The Royal Malta Yacht Club confirmed the Italian yacht’s victory at 11.30am on Wednesday after establishing that none of the remaining competitors could improve on Django 7X’s IRC-corrected time.
The triumph followed an absorbing battle with defending champion Balthasar, with the two yachts racing in close company for much of the course before Django 7X crossed the finish line 39 minutes ahead.
“Winning the Rolex Middle Sea Race means a great deal to us,” said Lombardi Stronati. “Last year we won our class in IRC 2, and this year we have won overall, racing in IRC 1. We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved, and I am especially proud of our crew.”
The victory crowned an impressive campaign for the Italian team, which had already secured the IRC 1 class title.
Meanwhile, Maltese crews enjoyed considerable success, with Artie III and Elusive 2 both claiming victories in their respective classes.
Artie III dominates IRC 3
Lee Satariano’s Artie III, co-skippered by Christian Ripard, secured victory in IRC 3 by approximately three hours on corrected time after leading the class for virtually the entire race.
The HH42 was also the first Maltese yacht to finish, having produced a particularly strong performance during the opening stages when the reaching conditions suited its design.
“We knew the conditions were, to start with, in our favour. I know what the boat really likes – a lot of reaching and running in medium to stronger conditions,” Satariano explained.
For Ripard, competing in his record 36th Rolex Middle Sea Race, the result represented another significant achievement in his distinguished offshore sailing career.
“It means a lot to me because the crew really worked hard,” Ripard said. “This race is just full-on all the time. You never really get to sit down or go below for more than an hour and a half without something changing.”
Elusive 2 snatches dramatic IRC 4 victory
Another Maltese success came in IRC 4, where the Podesta family’s Elusive 2 overturned a deficit against Jonathan Gambin’s Ton Ton Laferla to claim victory on corrected time.
Ton Ton Laferla had enjoyed the advantage for much of the race, but Elusive 2 gradually reduced the gap before securing a dramatic victory in the closing stages.
Aaron Podesta described the contest as one of the most mentally demanding races the crew had experienced.
“Pushing all the way from Lampedusa to the finish and managing to clinch first position in class is massively rewarding,” he said.
Elusive 2 also overcame an unusual setback when the crew discovered that a large crate had become entangled with the yacht’s keel, affecting its speed. The obstruction was eventually dislodged after the crew stopped and backed down the boat.
Courrier Pogo and Colombre secure class victories
French offshore sailing veteran Géry Trentesaux produced another impressive performance aboard Courrier Pogo in IRC 5.
Sailing with a crew of just four, Trentesaux overcame difficult patches of light winds before benefiting from stronger conditions south of Sicily, where the yacht reached speeds of between 12 and 14 knots.
In IRC 6, the Italian partnership of Massimo Juris and Pietro Luciani enjoyed a double success aboard Colombre, winning both their class and the IRC Double-Handed division.
The pair, who have been sailing together for more than a decade, previously enjoyed success in the race in 2013 aboard Blue Colombre.
“We’re on top of one of the best rankings because IRC 6 is a very competitive class. We are very, very happy indeed,” Juris said.
Calamity and Stella Nova take honours
In the multihull division, Kimmo Nordstrom’s ORC 50 Calamity secured both line honours and victory on MOCRA corrected time.
The crew overcame a difficult final passage after suffering a mainsail problem in the South Comino Channel, forcing them to continue temporarily under headsail alone.
The mainsail was eventually raised using a spinnaker halyard, allowing Calamity to complete the race despite winds reaching 30 knots.
Meanwhile, Louis Torreilles’ Stella Nova emerged victorious in the Class40 division following a closely contested battle with Ivica Kostelic’s Optimus Prime, skippered by Matic Vrecko.
The latest results brought further celebrations at the Royal Malta Yacht Club as exhausted crews returned to Marsamxett Harbour following several days of demanding offshore racing.
Thunderstorms and lightning over Malta on Tuesday night gave way to sunshine on Wednesday, providing more favourable conditions for the returning competitors.
By 5.30pm on Wednesday, 65 yachts had completed the race, 28 remained at sea and 14 had retired.
Although the overall winner and several class champions have now been confirmed, the remaining competitors continue their efforts to complete one of the Mediterranean’s most demanding offshore sailing events.
Sports Editor
Veteran Journalist
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