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 established itself in the early 2000s as Finot-Conq’s main competitor on the IMOCA circuit.
The IMOCA breakaway designs (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 Ecover 2 and Ecover 3 for Mike Golding, which consistently podiumed in the Vendée Globe, OSTAR, Route du Rhum, and Défi Trans-Atlantique. This series shattered French dominance in the 60-foot class and positioned 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).
