through it, get back into the leading group and fight until the end. For me, that’s really, really important because the conditions were not exactly that ideal for my boat.” Clapcich said other boats were better-suited for the calmer wind conditions in the 1000 Race. She and the field in the Vendée Arctique are expecting much windier, rougher conditions.  “The boat is pretty strong in pretty heavy, wavy and strong conditions,” Clapcich said. “It’s a boat that has been built with the objective to be really competitive in the Vendée Globe. … It will be up to me if I can actually push the boat to that potential.” In the 1000 Race, Clapcich said she also learned how to better manage her recovery, sailing maneuvers and sail changes. She hopes to not repeat any tactical or other mistakes from then.  There will be far more room for strategic choices in the Vendée Arctique without the designated path. Clapcich is welcoming the challenge among a field of experienced sailors.  “If you finish this race, you’re automatically qualified for it,” Clapcich said about the Vendée Globe. “Then it’s a matter of being in the top 40 skippers to secure a spot. So it’s quite an early, early way to tick that box.” After the Vendée Arctique, Clapcich won’t race again until September with The Ocean Race Atlantic. In that race, there will be other sailors on her boat. Clapcich will spend lots of the summer training on the East Coast in cities like New York City, Boston and Newport, Rhode Island, for The Ocean Race Atlantic.  “The exciting part about The Ocean Race Atlantic is that we’re going to spend quite a lot of time in the U.S.,” Clapcich said. “For me, of course, it feels like home. Being able to bring the boat and the entire team to experience being in the East Coast is going to be an amazing way to spend the summer.” Clapcich’s wife and daughter will be spending some time with her on the East Coast this summer. She also encouraged any interested Park City residents to reach out to her and her team this summer about coming out to some training there. Clapcich said people would be able to check out her boat and potentially do a bit of sailing with her.  “If they have some time off in the summer and want to do a little trip out to the East Coast, reach out,” Clapcich said. “We will make it happen. … I know the sailing community in Park City is quite good.” To follow Clapcich’s results in the Vendée Arctique and the remainder of the season, see the IMOCA website. She is racing against eight other sailors in that race, including Sam Goodchild, who won the 1000 Race. The post Park City-area sailor races toward the Arctic Circle appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less