Ambrogio Beccaria selects his crew for The Ocean Race Europe

Allagrande Mapei Racing

As skipper Ambrogio Beccaria moves up from the Class 40 to his new IMOCA campaign, he has assembled an exerienced team to help in the transition through a collaboration with TR Racing (Thomas Ruyant).

Looking ahead to The Ocean Race Europe, Beccaria has already started to assemble a top crew of sailors to join him.

“I already have a lot to do to get to grips with this boat. I’m really focusing on this learning process this year,” confides Ambrogio Beccaria. Lucidly, he adds: “Starting a project by changing everything would be counterproductive. I have complete confidence in Thomas’s choices for the first race of the season. The idea is therefore to capitalize on this team and enrich it with other skippers who will soon complete the crew and allow us to make rotations.”

Thus Thomas Ruyant, co-skipper for the rest of the 2025 season, seasoned navigator and former skipper of this same IMOCA, will naturally be on board. Key man of the project, he knows this boat in the smallest details. Winner of the Route du Rhum in 2022 and the Transat Jacques Vabre 2023 among others, he has repeatedly demonstrated his ability to perform in major ocean races. His presence on board guarantees the crew rare expertise, capable of covering all positions if needed.

Alongside them, Morgan Lagravière, Ruyant’s regular training partner, will once again take on the role of performance manager. A talented racer, having passed through Olympism in 49er and through the Vendée Globe, he excels in settings optimization. His sharp eye and technical rigor will be precious assets throughout the European course.

Manon Peyre embodies the new generation. Also coming from dinghy sailing and the 49erFX, she embarks here for her second major offshore racing event. Appreciated for her helm touch and adaptability, she brings freshness, commitment and precision in maneuvers.

Pierre Bouras, On Board Reporter (OBR), as comfortable on deck as behind his camera, will have the mission of documenting this sporting and human adventure. His artistic eye, combined with good knowledge of life at sea, promises a strong and authentic visual narrative.

But the demanding course of The Ocean Race Europe, combined with the duration of the event, requires fine effort management, hence the need for the Allagrande Mapei crew to make rotations. The crew will soon be completed by two other crew members.

They said:

Ambrogio Beccaria: “This is my first regatta as skipper with such a large team, both on board and on shore — a real baptism in this role. It’s an important step to see if I’m really up to it. Sailing with Thomas, whom I’ve always considered a reference, came naturally and we share a similar approach to performance, we both know that to go fast, you must above all be well at sea and be good sailors. I’m also delighted to meet Morgan again, whom I knew as a competitor in Class40 and Figaro. He’s an instinctive sailor, born on the water: learning alongside him is a plus because everything seems easy with him. As for Manon, we’ve only shared a few outings, but her determination is obvious. Like Morgan, she comes from the Olympic classes and has great talent at the helm. It’s now about transferring the skills from her universe to ours, and I’m convinced that facing the Course des Caps together will be excellent training ground for The Ocean Race Europe.”

Thomas Ruyant: “It’s true that I’m more used to sailing solo or double-handed on this boat. Thanks to the work of TR Racing experts and quality preparation with great care, they managed to make it evolve so that it can now accommodate a crew of five people. The Ocean Race Europe will be a discovery ground for all of us, actually, because in IMOCA in crew configuration, my only experience remains that of the first edition in 2021. The beginning of the season will be essential to learn to know each other, see how everyone works, and gradually create real dynamics on board. All this will be built progressively, between training and the Course des Caps. With Morgan, we’ve already started to pass on some benchmarks to Ambrogio and Manon on the first outings. The idea is that they get their bearings quickly so we can then go into detail. The organization on board will continue to adjust naturally, and I really want to push a little further everything that touches pure navigation, strategy. It’s a field I particularly like and that I want to explore even more in crew.”