The British firm that broke Finot-Conq’s IMOCA dominance
Owen Clarke Design is a British naval architecture firm founded in 1991 by Merfyn Owen and Allen Clarke. Specializing in offshore racing prototypes — IMOCA Open 60, Class40 — and high-performance cruising yachts, the firm emerged in the early 2000s as the main competitor to the French duo Finot-Conq on the IMOCA circuit.
The IMOCA breakthroughs (2000–2007)
In 2000, the Kingfisher designed for Ellen MacArthur finished 2nd in the 2000–2001 Vendée Globe and won the 2002 Route du Rhum. This was followed by the Ecover 2 and Ecover 3 for Mike Golding, which consistently placed on podiums in the Vendée Globe, OSTAR, Route du Rhum, and Transat Jacques Vabre. This series broke French dominance in the 60-foot class and established Owen Clarke as the credible Anglo-Saxon alternative.
Skysat on board
Skysat equips the IMOCA Nexans-WeWise sailed by Fabrice Amedeo, formerly Ecover 3 launched in 2007 and refitted in 2023 (straight daggerboards, new keel in 2024, 15 m² of solar panels).
