Route du Rhum: Ambrogio Beccaria is setting sail for Guadalupe on board his class40 yacht

After months of preparation, Ambrogio Beccaria is ready to set sail on the Route du Rhum. Mapei, global sponsor of the ‘Alla Grande’ project, is ready to keep track with bated breath of Ambrogio's journey across the ocean aboard his innovative Class40 vessel.

Wednesday 9^th November is the date when the race begins from Saint Malo port in Brittany. Those taking part in the Route du Rhum, one of the most important solo regattas in the sailing world, will bid farewell to the mainland and set sail for Pointe-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe. A unique opportunity to get in touch with nature and experience adventure on the open sea in search of victory.

 The Alla Grande project embraces all those values Mapei has always looked for in its sporting ventures: passion, grit and a desire to take on new challenges. The hard work and commitment of the entire Ambrogio team is based on a synergy of different personalities and skills, great teamwork on the part of talented young people capable of building an innovative, high-tech, avant-garde boat together. Mapei has chosen to get involved in this oceanic enterprise in its own distinctive way, putting its notable resources at Ambrogio's disposal.

 Thanks to its high degree of specialisation and wide range of solutions, the company has made a real contribution to the ‘Alla Grande’ project supplying products from the Mapei Marine range. Mapeflex M200 AS, a one-component thixotropic sealant, suitable for forming elastic seals resistant to vibrations, has been used to cover and protect the boat's ‘nuts and bolts’. A product based on silylated polymers that is solvent-free and has a low impact on the environment, in line with the boat's sustainable design.

 Well aware that sport is based on hard work and training, as well as research and discipline, Mapei provided Ambrogio with the support of the Mapei Sport Research Centre. Over the past few months, experts from the Varese-based centre have helped the sailor train for the event, also providing medical and nutritional support. They have been on board with him, monitoring his activity and collecting any data that might be useful for scientific research into the sport of sailing, so more and more athletes can be helped in the future.

 To support Ambrogio during the regatta, Professor Fabio Volonté, who works with Mapei Sport and is a sports physician, anaesthetist and resuscitator specialising in first aid and emergency medicine, has taught Ambrogio key self-medication techniques and will provide the sailor with medical assistance for the duration of the regatta with the help of a remote connection.

 Everybody at Mapei hopes you will have the wind in your sails Ambrogio!