Allagrande Mapei Racing Locked in a Genoa Dogfight

By early Tuesday afternoon, just a handful of miles separated the top four boats. At 1400 CEST, Ambrogio Beccaria’s Allagrande Mapei was neck-and-neck with the two French powerhouses – Yoann Richomme’s Paprec Arkéa and Paul Meilhat’s overall race leader Biotherm – as well as the Swiss-flagged Holcim-PRB, skippered for this leg by Nico Lunven.

For the Italian fans lining the Ligurian coast, the sight of Beccaria’s blue and white IMOCA charging towards Genova has stirred a sense of pride and anticipation rarely seen since the Ocean Race Europe first set foot in the city back in 2021. This is their team, their skipper, and they’re daring to take on the giants.

A Gulf Becalmed, a Strait Unleashed

The past 48 hours have shown just how brutal the Mediterranean can be. On Monday evening, Holcim-PRB had briefly seized control, leading the fleet into the notorious Strait of Bonifacio – that narrow, swirling funnel of water separating Corsica from Sardinia. The transition was sudden and violent.

“In Bonifacio the wind just exploded,” Lunven explained. “We came from five knots to nearly 30 knots in minutes. But believe me – for Bonifacio, that’s an easy day. It could have been way worse.”

The high granite peaks of Corsica, soaring up to 2,500 metres, accelerated the airflow, slamming into the IMOCA rigs like a freight train. Holcim-PRB led the charge, but Paprec, Biotherm, and Allagrande Mapei clung to their wake, gybe for gybe.

Yet the Mediterranean is nothing if not capricious. By dawn, the violent squalls had collapsed into a windless haze. The yachts, their foils twitching uselessly, were reduced to drifting contests – every puff of breeze a lifeline, every shift a potential game-changer.

Allagrande’s Rise

When the breeze finally returned, it was Allagrande Mapei who best harnessed it. After passing the island of Elba in a solid southerly, Beccaria’s crew turned on the afterburners. At times the Italian IMOCA was flying at 20 knots, despite having suffered a power issue that forced them to sail blind – without instruments – for nearly an hour.

“We are going fast,” Beccaria grinned from the nav station as the boat punched into the Gulf of Genova. “We’ve done more than half the route now. Passing northern Sardinia and Bonifacio was incredible – amazing scenery – but now it’s about focus. I hope the low pressure ahead gives us stronger wind so we can fly.”

For Beccaria, who grew up sailing these very waters and launched his Class 40 project in nearby Genova, a win here would be more than a result. It would be the culmination of a lifelong dream: to stand on the dock as a home-team hero.

Sleepless Strain

While the leaderboard changes by the hour, one thing is constant: exhaustion. Leg 4 has been unrelenting. Sail changes, constant trimming, and endless tactical calls have left crews hollow-eyed and running on adrenaline.

“I don’t know how many times we changed headsail – maybe five or six,” Meilhat admitted earlier. “It’s just non-stop.”

On Holcim-PRB, Carolijn Brouwer summed up life on board: “Hot, sticky, sweaty – but fun. It’s intense. We’re burning calories faster than we can eat them.”

There’s no respite ahead. With less than 300 nautical miles to sail, every manoeuvre could decide the podium. The teams know sleep is a luxury they can’t afford – not with rivals so close that navigation lights glow across the waves.

The Chasers

Behind the leading quartet, the gulf has widened. Team Malizia, skippered by Boris Herrmann, trailed by around 50 miles at midday Tuesday, with Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive and Team Amaala further back. For them, the fight is less about the podium and more about damage control – keeping the deficit manageable before the final showdown in Genova.

But the leaders can’t relax. The memory of Leg 1, when Paprec Arkéa lost their grip in the light airs of Dover, hangs heavy. One wrong move in these fickle Mediterranean breezes and any of the top four could tumble down the order.

“Nobody Knows What Will Happen”

Biotherm’s Benjamin Ferré put it best: “Nobody knows what’s going to happen. We study the Meteo, we plan, but the Mediterranean always surprises. All we can do is adapt, keep moving, and focus.”

It’s that uncertainty that makes this leg so compelling. The fleet is expected to reach Genova on Friday morning – though with light winds forecast close to shore, arrival times could slide by hours. Every puff of wind will matter, every tack could rewrite the script.

For Ambrogio Beccaria and his Allagrande Mapei Racing crew, the prize is tantalisingly close: a home-port victory in front of Italian fans. For Biotherm, Holcim-PRB, and Paprec Arkéa, the mission is simple – deny the locals their dream finish.

As the sun sets over the Ligurian Sea, the stage is set for a grandstand finale. Genoa is waiting, but the Gulf has more tricks to play before the line is crossed.