The 48 Heures Azimut gets off to a flying start for Ambrogio: after leaving Lorient and the first manoeuvre in the shelter of the island of Groix, "Allagrande Mapei" moves straight into the leading group and begins a long run south, sailing practically side by side with "MACIF Santé Prévoyance".
©Jean-Louis Carli
"Finally a great start in IMOCA," said Ambrogio, despite a cargo ship cutting straight through the fleet just before the tack around the island — a spectacular moment from the aerial footage, but not exactly straightforward for the skippers. Then began the frantic race to stay ahead of the front, in almost flat water and at high speeds.
©Jean-Marie Liot
The start
"The boat surprised me — I didn't think I'd be this fast in these conditions. We did almost the whole leg reaching with the J2, and we're the only boat in the front group with a small jib, about 10% less sail area. It was a low angle where having more canvas really helps, and yet the boat was flying. I'm very, very happy."
As expected beforehand, the first part of the race was all about speed: the goal was to stay ahead of the front and use its wind for as long as possible. This quickly stretched the fleet, leaving a small group at the front and already creating significant gaps behind.
For several hours "Allagrande Mapei" and "MACIF" sailed very close together, heading down to the southern mark almost in match race mode. Ambrogio managed to move back ahead on the approach, choosing to stay slightly further offshore to avoid a large cloud and arriving at the mark on a very tight angle.
"MACIF" rounds it first, just 200 metres ahead of "Allagrande Mapei". Ambrogio then has to furl the J0 and complete the manoeuvre — an operation that, as he explains, costs roughly a mile to a mile and a half and lets "MACIF" pull away.
©Lorenzo Sironi
"I managed to hold "MACIF" for a long time, but when the wind dropped a little it would start to get away. At the mark I was right there, but furling the J0 costs you a mile, a mile and a half, and "MACIF" got past."
From that point the race changes character. The long southward run over, the fleet heads back north and enters a far more tactical phase. The boats initially extend on a port tack to catch the front again, then tack and the leading group goes onto starboard for the long leg towards the north-west.
©Lorenzo Sironi
After that, "Allagrande Mapei" sailed on starboard tack on a wide upwind towards the high pressure, at around 65 degrees to the wind with speeds beginning to drop as they enter the high. And this is where the most interesting data points for Ambrogio emerged.
"I'm discovering these conditions alongside the other boats and it seems to me that we're going very, very fast compared to last year or the Vendée Arctique. It's a very positive feeling."
Ahead now lies the high pressure ridge, where wind should diminish and the fleet could bunch up again. For "Allagrande Mapei" this could be the opportunity to claw back something on "MACIF" before the next downwind leg.
"We're hoping to close back up on "MACIF" in the ridge calm and then play the downwind. It won't be straightforward, and "Charal" is pushing hard from behind."
This morning Ambrogio is second, 13 miles behind "MACIF", with "Charal" close on his heels. But beyond the standings, after the speed shown in Wednesday's speed trials, this first night of the Défi Azimut seems to show that even in conditions where "Allagrande Mapei" previously had a speed deficit, it stayed in direct contention with "MACIF" for a long time.
The enthusiasm comes through clearly in Ambrogio's voice in the on-board videos. Keeping him company for these 48 hours is on-board reporter Lorenzo Sironi, to whom we owe the stunning images and footage that are letting us follow the race up close.
©Lorenzo Sironi
Lamberto Cesari
Race tracker — 18 September, 07:35
