Vendée Arctique: "Mamma mia!" - Beccaria has to dive in the North Atlantic

Even without much knowledge of Italian, it is easy to understand how Ambrogio Beccaria laments his situation in the video clip with a few swear words. He then frees his boat in several courageous dives and finally lets out a cry of relief.

Now "Allagrande Mapei" is sailing at a good pace again in the Vendée Arctique. Ambrogio Beccaria is chasing leader Sam Goodchild and the three soloists Élodie Bonafous ("Association Petits Princes - Queguiner"), Violette Dorange ("Initiatives Cœur") and Francesca Clapcich ("11th Hour Racing") in fifth place.

Click here for the live tracker for the Vendée Arctique.

"Allagrande Mapei": slowed down in the Vendée Arctique

What had happened? Off the north coast of Ireland, a fishing line and a buoy got caught in the keel of the "Allagrande Mapei". The brake did not release on its own. The skipper quickly realised that he only had one option in this situation if he didn't want to continue the race "limping" - a tricky operation in the icy waters near the 60th parallel north on the course to the Arctic Circle.

Ambrogio Beccaria put on his wetsuit, stepped into his flippers and donned a diving mask to prepare himself for the risky challenge. Well secured, he took a deep breath for several seconds and dived from the deck into the water and under the hull of the "Allagrande Mapei".

It took five dives to free the keel from the line and the buoy. "Mamma mia!" his voice rang out from on board afterwards. His jubilation after the successful operation and safe return on board came from the bottom of his heart. "I thought the water would be colder, but it still wasn't easy, especially because the current caused the boat to drift," reported Beccaria after the risky mission in the Vendée Arctique.

That was quite an adventure. I had to dive at least five times to free the keel." Ambrogio Beccaria

Beccaria filmed the action as well as his dives and is now showing images that are as rare as they are spectacular. For him, who had to experience and repair a blackout on board in the opening phase of the Vendée Arctique, the focus has now returned to the race itself: Less than 25 nautical miles separated the 34-year-old native of Milan from compatriot Francsca Clapcich the morning after the third night at sea, which had reported the day beforethat the duel with Beccaria was "already a factor".

Vendée Arctique: Three-class society in half-time one

Ambrogio Beccaria is not in danger from behind for the time being. The field has sorted itself into a three-class company. At the front, top favourite Sam Goodchild set the pace and still had around 300 nautical miles to go to the Arctic Circle on the morning of 10 June. Behind him, the first group of chasers from Élodie Bonafous to Ambrogio Beccaria were around 50 to 150 nautical miles behind.

Around 300 to 500 nautical miles behind the pacemaker were Arnaud Boissières ("April Marine - Recherche Co-Partenaires"), Nico d'Estais on the non-foiler "Café Joyeux" and Manu Cousin on "Coup de Pouce". After almost three days of racing and the fierce sailing rodeo along the west coast of Ireland, the soloists in the Vendée Arctique enjoyed a breath of fresh air on Wednesday.

Since their start in Les Sables-d'Olonne last Sunday the eight remaining soloists in the Vendée Arctique after the cancellation of Corentin Horeau ("Macsf") have completed a physically demanding and unpleasant phase of strong winds and very rough seas. The brutal combination of conditions had turned life on board into a kind of acrobatic training. But since the morning before, the picture has changed.

From tinder to tame: the Arctic Circle approaches

At the head of the fleet, the wind was barely above 15 knots and the sea was almost flat. The days on the humpback are over for the time being. Now is the time for calm sailing, a little more sleep and the strategic decisions to be made. The Arctic Circle is approaching. And with it, for the first time in the 3rd Vendée Arctique, the point freely chosen by the soloists at which they pass it and start the return journey to Les Sables-d'Olonne.

The clip of Ambrogio Beccaria's courageous rescue operation of his keel, which required several dives in the middle of the North Atlantic: