Ambrogio Beccaria, “Allagrande” as a mantra

My name is Ambrogio and my nickname is Bogi. My cousin gave me that nickname because he couldn't pronounce my first name. Ambrogio is a rare name, even in Italy, and no French person can spell it correctly on the first try (laughs). I'm 34 years old, I'm from Milan and I've been sailing for about ten years, but it wasn't something I dreamed of doing when I was a child. No one in my family was passionate about sailing. It's a passion that grew over time and brought me to France.

I started with some summer training in Sardinia when I was 11. My big sister had done it, and I wanted to do the same. For three or four years, I went there for two weeks every year. Then I was lucky enough to meet some passionate people who believed in me. I started taking every opportunity I could to sail.

I started racing on 50-foot boats with very experienced crews. I was 15 years old and the youngest on board. It took me all over Italy. At 17, I competed in the Rolex Middle Sea Race, which made a big impression on me. To me, these sailors were magicians. They saw things that I didn't understand yet, to the point that I sometimes thought they were talking nonsense! 

After that, I went back to smaller boats. Some friends and I bought an old Laser 4000 on Lake Como. We arrived like a bunch of clowns, wearing swimsuits in November for our first race... We got severely hypothermic! But a few months later, we were winning everything. That gave me confidence. I realised that I loved this game and that I could perform well.

I've always loved competition. One day, I discovered the Mini Transat on YouTube. I thought to myself: that looks incredible. I bought a second-hand Pogo 2, a boat that had capsized during the 2013 edition. It was practically abandoned. I acquired it very cheaply.

After two years on the Italian Mini circuit, I came to France to compete in Les Sables – Les Açores – Les Sables. I didn't understand anything about currents or the forecast! I had a small sponsor and a very worn-out boat... and I won the second leg. That's when I said to myself: I want to do this, and I want to win the Mini Transat.

In 2019, I bought a Pogo 3 and won a lot of races over two years. Then Covid hit. Everything came to a sudden halt. I saw other skippers getting their projects off the ground, and me, nothing. And then a phone call triggered the Class40 project.

When I was little, I didn't dream of becoming a skipper. I had posters of Ronaldo in my bedroom! The Vendée Globe seemed a distant dream, almost impossible, not because I didn't think I was capable, but because I couldn't imagine undertaking such a huge project.

The Class40 project was a huge challenge: we built a boat with an Italian architect who had never designed one on his own, in a shipyard that had never built this type of boat before. It was a huge risk. But I was free to create the boat of my dreams.

After that, I told myself that I could lead an IMOCA project. I had the results, the experience, and the desire to sail on a boat that flies. The prestige of the Vendée Globe, the intensity of the competition... it pushed me to set up an IMOCA project. 

It's not the adventure that appeals to me, but the challenge of competing in the most prestigious race. Of course, there are stories from the Vendée Globe that have fascinated me. But today, what motivates me is the long-term competition, the psychological aspect, the ability to perform for more than two months.

Yes! The intensity in the South Atlantic, when speed records were broken one after the other. People always say it's a long race, that you have to take care of your boat... but here, everyone was going flat out. It was impressive.

In the Vendée Globe, you can cross the equator in the lead and find yourself out of contention for victory in a matter of days. And despite everything, you have to keep putting all your energy into it. In a race like that, the suffering can last 40 days. That's what's fascinating and brutal at the same time.

The big depression in the Indian Ocean also impressed me: when Richomme decided to bypass the depression in the Indian Ocean to the north, close to the Kerguelen Islands, he talked about it as a ‘journey’. I've sailed with Yoann before and I can tell you that when he's sailing, he doesn't spend much time looking at the scenery! (laughs) I think it was a way of convincing himself, of finding something other than pure battle when he saw Dalin and Simon in the south, even though he was still totally in the game. And I find that interesting: you have to know how to find resources elsewhere than just in the confrontation on this race. 

Yes, during my first Mini. I broke my bowsprit (the part to which the headsail is attached, at the bow of the boat, editor's note) and found myself being towed. It was a very difficult experience. You put all your energy into a project and sometimes it's not enough. Everything can fall apart. That's why this sport is so tough! The Vendée Globe is even harder: it's four years of work, a bit like the Olympic Games.

We are a new team, and the project began a year ago. I met with many people to understand how to build a high-performing team that would be enjoyable to work with. I understood that a successful Vendée Globe starts with a good team.

That's also why I chose to work with Thomas Ruyant for a year. I needed to observe and understand what works and what doesn't. Thomas has competed in three Vendée Globes and won major transatlantic races: he's an exceptional sailor. Working alongside him was an important step before really building my project. 

Our boat is from the 2024 generation, but we are in the process of making significant modifications. We are going to review major structural elements, particularly the foil casing, which will be lowered to allow for much larger foils.

The new foils could provide 20 to 30% more lift at certain speeds. It's radical. It will revolutionise the boat, but also create new challenges. 

It's scheduled for early May, and my first race will be the Vendée Arctique in early June. I know, it's not ideal (laughs) (the Vendée Arctique is known for being a challenging and demanding race, editor's note). It will be a new psychological exercise for me.