Maltese Odyssey

Top race boats are competing in the Rolex Middle Sea Race this year

With entries currently standing at 46 from 13 nations for this year's Rolex Middle Sea Race, the Royal Malta Yacht Club is looking forward to writing another chapter in the history of this classic offshore race, which in recent years has seen levels of interest rise way beyond those of the previous glory era of the early 1970s.

Recent events have attracted a variety of yachts and this year is no exception. Fastest monohull boat and longest in the fleet is Rambler (USA), the oldest boats - both built in 1973 - are CS & RB (ITA) (a participant in the first Whitbread Race) and Nana (ITA), while the smallest boat is the X-332 Aria di Burrasca (ITA).

Connections with history and 'the Odyssey' abound when it comes to the Rolex Middle Sea Race - and this year is no exception. The participation of Titan XII (USA), Tom Hill's 75ft Reichel-Pugh sled offers a new link for those interested in the voyage of Odysseus. For some years the Maltese have claimed that Gozo, the second island if the archipelago, is in fact Oygia, where Odysseus was imprisoned for seven years by Calypso the daughter of the Titan, Atlas. Titan XII has no intention of keeping her crew hanging around that length of time. She has every intention of capturing the record set in 2000 by Bob McNeill's Zephyrus IV, another Reichel-Pugh sled, although she will be hard pressed to beat Rambler. Titan XII already has a clutch of race victories from the eastern seaboard of the USA and the Caribbean. These include smashing the 811-mile Montego Bay Race Record by over 12 hours - a record previously held by another of Bob McNeil's yachts - Zephyrus V.

Titan XII's main competition is the 90ft Rambler (which previously participated in the Rolex Middle Sea Race in 2003 & 4 as Alfa Romeo). Now campaigned by American George David, with Ken Read as skipper and a crew from Read's Puma Volvo Ocean Race campaign, she too is more than capable of breaking the race record in the right wind conditions - something the race has failed to serve up in recent editions. But it is always a possibility. RMYC Commodore, Georges Bonello Dupuis is confident that record-breaking conditions will return, though he's guaranteeing nothing this year: "October is typically an unsettled period, so having wind is not unusual. In recent years the wind has simply not coincided with the race. Maybe this year will be different. I hope so, since I need to get back for the prizegiving!"

Two more yachts expecting to slip around the course at speed are Valkyrie, a Bill Tripp designed, custom-built, Swan 78 launched this year and Michael Cotter's Whisper (IRE), a 78ft Reichel Pugh design for Southern Wind, which came home fourth on the water in the 2006 Round Ireland Race. Carlo Puri Negri's Atalanta II (ITA), which won Line Honours and Overall at the Rolex Middle Sea Race in 2005, is back for another try - Puri Negri clearly enjoys taking part since this his third time in a row after a break of some years.

Looking forward to an offshore outing is Australian yacht Loki. After some testing racing at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup where he finished a narrow second in the Racing Division, the opportunity to show the pedigree of his latest Loki over a distance course is clearly and exciting prospect to owner Stephen Ainsworth and skipper, Cameron Miles - a former Etchells World Champion.

As usual, the Maltese will not let the international crews have it all their own way. And, while they may not be in the line up for Line Honours, there are several candidates for overall victory. Lee Satariano almost caused an upset last year as his team of young buccaneers - average age 25 - in the J/109 Artie almost pushed the eventual winner Morning Glory into second. Artie finished just two hours outside the required time to take home the mythical Rolex Middle Sea Race trophy (a bronze representation of Valletta).

Other local Maltese entries include Sandro Musu's Aziza, Willie Carbonaro's Bordeaux 3, Arthur Podesta's Elusive, Georges Bonello DuPuis' Primadonna and David Frank's Strait Dealer.

Sean Murphy (UK) and his J/105 Slingshot head the double-handed class. RORC Yacht of the Year in 2006, Murphy almost got his hands on the Rolex Middle Sea Race trophy last year with crew Ric Searle. Slingshot finished just behind Artie. After 608 miles of racing doublehanded it is remarkable to think they were within a hair's breadth of beating a fully crewed 86ft canting keel supermaxi on handicap.

This year the yachts will berth in the luxurious surroundings of the Camper & Nicholsons' facility at Grand Harbour Marina. The race previously berthed yachts here in 2003 when the marina had just opened. The change since then is dramatic. One of the Mediterranean homes to the megayacht, Maltese Falcon, the marina is capable of accommodating yachts of up to 100m in length. It will be an elegant and comfortable location for the competitors, offering the highest standards of quality. The Camper & Nicholsons stamp of excellence is apparent from the moment you enter the harbour and the facilities available are excellent.

The Rolex Middle Sea Race 2007 starts from Marsamxett Harbour, Malta, on Saturday 20 October 2007. The Malta Rolex Cup, a two-race inshore series on 16-17 October, will precede the main race. Entries close on 14 October. The final prize giving is at noon on 27 October.

Robert McNeill's Zephyrus IV established the current Course Record of 64 hours 49 minutes and 57 seconds in 2000.