What a win! A fine racer with exceptional composure and control, the Italian skipper held on right to the end after an incredible duel with Ian Lipinski (Crédit Mutuel). He crossed the line this Friday at 05 h 47 55'' (French time) after 11 days 16 hours 17 minutes and 55'' of racing. Already winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre - Normandie Le Havre last autumn, he has scored another prestigious success.
HIS RACE IN FIGURES
Finish time: 05 h 47 55'' (French time)
Race time: 11 days 16 hours 17 minutes and 55 seconds
Distance covered: 3280.06 nautical miles
Average speed (on the great circle route): 10.52 knots
Actual average speed: 11.70 knots
THE STORY OF HIS VICTORY
Before the start in Lorient on April 28, Ambrogio Beccaria was the only sailor to see The Transat CIC as little more than a race. The relentless racer and peerless competitor wasn't just thinking about sport when he set off for this major event in the Class40 season. The reason: the vertigo of history. "Going to New York by sea has a special resonance when you consider that generations of Italians left there in search of a better life. Ambrogio spoke of the many families "especially in the south of Italy", who "have forebears who left there". Mass immigration took place in the 19th century, fleeing misery for a bright future, and many of them helped shape America, its institutions, its economic fabric and its history too.
A duel of exceptional intensity
"Going to New York by sea will inevitably remind us of the very strong and moving cultural link that unites us," confided Ambrogio. The skipper of Alla Grande - Pirelli will be able to take advantage of this on his arrival in the Big Apple, when he passes under the Verrazzano Bridge - named after the Italian explorer who was the first to sail in New York Bay - close to the Statue of Liberty, before meeting up with his loved ones on a Brooklyn pontoon.
Ambrogio will be able to savor, too, because he has just completed a transatlantic race in the form of a sprint, a fierce battle won on points against Ian Lipinksi (Crédit Mutuel), the two men having offered up a duel of exceptional intensity. Ambrogio got off to a very good start and climbed into the top 5 within the first few miles of reaching Brittany. On the climb back towards Ireland, he opted for a more southerly position than his rivals, before catching up with them just as the fleet was heading due west, close to the direct route.
A mano-a-mano right to the end
A war of positions began with Fabien Delahaye (LEGALLAIS), Nicolas d'Estais (Café Joyeux) and, above all, Ian Lipinski (Crédit Mutuel). Ambrogio managed to regain control of the race in the early hours of Saturday morning. It doesn't change anything to be in the lead," he confides, "but it does encourage me, and shows that I've made the right choices. Ambrogio is one of those respectful sailors who talks faster about others than he does. A few minutes later, he continues: "I think Ian proves that he's a great champion. He didn't have the fastest boat for reaching, and in the end he did the whole reaching leg in the lead!"
After that, the two men had quite a mano-a-mano, without counting their hours of sleep, as they knitted their way to the finish line. A duel between two pistoleros of the open sea, a duel between (very) great racers. Ambrogio Beccaria's progress is reminiscent of a giant's achievements: winner of the Mini-Transat (2019), 2nd in the Route du Rhum, winner of the Transat Jacques Vabre and The Transat CIC. Now it's up to him to enjoy as much as he can on the road to glory.
How do you feel? What does this victory mean to you?
It's not often that you win two transatlantic races in a row in six months. And this is the first solo race I've won with this boat. It's very, very important for me. And it's one of the best races I've ever done. Often, there's pain and suffering. This time, I was very conscious of what I was doing and everything went really well. There are some very hard moments, but in the end, I didn't find it that difficult overall. The conditions were pleasant in the sense that we had prepared for the worst. For me, the Route du Rhum - Destination Guadeloupe was harder, but The Transat CIC was intense. The periods without wind were very stressful, and at times it was very cold.
How do you feel about your race?
I'm very happy with it because I really wanted to know when I could push hard and I did, attacking. This time, I really understood and managed to do it. The first time was in the south of Ireland when I managed to catch up with the leading pack. That was a key moment. It was a gift from the boat because it was pure speed. Then there was the rounding of the ridge of high pressure, where I sailed very well. I was very happy. It took a lot of energy, but I knew it was a turning point in the race. And then it was important, when I lost my lead over the others, to manage to stay calm and concentrated without thinking about what I couldn't manage. The last move I made was very close to the center of the second ridge. I managed to get my spinnaker out in the front. Ian was still in it and I managed to get a little south, which gave me a better angle to go west. I crossed three miles ahead of him.
You had a few problems during the race. Can you talk about them?
I tore my code zero, a very important sail at the start of the race. It really affected me. It was a difficult moment. Then I had to make a small repair to the bulkhead. The most annoying thing was that the rudder lowering system broke twice in the last 200 miles. I don't know if I hit something. The first time I lost the gennaker, the second time was 20 miles from the finish. It was stressful. And last night, a bolt of lightning passed very close to the boat. It was frightening.
You had a good fight with Ian...
Ian had a wonderful race. I knew from the start that he was one of the best. He knows his boat so well. He also knows how to sail single-handed and has lots and lots of energy. He's very fast in strong downwind conditions. One of the turning points was when he tore one of his spinnakers. That really crippled him. I love sailing against him, he's always attacking. I'm looking for a port in New York, any port. I can't wait to see the people. I put a lot of energy and effort into my races and I want to share with others. I love solitaire, but I love people too.
Source : The Transat CIC
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