Allagrande Mapei Racing is born: the new offshore sailing project by Beccaria and Mapei

The new project by Ambrogio Beccaria, one of the most talented Italian sailors, and Mapei, Main Sponsor and multinational leader in chemical products for construction, was presented today in Milan at the Mapei Showroom, marking the beginning of a new sailing adventure: Allagrande Mapei Racing.

A European-scale project that combines Italian imagination and creativity with the solidity and experience of the French nautical tradition. Based in Lorient, Brittany, and with strong roots in Milan, where it was born, the project makes its international soul a point of strength and innovation. After his successes in the Mini 6.50 class and Class40, Beccaria launches his next season in the IMOCA 60 class. An ambitious step made possible thanks to the trust of a partner like Mapei, which is committed to a large[1]scale project with a common goal: to compete at the highest levels in the 2028 Vendée Globe, the solo round-the-world race.

The launch conference was opened with a greeting from Martina Riva, the Councillor for Sports, Tourism, and Youth Policies of the Municipality of Milan: “This project represents an extraordinary opportunity to bring young people and enthusiasts closer to the world of sailing, creating a virtuous connection between tradition, innovation, and sustainability. It is a real pleasure for the Municipality of Milan to support this new adventure of Ambrogio Beccaria, whom we have been proudly following for some time, as demonstrated by the Ambrogino d’Oro awarded to him in 2020. A heartfelt thanks to Mapei, who, with vision and passion, has made the realization of this ambitious project possible. We look forward with enthusiasm to this new challenge, confident that it will inspire the next generations of athletes.”

The event, moderated by presenter Daniela Collu, was attended by, in addition to the sailor, Veronica Squinzi, CEO of Mapei, and Simona Giorgetta, board member of Mapei.

"Having the opportunity," - comments Beccaria – "to continue a growth path started some time ago is a great privilege for me. Competing in this class is truly the best. I couldn't wish for anything better. I never even had the courage to dream this big... and now that I'm here, I know there will be tough challenges to face, but I'm motivated to learn from the ocean and, if possible, to win a few races."

"Sponsors," – continues Beccaria – "have a unique value in this sport, their energy involves the whole team and for us it’s a great fortune to have Mapei as a partner. They know sport well, thanks to their experience with cycling and football, and they know that in difficult moments it's essential to be self-critical and improve. We've known each other for three years and our relationship is now solid. Mapei is a reliable and also very affectionate sponsor."

"We are proud to support this new, innovative and courageous project by Ambrogio Beccaria," – comments Veronica Squinzi, CEO of Mapei –. "Mapei immediately believed in Ambrogio, recognizing in him those sporting values that have always been part of the company's DNA: passion, tenacity, grit in facing new challenges. A tough sporting and technological adventure which, we are sure, will also take our brand far. Mapei is a multinational present in 57 countries around the world, internationalization is one of the pillars of our strategy. Supporting a project whose goal is to sail around the world, with the ocean as a stage and involving international teams, is a natural choice for us."

"I have followed Ambrogio since his first Mini-Transat" – adds Simona Giorgetta, member of the Mapei Board of Directors – "He is a pure talent, with an extraordinary determination. That’s also why in 2022 we came aboard his Class40, which marked an important, entirely Italian chapter in offshore sailing and led him to achieve exceptional results. Today Ambrogio asks us to believe in him and his team once again and to face a new, even more demanding challenge, towards a broader horizon, aboard an IMOCA, with the aim of reaching the dream of every offshore sailor: the Vendée Globe. And we, with enthusiasm, are ready to face this challenge with him."

The Allagrande Mapei Racing Project

For Beccaria and his team, this is the first time in the IMOCA world (acronym for International Monohull Open Class Association), considered the "queen" of offshore classes. It is a class famous for hosting the fastest monohulls in the world, the only ones allowed to participate in the Vendée Globe. Founded in 1991 by major sailors including Isabelle Autissier and Jean-Luc Van Den Heede, it includes 60-foot monohulls. Since 2016, IMOCAs have been equipped with foils, underwater wings capable of lifting boats out of the water, and "flying" across the oceans achieving extraordinary performances. The Allagrande Mapei Racing team is made up of a group of about 20 people – present today in Milan were Tiphaine Renard, Bastian Oger, Carlos Olsson, Laure Lunven, Victor Jost and Bianca Bertolini – men and women of different nationalities, eager to test themselves at sea as on land, with the most important offshore races around the world, and to communicate, through those extraordinary competitions that are ocean crossings, the positive values of this unique and complex discipline. Leading the team will be 33-year-old Beccaria, the first Italian to win the Mini-Transat in 2019, who then also won the Transat Jacques Vabre in 2023 and the Transat CIC in 2024. His record and talent make him no longer a young promise, but a true champion, worthy of the international stage and ready to challenge the best sailors in the world.

