The 47th Rolex Middle Sea Race got underway from Malta’s Grand Harbour on Saturday, with 107 yachts and 945 sailors representing 55 countries setting off on the demanding 606-nautical-mile course around Sicily.
Thousands of spectators gathered along the historic waterfront of Valletta and the Three Cities to witness seven spectacular starts, as the international fleet began one of offshore sailing’s most prestigious events.
Despite relatively light winds, the opening stages produced plenty of excitement, with crews battling for position and an early advantage.
The first start, involving the IRC 6 fleet, took place at 11am, with Red Ruby making an impressive departure alongside Callisto and Munjek.
Courrier Pogo was among the quickest away in IRC 5, while Loewe von Bremen and Jules also made strong starts.
The Maltese contingent featured prominently in the third start, with Luis Azzopardi’s Kixx Me, the Podesta family’s Elusive 2, Mario Debono’s Seven and Jonathan Gambin’s Ton Ton Laferla Insurance all making encouraging departures.
Kixx Me included three sailors under the age of 18, among them 15-year-old Lily Ellul.
The fourth start saw Dubrovnik, About Time and Mia Gioia among the leading yachts in IRC 3.
In the Class40 division, Optimus Prime, Stella Nova and Flamingo Rosso were quickly involved in a closely contested battle, while Calamity made the strongest start among the multihulls.
The wind strengthened for the final two starts, bringing the larger and faster yachts into action.
James Neville’s Artemis Bleu and Frédéric Puzin’s Daguet 5 were involved in an early tactical battle in IRC 2, with Arkas Blue Moon also challenging for position.
The final start provided the most dramatic action as defending overall champion Balthasar, skippered by Louis Balcaen, made an excellent getaway near the Saluting Battery.
However, the Mills 72 immediately faced pressure from Black Jack 100 and Django 7X, with the three yachts involved in a thrilling tactical contest before leaving Grand Harbour.
Black Jack 100 takes early lead
By shortly after 4pm, Black Jack 100 had established an early advantage in the battle for monohull line honours.
The 100-footer was first past Capo Passero, on Sicily’s southeastern coast, holding a two-nautical-mile lead over Johnny Vincent’s Volvo 70 Pace.
Django 7X and Balthasar were close behind, racing alongside each other and remaining within sight of the leaders.
Varuna VI and JAJO were also in contention, while Artemis Bleu, Daguet 5, Il Mostro and Wind Whisper formed another closely matched group.
Remarkably, only seven nautical miles separated the leading ten monohulls as they approached the first major mark of the course.
In the provisional IRC corrected-time standings, Pace held the overall lead and first place in IRC 1, ahead of Django 7X and Balthasar.
However, with most of the race still to be completed, the standings could change significantly as the fleet encounters different weather conditions.
Among the multihulls, Calamity had opened an 11-nautical-mile advantage over Luke Seawalker, with Garbina J occupying third place.
The Class40 contest remained particularly close, with Optimus Prime holding a narrow one-nautical-mile lead over Flamingo Rosso and Stella Nova.
Challenging conditions expected
Royal Malta Yacht Club Commodore Mark Napier expressed satisfaction with the successful start of the race.
“The start of the Rolex Middle Sea Race always delivers a dramatic spectacle and, even in light airs, the fleet were an impressive sight as they set off this morning,” Napier said.
“The Royal Malta Yacht Club is delighted that the crews got away without difficulty and are now well on their way to Sicily.”
With winds expected to weaken during the evening, the leading yachts face an important tactical challenge as they continue northwards.
Reaching the waters beyond Capo Passero before the breeze fades could provide a significant advantage, while the Strait of Messina and Sicily’s northern coastline are expected to present further difficulties.
The unpredictable Mediterranean conditions mean that the early leaders cannot afford to relax, with the battle for line honours and overall victory still wide open.
The fleet will eventually return to Malta after completing the 606-nautical-mile circuit around Sicily, with the leading yachts expected to face a demanding combination of changing winds, tactical decisions and endurance over the coming days.
Sports Editor
Veteran Journalist
Leave a Reply