Ocean traffic: Imoca 60 and Class 40, there’s a lot of Italy racing in the Atlantic

There is traffic in the Ocean, with several Italian sailors busy on the Class 40 and Imoca 60 front. In fact, the Les Sables – Horta – Les Sables for the Class and the Course de Cap for the Imoca are underway.

Great interest in the debut of Ambrogio Beccaria on Vulnerable, still in a “learning” phase of his new boat, in a regatta where he is alongside Thomas Ruyant’s team. Same for Francesca Clapcich, with Team Malizia, which will be her future 11Th Hour Racing for the Vende Globe project. The Course de Cap starts in France and practically circumnavigates Ireland and the United Kingdom, a regatta for three-person crews that is especially useful for rookies to get acquainted with the boats.

Among the Class 40s, on the other hand, the very classic Les Sables Horta, a two-stage, sum-of-the-time regatta, is taking place, where Luca Rosetti’s new Maccaferri Futura is competing, making her debut in an ocean race, for the occasion accompanied by co-skipper Matteo Sericano. There is also Andrea Fornaro’s Influence 2, racing in tandem with Alessandro Torresani.

Course de Caps and Les Sables Horta, how it’s going

The Imoca 60 fleet is moving up the west coast of Ireland compactly, led by Sam Goodchild’s Macif, which has taken a small lead du Nico Lunven’s Holcim PRB. Vulnerable is in fourth position, some 30 miles away, when there are still more than 1,200 miles to go, however.

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Just behind Vulnerable, in fifth position, is Malizia with Francesca Clapcich aboard; the skipper for the occasion is Will Harris. Imoca are facing a relatively moderate wind phase.

In a more sustained breeze, however, sail the Class 40s, which are approaching the Azores, and are cruising in a good flow of an Trade Wind-like breeze that is pushing them on the slack towards Horta. In the lead is Fabien Delahaye’s Legallais, Maccaferri Futura is in fourth, Influence in 11th. More than the dry result in the standings, in this first leg of Les Sables – Horta for the Class 40s, it is the time of the race that counts, since the race will be on the sum of the times. Currently the top 10-12 boats are packed into just over 20 miles, to keep the games open for the second leg our guys will have to try to get as far as possible in the lead group now. The finish line in Horta is just over 100 miles away.

Tracking Imoca

Tracking Class 40

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