The boat “Allagrande Mapei”

Designed by Antoine Koch, designer and sailor, and the Finot-Conq studio, making its big return to 60-foot ocean monohulls, “Allagrande Mapei” is a boat that combines performance and reliability. It is the boat with which Thomas Ruyant won the Transat Jacques Vabre in 2023 and with which he participated in the Vendée Globe 2024. “It’s a revolutionary boat,” comments Ambrogio – “definitely against the trend: it is the first boat with foils that managed to perform well with rough sea and strong wind. The result is achieved thanks to a hull very different from those of other competitors, with V-shaped sections that manage to reduce the impact with the waves. I chose this boat because it is very seaworthy and also achieves good average speeds over long distances. The boat is equipped with two pairs of foils and I can't wait to test them both to understand the differences.” Built by CDK Technologies and launched in March 2023, the boat features several innovations. The bow is designed to emerge from the waves, less scow-oriented compared to the latest generation IMOCAs. The deck has been designed for better water drainage onboard and to be as aerodynamic as possible. The cockpit is closed at the front and sides to allow maximum comfort and protection for the skipper but has an opening at the rear to better observe the sky and the surrounding environment.

Race Calendar

After the press presentation of the boat “Allagrande Mapei” in July in Lorient, Brittany, where Ambrogio has his headquarters, Beccaria will make his debut as a skipper in this class by participating in two major competitions: The Ocean Race Europe (August 10, 2025) and the historic transatlantic Transat Café de l’Or (October 26, 2025). Launched in 2021, The Ocean Race Europe (TORE) is a tour of Europe under the banner of “Connecting Europe,” with a race stretching from the Baltic Sea, through the North Sea and the English Channel, to the Atlantic Ocean, then ending in the Mediterranean, in Boka Bay, Montenegro, and will engage the fleet for about a month and a half. The regatta is sailed with a crew: four sailors, one of whom must be female, plus an onboard reporter. TORE, reserved for the IMOCA 60 class, is a race that aims to “reset the relationship between humanity and the ocean,” as Race Chairman Richard Brisius said. “It’s exciting to see Ambrogio moving into the IMOCA class and to know his first competition as a skipper will be with The Ocean Race Europe this summer, with an Italian-flagged team racing into Genova”- comments Richard Brisius. “Ambrogio is a talented and competitive sailor who believes strongly in using his platform in sailing to contribute towards ocean health. During The Ocean Race Europe, along with all the teams, he will be collecting and sharing important ocean data with scientists around the world who are studying the health of the ocean and the impact of climate change on our seas.”

The Transat Café de l’Or (formerly Transat Jacques Vabre) is the legendary double-handed transatlantic race departing from Le Havre, Normandy, and finishing in Fort-de-France, Martinique. The last edition of the regatta, held every two years, was already won by Beccaria in Class40 in 2023, and by Thomas Ruyant in the IMOCA class (who also won the 2021 edition). IMOCA 60s will cover 4,350 nautical miles in a non-stop race toward the trade winds, with a required rounding of the Canary Islands.

