Remon Vos’s Black Jack 100, skippered by Tristan Le Brun, has established a commanding lead in the battle for monohull line honours in the 47th Rolex Middle Sea Race, opening a 25-nautical-mile advantage over its nearest challengers.
The jet-black maxi was leading the fleet along Sicily’s northern coast on Sunday afternoon, with Louis Balcaen’s Balthasar and Giovanni Lombardi Stronati’s Django 7X engaged in a closely fought battle for second place.
However, while Black Jack 100 has taken control on the water, the contest for overall victory remains wide open, with Maltese yacht Artie III emerging as the provisional leader on corrected time.
The opening 24 hours of the 606-nautical-mile race have been characterised by light winds, shifting conditions and demanding tactical decisions, particularly through the Strait of Messina and around Stromboli.
By 16:00 CEST on Sunday, Black Jack 100 had consolidated its advantage, while Marton Josza’s Wild Joe was producing an impressive performance further back, running third on the water, four nautical miles ahead of Artemis Bleu.
Despite Black Jack’s substantial lead, the estimated IRC 1 standings painted a different picture, with Balthasar heading the provisional corrected-time rankings ahead of Django 7X, Black Jack 100, Pace and Jajo.
The duel between Balthasar and Django 7X has been among the highlights of the opening stages, with the two yachts frequently sailing within close proximity.
Michele Ivaldi, reporting from Django 7X, described an eventful passage through the Strait of Messina.
“It was full of action. Luckily, we had wind all the way through,” he said.
However, Shannon Falcone explained how a sudden loss of wind had allowed Balthasar to gain a significant advantage.
“We were going fast, and then we ended up in a no-wind zone, and they just went around it. They gained four miles,” Falcone said.
After rounding Stromboli at dawn, the two yachts headed northwest before gybing south. By late afternoon, they were virtually side-by-side, approximately 30 nautical miles northeast of Palermo.
Artie III leads provisional overall standings
Maltese interest remains particularly strong in the battle for overall honours, with Lee Satariano’s HH42 Artie III, co-skippered by Christian Ripard, heading the estimated IRC overall standings.
At 16:00, Artie III led Diavolina, Red Ruby, Colombre and fellow Maltese entry Calypso.
The presence of three IRC 6 yachts among the leading four challengers underlined the competitiveness of the smaller boats in the variable conditions.
Artie III also headed the IRC 3 division ahead of 430 Mia Gioia and Zephyr, with Daring Sisters and Lunz Am Meer completing the provisional top five.
In IRC 2, Red Bandit occupied first place ahead of Cippa Lippa X and Wild Joe, followed by Aragon and Daguet 5.
Maltese yachts were also setting the pace in IRC 4, where Jonathan Gambin’s Ton Ton Laferla led Elusive 2, with Expression of London, Jackknife and Mr. J completing the leading five.
Gambin expressed satisfaction with his crew’s progress following a challenging opening night.
“The race has been great so far, with some very tricky conditions overnight next to Etna. We’re very pleased with our performance so far and morale is high,” he said.
“Passing Stromboli first in our class is very encouraging, but there’s still a long way to go.”
Another Maltese entry, Calypso, was leading IRC 5 ahead of Scricca and Karpo, with Avanti and Selma Racing completing the top five.
Sebastian Ripard, sailing aboard Calypso, remained cautious despite the yacht’s promising position.
“It’s nice, but early days to be thinking about that,” Ripard said as the yacht approached Stromboli.
“We’ve still got a little bit of anxiousness or anticipation for what’s going to come around Favignana.”
Meanwhile, Pogo Courrier, which had challenged for the IRC 5 lead earlier in the day, had slipped to sixth place.
Navigator Arnaud Aubrey admitted that the passage through Messina had proved particularly demanding.
“The exit from Messina was no walk in the park; we’ve just caught some wind. We’ve lost all our lead… still plenty of work ahead,” he said.
Close competition throughout the fleet
The IRC 6 division was headed by Diavolina, followed by Red Ruby and Colombre, with Bongani and Sakifo occupying fourth and fifth positions respectively.
In the Class40 category, Stella Nova had moved ahead of Optimus Prime, with just one nautical mile separating the two leading boats in terms of distance remaining to the finish. Flamingo Rosso was a further five miles behind.
The multihull contest was also developing into a tactical battle, with Turbolenta heading the estimated MOCRA standings ahead of Calamity, Luke Seawalker and Garbina J.
Although Calamity had progressed furthest around the course, Turbolenta’s position at the top of the handicap rankings highlighted the difference between outright speed and corrected-time performance.
In the double-handed division, Colombre headed the provisional standings ahead of Sakifo, Mia Gioia, Mary S and Libertine.
With the leading yachts now beyond Stromboli and making their way towards the northwest corner of Sicily, attention is turning to the next stages of the demanding Mediterranean course.
More than half of the 606-nautical-mile race remains to be completed, leaving considerable scope for further changes in the standings.
While Black Jack 100 has established itself as the clear frontrunner for monohull line honours, the unpredictable weather and closely contested handicap divisions mean that the battle for overall victory remains far from decided.
Sports Editor
Veteran Journalist
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