AllaGrande Mapei, tutto sul varo dell'IMOCA 60 di Ambrogio Beccaria

We went to La Base, the temple of ocean sailing, to witness the launch of Ambrogio Beccaria's IMOCA 60: "AllaGrande Mapei" after months of work and modifications at the shipyard in the cold Breton climate. The launching of a boat is never just a ceremony. It's a delicate, almost suspended moment, where months of work at the shipyard are concentrated into a few hours. And it was here, in Lorient, that we closely followed the return to the water of AllaGrande Mapei, Ambrogio Beccaria's new ocean project. After a long winter spent modifying, testing, and developing technical features, Ambrogio's IMOCA returns to the water with a new livery and a series of important interventions that mark a new phase of the project. In recent months, the boat has remained in the shipyard for an intense upgrade program, which we've already told you about, and now, as often happens in these cases, the launch represents much more than a simple return to the sea: it's the first real moment when the work done takes shape. We followed every step of the process. The exit from the shed, the slow and precise movements on the dock, the travel lift, the boat leaving the yard and approaching the water. These are routine steps at La Base, yet they always retain a special tension. Because an IMOCA is never like any other boat: every operation requires attention, coordination, and near-millimeter precision. But the launch here doesn't end when the hull touches the water. A crucial part of the work comes immediately afterward, with the measurement checks required by the IMOCA class. In the first reel we're publishing, Technical Director Enrico Bandiera takes us through this often hidden yet crucial process. It's a rigorous protocol that includes weighing, measurements, and structural checks, necessary to ensure the boat perfectly complies with the parameters of the class regulations. From the outside, they may seem like technical details, but this is precisely where an important part of the life of an ocean-going project comes into play. Behind the thrill of seeing AllaGrande Mapei float again lies a meticulous workmanship where engineering, performance, and regulations must fit together down to the last millimeter. This launch is therefore much more than a simple launch: it marks the end of the construction site and the beginning of the second phase, that of navigation, testing, and fine-tuning. A key moment for Ambrogio's project, and also the beginning of the story we will be following closely in the coming months. ALLA GRANDE! Rebecca Geiger