Collaboration with Thomas Ruyant Racing (TRR)

For the initial period until December 2025, Allagrande Mapei Racing announces a technical and human resource collaboration with TRR, a team whose long ocean experience is the perfect accelerator for the Milanese sailor’s ambitious project. Based in Lorient, France, TRR was founded in 2018 by Thomas Ruyant and Alexandre Fayeulle, CEO of Advens, a leading cybersecurity company. TRR is dedicated to the design, preparation and management of racing boats and offshore racing projects. TRR has already completed three Vendée Globe campaigns. “This collaboration,” says Beccaria, “will last a few months and is an incredible growth opportunity for us. It’s a bit like standing on the shoulders of giants to learn from the best and a way to gradually enter a complex world like that of IMOCA. In December 2025 this technical synergy will end, but a sporting collaboration with joint training sessions will continue.” And Thomas Ruyant is going to be Beccaria’s co-skipper for the next two races: “Thomas,” continues Beccaria, “has shown that to perform in the ocean, you first need a special mindset. You must think like a marathon runner, be someone who never gives up, who can find energy within even when everything is going wrong. Thomas is known as the transatlantic specialist… he has won them all! I believe this superpower of his is a mix of technique and mental strength that is incredibly inspiring to me.” Thomas Ruyant, co-fondatore di TRR: “Thomas Ruyant, co-founder of TRR: "With the whole TR Racing team, we are excited to welcome 'Allagrande Mapei' and Ambrogio Beccaria into our structure, starting from the beginning of July. We are ready to support them both on land, at our new headquarters in Lorient, and at sea, providing all the experience we’ve accumulated over the past few years in the IMOCA circuit. For six months, in a way, we will act as an incubator for Ambrogio's project. And together, we will be at the starting line of the Ocean Race Europe and the Transat Café de l'Or, a race where I hold the IMOCA title, while Ambrogio is the latest winner in Class40. This promises to be a fantastic sports season”.

Allagrande Mapei Racing for the Ocean

Allagrande Mapei Racing is an offshore team, and as such, it has developed a strong awareness of the fragility of the environment that hosts it. This project is born and lives on the ocean and is therefore a daily observer of the issues that affect it. “Today our sporting project is ambitious and we feel the responsibility to carry it out in a respectful and conscious way,” says Bianca Bertolini, Project Manager & Sustainability Manager – “We know we’ll have an impact, but just as the fastest boats don’t create waves because they fly over the water, we want to commit to leaving an ever less visible trace of our passage, both on land and on the ocean.” Science, Impact, and Dissemination are the three pillars of the Allagrande Mapei Racing (AGMR) strategy.

Science

The scientific approach, combined with the attitude of the sailors, is essential to fully understand one’s boat and improve its performance. Likewise, with regard to the ocean, the AGMR team wants to use a scientific method to first study and understand it deeply, in order to then protect it. In collaboration with The Ocean Race, a machine capable of filtering water and collecting microplastics while sailing is installed onboard. The collected samples will then be provided to international scientific institutions – including the National Oceanography Centre in Southampton (UK), Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon in Geesthacht (Germany), and Politecnico di Milano (Italy) – which will study their characteristics and distribution. Offshore racing boats have the advantage of covering many miles in some of the most remote and least accessible places on the planet: the goal is to use this potential to gather fundamental data for mapping microplastics in our seas.

Impact

Running an offshore sailing project has an impact: a 20-person team, production of composite parts, logistics, and events are some of the aspects that most affect the environmental footprint of the project. During 2025, the goal is to calculate and quantify CO₂ equivalent emissions linked to the project’s operation through LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) studies, in order to develop a concrete strategy to reduce them in the coming years.

Disclosure

Ambrogio Beccaria, his team, and Mapei strongly believe in the power of sport to inspire people, and in the importance of everyone’s role in protecting the oceans. Through outreach activities with schools, associations, foundations, and research institutions, as well as via podcasts and television programs, the goal is to raise public awareness of the environmental impact of our daily choices, by telling the story of how our seas are changing through the sailing adventures of Ambrogio and his team.

Beyond Sponsorship: Research and Innovation

The Mapei Sport Research Center, a scientific excellence that supports athletes to help them improve their performance through tests and training programs, will continue to support Ambrogio Beccaria with physical preparation, medical-sports assistance, and nutrition. Equipped with an advanced human performance lab for determining physiological qualities, a biomechanical analysis laboratory, and a training department dedicated to optimizing individual training, it will make all its multidisciplinary know-how available to the sailor. In agreement with Ambrogio, Mapei Sport will also continue data collection during ocean crossings to better understand the body's response to this very particular type of activity. Through this scientific research, it will be possible to contribute to the growth of the discipline, in line with the mission of applied scientific research that has led Mapei Sport to publish over 150 scientific papers and collaborate with universities and research institutes around the world.