Lining up for the Rolex Middle Sea Race

Marcus Hutchinson looks at this classic Mediterranean offshore race

47 boats from 13 countries have arrived in the tiny Mediterranean island of Malta in preparation for the Rolex Middle Sea Race. Now in its 23rd edition the annual 607-mile offshore race, sailed anti-clockwise around the Italian island of Sicily and the adjacent islands is organised by the Royal Malta Yacht Club. The event has again this year attracted a significant number of the world’s fastest racing yachts.

The classic offshore race, with a significant set of historical links and landmarks, is preceded by two inshore coastal races this week. Sailed from Marsamxett Harbour, Wednesday will see the fleet race a 36-mile course out and back to the rocky outcrop of Filfla to the South of Malta. Thursday will see the fleet race a shorter 27-mile course to the island of Comino and back. Comino is a small island between the two main islands of the Maltese Archipelago, Gozo and Malta. Friday will be a day off, allowing all crews to make final preparations before the start of the Rolex Middle Sea Race the following morning, Saturday, at 11:00.

Malta is a magnificent sailing venue at this time of year, fair winds and temperatures in the mid-20s, all set to one of the most magnificent city backdrops imaginable. The Royal Malta Yacht Club occupies the 18th century Fort Manoel and sits at the Eastern end of Manoela Island. Five hundred metres across the Lazzaeretto Creek on a long peninsula is the fortified city of Valletta, historic home of the Knights of the Order of St John, along with countless other significant historical buildings and sites. The start and finish line for all races is strung out across this gap.

Amongst the 47 entries are eleven Maltese yachts including Market Wizard, last year’s overall winner. Classes eligible to sail the Rolex Middle Sea Race include Classics, IMS and IRC type yachts along with Multihulls. In the latter group is one boat capable of pulverising the current course record, which has stood at 64hrs 49mins 57secs since 2000 when the American yacht Zephyrus IV broke the previous standard. Englishman Tony Bullimore’s Team Pimsic, a massive 30-metre catamaran, has already broken many sailing records around the world.

Neville Crichton’s New Zealand-registered 90-foot Super Maxi Alfa Romeo, another boat capable of collecting line honours and breaking the course record, spent all day Tuesday practicing, sizing up the start line and determining the run and best racing line for the three starts the boat will make.

Entries

Yacht	Country	Type
4 PLAY	MALTA	Jeanneau SO 43 DS
AAG.BIGONE	CROATIA	VOR 60
ALFAROMEO - SHOCKWAVE	NEW ZEALAND	Maxi
AQUILEIA	ITALY	Swan 51 (81) CB Bermudian Sloop
BIGFOOT	MALTA	J-105
CANNONBALL 2	ITALY	ONE TONNER
CLAN	ITALY
COMMANCHE RAIDER	MALTA
DIAMOND TOO	MALTA	Bavaria 44
ELUSIVE	MALTA	Beneteau 45f5
ESCAPE	MALTA	Beneteau 47.7
FILOPPO	ITALY	EOS 50
FIRST EVER	MALTA	Beneteau 32s5
FLASH	ITALY	Farr Offshore Design
FLASH VELA D'ALTURA	ITALY	Sloop
GET WET	ITALY	Beneteau 36.7
GORDONS	SWITZERLAND	BALTIC 51
GRANDE CESARE	ITALY	Canard 41
IMAGINATION	ITALY	PROTOTYPE
JAZZ	United Kingdom	J-145
KIRRIBILLI	United Kingdom	Beneteau 47.7
LEOPARD OF LONDON	United Kingdom	Super Maxi
LORELI III	ITALY	Grand Soleil 46
MALTESE FALCON II	MALTA	Beneteau 40.7
MARKET WIZARD	MALTA	J-109
MONOMOTAPA	ITALY	Swan 46 Mk1
MORGANA	ITALY	Beneteau 36.7
MR. FIPS	LUXEMBOURG	Custom Built
NISIDA	ITALY	GY51
NOKIA CONNECTING PEOPLE - ENIGMA OF LONDON	UNITED KINGDOM	Maxi Sled
OH-JEE	GERMANY	J-Boats
OPTIMUM 3	GREECE	FARR 52 OD
OXIDIANA	ITALY	X-442
PI AQUADANCA	UNITED KINGDOM	Sigma 38 OOD
PLATYPUS	MALTA	Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 452
PRIMADONNA	AUSTRIA	First 53f5
PRIMAVERA II	MALTA	Beneteau 45f5
REVOLUTION SAILING TEAM	ITALY	OPEN 60
RUSSIAN POWER	RUSSIA	Catamaran
SAILING TEAM	ITALY	Sun Odissey 40
SALINO	ITALY	X-452
SILK II	ITALY	BH 41
Sirdhana II	ITALY	IMX-45
SQUALO BIANCO	ITALY	Beneteau 40.7
STRAIT DEALER	MALTA	J-125
TEAM PIMSIC	UNITED KINGDOM	MULTIHULL
VILLE DE SAINT-TROPEZ	FRANCE	Jeanneau
WET BLUE	MALTA	Beneteau 47.7
WHITE STAR	MALTA	Bavaria 47
ZARAFFA	USA	66 Foot Racer Cruiser