Grand Harbour performed some magic on Saturday as an assembled 118 yachts set off on the 43rd Rolex Middle Sea Race. The ancient limestone walls of Valletta seem to come alive in bright sunshine, and they duly offered the gathered spectators, high up on the bastions, a perfect setting to send off the intrepid fleet. While cannon fire aloft marked each start, whispering zephyrs greeted the crews at water level. Would there be sufficient breeze to exit the harbour was the key concern. As it was, all seven starting groups got away cleanly, with several yachts putting down markers as they made the best of what wind was available.
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By 1600 CEST Saturday, progress has been as expected: exacting and demanding, as the crews representing 24 countries do their best to navigate between fluctuating cells of pressure that litter the channel between Malta and Sicily. At the front, the five maxi multihulls are leading the way, with debutante Frank Slootman’s Snowflake making the early running. Among the monohulls, the tracker shows Elusive II to be ahead on elapsed time by virtue of a fast departure from Grand Harbour and the most northerly positioning on the rhumb line to the finish. No one will be getting carried away on the experienced Maltese entry. There remains a long stretch ahead just to reach Capo Passero, 90 nautical miles from Malta, let alone the finish.
Multihulls
With five maxi multihulls among the eight-boat start, it was a highly anticipated moment, not without jeopardy for craft almost as wide as they are long. Even in the thin breeze they did not disappoint. These racing trimarans grace the confines of the harbour, even if more reminiscent of alien space craft. As each picked up speed off the line, they presented an extraordinary sight. The US entry, Snowflake, made the smartest break mid-line, and showed a clean set of transoms to her opposition, some of which were caught behind the three more cruising-oriented multihulls, also participating.
Start No 1 of the Rolex Middle Sea Race for the multihulls featuring Maserati, a Multi 70 owned by Giovanni Soldini Photo: Kurt Arrigo
Ahead of the start, Giovanni Soldini, skipper of Maserati Multi 70, confirmed the conditions pointed to some difficult days ahead. “We are expecting a very slow race, with very little wind,” said Soldini. “However, there is great enthusiasm: this is the first time that five boats like this are competing all together [in this race], so morale is high and as usual we will sell our lives dearly, even if it will be a challenge.” As the afternoon comes to a close, Mana lies in second place on the water with Zoulou just behind.
Monohulls
The fight to be first to finish is taking time to develop in the monohull fleet. Unsurprisingly, the Italian maxi, Bullitt (93 feet) is snapping at the heels of Elusive (45 feet) and looks set to pass before the evening sets in. Andrea Recordati’s seasoned crew will be pleased to be in front of their immediate opponents, Leopard 3, and will consider Elusive’s elevated position as a fly in the ointment rather than a significant impediment to the ambition to secure line honours. The extreme light airs mean the elapsed time standings will need some time to take proper shape.
The start of the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2022 with Leopard 3, a Farr 100, skippered by Christopher Sherlock Photo: Kurt Arrigo
At the start, though, it was Leopard 3 that set the final departure of the day alight. Using massive sail area to carve a decisive path towards the breakwaters at the entrance to Grand Harbour, the Farr 100 led by Chris Sherlock was a majestic sight for the well-wishers. The smaller yachts – small being a relative term in this last group – showed plenty of tactical nous and resilience to hang onto their larger rival. The wind was still offering opportunities for the adept and alert to keep pace.
For the rest of the fleet, it was a trickier affair. The smallest yachts had the honour of starting after the multis, and it was slow going. Shorter rigs struggling to catch the breeze that came and went. French entry, Jean Luc Hamon’s JPK 1010 Raging Bee, made the best of it at the Fort St Angelo (pin) end of the line. Her wily crew figuring a path to the harbour exit that avoided any potholes in the wind. The Maltese pair of J/109s – JYS Jan and JYS Jarhead featured in this group. Later in the day, JYS Jan reported in from the course: “Working our way slowly across the channel. We’ve got about 6 knots of very shifty wind, and we’ve gone from J1 to jib top to code zero. Keeping a fairly steady speed. Jarhead 100 metres away on our 8 o’clock.”
The third grouping was led in inspiring fashion by Elusive 2, the Podestas then found great boat speed to pull out a significant lead on the leg to Capo Passero. The classic Swan 65 Kings Legend was making harder work of the situation, but showing the early intent required to finish the race for the first time in three attempts. The double-hander, Libertine from Italy, skippered by Marco Paolucci, has participated in the race on five occasions previously. This year’s assault looks to be a massive undertaking. Before leaving the dock, Paolucci remarked that: “It is not possible to predict how long it will take. We hope for six days, but we will see. Whatever, I love this race. It is the most beautiful race in the world.”
Lying ahead for the fleet is the challenging and scenic 606-nautical mile (1,122 kilometre) racecourse. Starting and finishing in Malta it features an anticlockwise circumnavigation of Sicily, two active volcanoes and a myriad of wild and rugged islands.
