Maybe it was the encouragement and affection received on every channel (thank you!!), maybe Aeolus felt called out at some point, or maybe it was the "lucky" risotto, but in the end that blessed door opened and "Allagrande Mapei" was racing again. Despite a short slowdown in the middle of the day, Bogi finally started eating up the miles to the southwest again, leaving behind a day he won’t forget in a hurry, with more than 300 miles lost in 24 hours to Corentin Horeau on "MACSF".

The day was also used for another little job on board, and far from a trivial one. The inspection hatch on the starboard aft ballast tank had cracked and risked giving way under the pressure of the 1,000 litres of water the tank holds. Ballast tanks are large reservoirs which, when filled with water, increase the boat’s righting moment and therefore her power. On his team’s advice, Bogi built a kind of structural bridge over the hatch: this way the water pressure is no longer borne by the damaged hatch alone, but transferred to the surrounding structure of the tank. It’s details like these that remind us how extraordinary these sailors are, who in the end must be able to solve any problem.

When "Allagrande Mapei" picked up speed again, the enthusiasm in Bogi’s voice was palpable, just as his analysis of what had just happened was clear‑headed and full of awareness. In a famous speech, Roger Federer explains that every point, while you’re playing it, has to be the most important thing in the world. But once it’s over, you have to forget it and focus on the next one. Bogi seems to have done that already. So what now?

Yesterday the IMOCA fleet was in a small ridge, an area of light wind ahead of a big Atlantic low that is set to become one of the main characters of this Route du Rhum. The system brings strong wind and big seas: according to the Météo Consult bulletin, today the IMOCAs should meet northerly winds of 25 to 30 knots, gusts of up to 40 knots in squalls and waves over three metres. But in its most intense areas, the low could bring even harsher conditions.

Precisely because the wind is coming from the north while the route points southwest, the low could turn into a giant slide towards Guadeloupe, with the fleet launched at very high speed, wind astern. Further south a second system is forming, which in the following days could speed up the approach to the finish even more. The big challenge will be striking the right balance between chasing speed, keeping the boat safe and positioning in relation to these moving systems. After a day spent almost stopped, watching the others get away, Bogi is now getting ready for a completely different phase of the race.

The Route du Rhum spares no one. There have been breakages and big‑name retirements (seven abandons and three capsized boats), but the worst conditions are still to come. Just a few days into the race, we have already seen how easy it is to go from euphoria to frustration, from speed to flat calm, and now we are getting ready to go from flat calm to the storm.

"Giving up? I’m not even thinking about it," Ambrogio said, and the road to Guadeloupe is still long.