Waves, wind, and an ever longer and whiter wake astern: yesterday saw "Allagrande Mapei" climbing on port tack along the western coast of Ireland and then Scotland, in sustained breeze and a built sea state.

As latitude increased, temperatures began to drop noticeably and Ambrogio progressively added layers of clothing to deal with the North Atlantic cold. At last "Allagrande Mapei" was able to open up her angles from the close-hauled sailing of previous days and settle into speeds well above 20 knots, gaining ground on "11th Hour" and setting off in pursuit of Violette.

The day's unexpected event came at 15:45, when a fishing net and its buoy fouled "Allagrande Mapei"'s keel, bringing the boat to a near stop. Ambrogio was forced to drop the sails, heave to, and dive multiple times to free the keel. Incidents like this can happen on coastal passages, but they are a reminder of how complex it can be to sail at high speed through areas frequented by professional fishing fleets.

"It was quite an adventure. Since this race started, I've already had everything thrown at me. To free the keel I had to dive at least five times: there was a line attached to a float but anchored to the seabed, and the tension was enormous. It took several attempts before I managed to remove it completely. The water… I thought it would be colder, but it wasn't easy either — especially because the current was making the boat drift."

The whole operation took nearly two hours before Ambrogio was able to resume sailing towards the Far North.

At this point the fleet is going through a slight compression phase near Scotland, with south-westerly winds temporarily less intense but expected to build again in the coming hours. The sailors' attention is already focused on the large low pressure system positioned east of Iceland, set to be the main feature of the coming days. Its presence is generating a vast area of light winds south of Iceland, right along what would be the most direct route towards the Arctic Circle. The challenge for Ambrogio will be to find the right balance: staying far enough east to exploit the downwind conditions associated with the low, without stretching the route too much. The coming hours will be critical in building the right position ahead of this strategic choice.

The return leg is also still entirely to be written. Options are uncertain and the IMOCAs are free to choose on which side to leave the British Isles. It will be a choice not only of strategy, tied to the evolution of the weather systems, but also deeply tactical, influenced by the relative positions of the boats and the opportunities that will arise along the way. The Far North is close — but the race starts now.