The fourth start of the day was stolen for a while by the Polish entry Esentia, a grand Soleil 44 skippered by Marcin Sutkowski. The yellow spinnaker of Xavier Bellouard’s Pogo 12.5 Baradoz also cut a dash under the vivid blue sky and glare of the unfiltered sun as it sped towards open water.
The next group contained some of the possible favourites. Previous form, displacement and waterline length combining to suggest this area of the fleet might be hiding the eventual winner. The less experienced Maltese entry, Luis Azzopardi and Sara Baldwin’s Xone Superyacht Corona took a few by surprise with a strong start, but the competitive juices were flowing throughout as displayed by James Neville’s HH42 Ino XXX powering in towards the Valletta seawall at the Lower Barrakka gardens before deftly gybing away to gain places and position.
The penultimate start featuring more top guns was scorched by the Infinity 46R, Maverick from Australia. Her all-star crew has a huge number of hours on this racetrack, even if skipper Michael Firmin is on his initiation. Gordon Kay, the builder of Maverick, gleefully called in to emphasise that the smallest boat in this group had led it out of the harbour. Maverick is up against some tough opposition in class, with the likes of Red Bandit, the German TP52, Teasing Machine, the French NMYD 54, and Arobas2, the French IRC 52 breathing down her neck.
For the Royal Malta Yacht Club race management, it is always a relief to see the fleet depart safely. The dedication and preparation of the competing crews is matched by that of the organisation, led this year by Race Director Chris Stone and Principal Race Officer Stefan Kunstman, who commented: “It was great team effort from all concerned. We were up against it at times, but we ‘threaded the needle’ provided by the wind and are looking forward to seeing how the race develops.”
IRC CLASS STANDINGS
Big picture observation: The entire fleet appears to have sailed east of the rhumb line, aiming to find more breeze. The first big tactical decision will be when to time the gybe north to maintain best progress to Capo Passero. The forecast suggested steady wind overnight up much of the eastern seaboard of Sicily.
IRC 1
Andrea Recordati’s Bullitt held a slight advantage over Guidi Paolo Gammucci’s Italian Mylius 60 Cippa Lippa X and the Dutch Marten 72 Aragon, entered by Arco Van Nieuwland and Andreas Verder.
IRC 2
Hard to separate the front runners on the water, Polish entry Fast Forward was furthest west, while the Estonian Cookson 50 Furiosa of Rolf Relander has gybed north along with François Bopp’s Swiss Farr 52 Chocolate 3 and Frederic Puzin’s French Ker 46, Daguet 3 Corum.
IRC 3
The German Neo 430 Neo Mind of Sascha Schroeder was making good progress heading north with the French ICE 52 Mahana of Jean Yves Thomas on her hip. The Maltese HH42 Artie III co-skippered by Lee Satariano and Christian Ripard is furthest east along with Ino XXX.
IRC 4
The Maltese First 45 Elusive 2 is leading on the water from Marcin Sutkowski’s Polish Grand Soleil 44 Esentia and Philippe Frantz’s French NMD43 Albator.
IRC 5
Gianrocco Catalano’s Italian First 40 Tevere Remo Mon Ile leads by a mile on the water gybing north just before the 1600 CEST. The other leaders have sailed well east of the rhumb line including Jonathan Gambin’s Maltese Dufour 44 Ton Laferla, Ed Bell’s British JPK 1180 Dawn Treader and J/122 Noisy Oyster skippered by Wayne Zittle from California.
IRC 6
Leading on the water is Massimo Juris’ Italian JPK 1080 Colombre. Francesco Cerina’s Giro 34 Lima Taurus Bond is the most southerly of the leading boats going well. Jean Luc Hamon’s French JPK 1010 Raging Bee continues to impress behind Colombre and with Andrew Agius Delicata & Matthew Gabriele’s Maltese Reflex 38 Vivace and Ludovic Gérard’s French JPK 1080 Solenn for Pure Ocean.
Double Handers
Solenn for Pure Ocean is already punching north while Jonathan McKee’s Red Ruby is still heading east just in front of Ondrej Vachel’s Czech JPK1030, Mary S – Vachelboat.
Track the progress of the 2022 Rolex Middle Sea Race fleet on the live tracker above and see all Afloat’s Middle Sea Race coverage in one handy link here
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The Rolex Middle Sea Race is a highly rated offshore classic, often mentioned in the same breath as the Rolex Fastnet, The Rolex Sydney–Hobart and Newport-Bermuda as a ‘must do’ race. The Royal Malta Yacht Club and the Royal Ocean Racing Club co-founded the race in 1968 and 2007 was the 28th Edition. Save for a break between 1984 and 1995 the event has been run annually attracting 25–30 yachts. In recent years, the number of entries has rissen sharply to 68 boats thanks to a new Organising Committee who managed to bring Rolex on board as title sponsor for the Middle Sea Race.
