Applications Now Open for Women in the MerConcept Grand Prix Program
A program called UpWind by MerConcept is inviting female sailors to apply for a position on an Ocean Fifty multihull to compete in the 2024 Ocean Fifty multihull circuit. Bay Area sailor Melinda Erkelens is working with sponsor 11th Hour Racing to support the program led by Italian/American Francesca Clapcich, who is the only female sailor to win The Ocean Race. Melinda talks more about the program in this week’s Good Jibes podcast.
MerConcept, the high-performance hub for offshore sailing and sustainable technologies based in Concarneau, France, announced the launch of its brand-new racing program to provide female sailors with experience in offshore multihull racing. UpWind by MerConcept will recruit, train, and support a squad of six female sailors as they compete in the Ocean Fifty offshore sailing circuit, with the ambition to have a female skipper on the starting line in a multihull for the 2026 Route du Rhum. Women wishing to apply can do so here. The deadline for applications is March 24.
Backed by founding sponsor 11th Hour Racing, UpWind by MerConcept’s overarching goal is to be a driving force in the transformation of offshore sailing. UpWind’s vision is for the sport to become a more inclusive and diverse community, providing equal opportunities for everyone, while increasing the pool of female talent available for selection to join mixed multihull crews for record-setting challenges like the Jules Verne Trophy. MerConcept is based in the heart of the international offshore sailing world in Brittany, France, and was founded by François Gabart, the fastest person to sail around the world.
Cécile Andrieu, MerConcept’s director of racing, described the candidates they are looking to recruit. “We’re very excited to launch our worldwide call for applications today. The spirit of UpWind is both performance and diversity and therefore we’re open to a wide range of profiles and backgrounds. Ideally, our applicants will have some good racing experience, whether it is offshore, inshore, match-racing, or Olympics, and have a genuine desire to get involved and bring this new racing team to life.
“At the end of selection week, we hope to have recruited two groups: a performance-focused squad to take part in the Grand Prix and transatlantic races and a second, which will support in the training and on deliveries, with a view to gaining valuable sailing experience and miles for their CV.”
“Francesca (who lives in Salt Lake City, UT) is the perfect skipper for UpWind by MerConcept,” Gabart commented. “Her sailing CV is impressive, with experience at the Olympics, the Women’s America’s Cup, the Solitaire du Figaro, and The Ocean Race. She is competitive and driven on the water and is a champion for supporting women in the sport at all levels. We are really pleased she will be leading what we hope will be a truly international squad of female sailors.”
A short list of 12 applicants will be invited to Concarneau to be put through their paces during a selection week in April, with the aim of identifying six female sailors to join the team. A fleet of Ocean Fifties competed in the most recent Route du Rhum, with the video below showing the action. We believe the French translation is ‘The Open Fifty is really fast and fun.”
11th Hour Racing has joined UpWind by MerConcept as the founding sponsor, as the Newport, RI, USA-based organization broadens its ocean-health-focused work to include diversity, opportunity, and access in sailing.
Richmond Yacht Club’s Bill and Melinda Erkelens have years of running and supporting race-winning Grand Prix sailing teams. Bill was COO for 11th Hour Racing’s recent victory in The Ocean Race, which led to skipper Charlie Enright’s receipt of the 2023 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year Award. Melinda is now stepping in to work with Francesca to grow opportunities for women Grand Prix sailors. Melinda is hoping to see some California women sailors apply and “tri out!”
Learn more and apply here. Again, applications close March 24.