(Gzira, Malta)- Closing the Mediterranean sailing season with gusto, the
34th edition of the Rolex Middle Sea Race starts on Saturday 19th
October and is destined to mark a significant chapter in the history of a
popular offshore event. The race is in a period of ascendancy. Over one
hundred international yachts have registered for the 606-nm contest
commencing and finishing in Malta, and comprising a challenging
anti-clockwise circumnavigation of Sicily. First held in 1968 and
organized by the Royal Malta Yacht Club, the race has been sponsored by
Rolex since 2002.
The
appeal of the race is clear: first-rate competition, a largely
Corinthian atmosphere, a fascinating racecourse. 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". Starting from the Grand Harbour, Valletta, beneath
Fort
St Angelo and the Saluting Battery in Valletta, the fleet head north
along the eastern coasts of Sicily up towards the Straits of Messina. Mt
Etna is usually visible on the fleets port side, billowing ashes and
lava throughout the night. Once through the Straits, the course leads
north to the Aeolian Islands and the active volcano of Stromboli where
the yachts turn west to the Egadi Islands. Passing between Marettimo and
Favignana the crews head south towards the island of Lampedusa, leaving
Pantelleria to port. Once past Lampedusa the fleet turns northeast on
the final leg towards the South Comino Channel and the finish at
Marsamxett Harbour. En route the crews take in an amazing diversity of
landscape and sea conditions, all of which combine to create the
attraction and challenge of the race.
In
any race of this type, the most coveted prize is for overall victory.
Along with Hasso Plattner's 86 footer- Morning Glory- another recipient
of the Rolex Middle Sea Race Trophy is in attendance. Lee Satariano and
Christian Ripard’s J/122 ARTIE-RTFX ended a near ten-year wait for a
Maltese victory in
2011,
and become the sixth local boat to win the race-- in fact, they're
two-time overall winners having done it before in their J/125! Joining
them will be two more Maltese boats, one is the J/133 OILTANKING JUNO
sailed by David Anastasi-- they nearly won their class in 2012 and lost
in the final straits into the finish line! The other is Aaron Gatt
Floridia's OTRA VEZ- they, too, were in leadership contention halfway
through last year's race and hope to build on that this year!
There
are two J/111s participating this year from Italy and, given the "stop
& go" driving in light to moderate conditions that are typical of
this race, these two boats may give their larger stablemates enormous
headaches. Marco Flandin's
BLACK
BULL and Massimo Colosimo's J/STORM will be dueling for leadership not
only in class but overall if they get a mix of the right reaching/
running/ beating conditions. Be sure to follow the fleet and the
updates as all boats have YellowBrick trackers on them and you can track
them each day as they progress around the course!
Sailing photo credits: Rolex/ Kurt Arrigo For
more Rolex Middle Sea Race sailing information