The race is a true challenge to skippers and crews who have to be at their very best to cope with the often changeable and demanding conditions. Equally, the race is blessed with unsurpassed scenery with its course, taking competitors close to a number of islands, which form marks of the course. Ted Turner described the MSR as “the most beautiful race course in the world”.
Apart from Turner, famous competitors have included Eric Tabarly, Cino Ricci, Herbert von Karajan, Jim Dolan, Sir Chay Blyth and Sir Francis Chichester (fresh from his round the world adventure). High profile boats from the world’s top designers take part, most in pursuit of line honours and the record – competing yachts include the extreme Open 60s, Riviera di Rimini and Shining; the maxis, Mistress Quickly, Zephyrus IV and Sagamore; and the pocket rockets such as the 41-foot J-125 Strait Dealer and the DK46, Fidessa Fastwave.
In 2006, Mike Sanderson and Seb Josse on board ABN Amro, winner of the Volvo Ocean Race, the super Maxis; Alfa Romeo and Maximus and the 2006 Rolex Middle Sea Race overall winner, Hasso Platner on board his MaxZ86, Morning Glory.
George David on board Rambler (ex-Alfa Romeo) managed a new course record in 2007 and in 2008, Thierry Bouchard on Spirit of Ad Hoc won the Rolex Middle Sea Race on board a Beneteau 40.7
The largest number of entries was 78 established in 2008.
The Middle Sea Race was conceived as the result of sporting rivalry between great friends, Paul and John Ripard and an Englishman residing in Malta called Jimmy White, all members of the Royal Malta Yacht Club. In the early fifties, it was mainly British servicemen stationed in Malta who competitively raced. Even the boats had a military connection, since they were old German training boats captured by the British during the war. At the time, the RMYC only had a few Maltese members, amongst who were Paul and John Ripard.
So it was in the early sixties that Paul and Jimmy, together with a mutual friend, Alan Green (later to become the Race Director of the Royal Ocean Racing Club), set out to map a course designed to offer an exciting race in different conditions to those prevailing in Maltese coastal waters. They also decided the course would be slightly longer than the RORC’s longest race, the Fastnet. The resulting course is the same as used today.
Ted Turner, CEO of Turner Communications (CNN) has written that the Middle Sea Race “must be the most beautiful race course in the world. What other event has an active volcano as a mark of the course?”
In all of its editions since it was first run in 1968 – won by Paul Ripard’s brother John, the Rolex Middle Sea Race has attracted many prestigious names in yachting. Some of these have gone on to greater things in life and have actually left their imprint on the world at large. Amongst these one finds the late Raul Gardini who won line honours in 1979 on Rumegal, and who spearheaded the 1992 Italian Challenge for the America’s Cup with Moro di Venezia.
Another former line honours winner (1971) who has passed away since was Frenchman Eric Tabarly winner of round the world and transatlantic races on Penduik. Before his death, he was in Malta again for the novel Around Europe Open UAP Race involving monohulls, catamarans and trimarans. The guest list for the Middle Sea Race has included VIP’s of the likes of Sir Francis Chichester, who in 1966 was the first man to sail around the world single-handedly, making only one stop.
The list of top yachting names includes many Italians. It is, after all a premier race around their largest island. These include Navy Admiral Tino Straulino, Olympic gold medallist in the star class and Cino Ricci, well known yachting TV commentator. And it is also an Italian who in 1999 finally beat the course record set by Mistress Quickly in 1978. Top racing skipper Andrea Scarabelli beat it so resoundingly, he knocked off over six hours from the time that had stood unbeaten for 20 years.
World famous round the world race winners with a Middle Sea Race connection include yachting journalist Sir Robin Knox-Johnston and Les Williams, both from the UK.
The Maxi Class has long had a long and loving relationship with the Middle Sea Race. Right from the early days personalities such as Germany’s Herbert Von Karajan, famous orchestra conductor and artistic director of the Berliner Philarmoniker, competing with his maxi Helisara IV. Later came Marvin Greene Jr, CEO of Reeves Communications Corporation and owner of the well known Nirvana (line honours in 1982) and Jim Dolan, CEO of Cablevision, whose Sagamore was back in 1999 to try and emulate the line honours she won in 1997.
The course record was held by the San Francisco based, Robert McNeil on board his Maxi Turbo Sled Zephyrus IV when in 2000, he smashed the Course record which now stands at 64 hrs 49 mins 57 secs. Zephyrus IV is a Rechiel-Pugh design. In recent years, various maxis such as Alfa Romeo, Nokia, Maximus and Morning Glory have all tried to break this course record, but the wind Gods have never played along. Even the VOR winner, ABN AMro tried, but all failed in 2006.
However, George David came along on board Rambler in 2007 and demolished the course record established by Zephyrus IV in 2000. This now stands at 1 day, 23 hours, 55 minutes and 3 seconds.
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The 43rd edition of the Rolex Middle Sea Race will start on Saturday, 22 October 2022.
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