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First Victory for Balthasar Maxi – 72 Footer Claims IRC 1 in Middle Sea Race

23rd October 2024
Off Malta's striking capital, Valletta, Scallywag claims line honours in the 2024 Rolex Middle Sea Race
Off Malta's striking capital, Valletta, Scallywag claims line honours in the 2024 Rolex Middle Sea Race Credit: Kurt Arrigo

Maxi competitors in this year’s Rolex Middle Sea Race got to use their complete sail wardrobes. Taking place mid-autumn in the Mediterranean, the race is renowned for varied conditions but 2024’s was even more extreme. On the first night competitors received a pummelling as a violent thunderstorm brought gusts of 60+ knots. 24 hours later it was flat calm.

The Royal Malta Yacht Club’s season ending 606 mile offshore race, the opening event of the International Maxi Association’s 2024-25 Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge, as usual provided no shortage of drama.

The first night conditions took their toll on the fleet with much sail damage and several dismastings. Further east, the lead maxis saw 40-45 knots, and this claimed two, including the race’s defending champion, Andrea Recordati’s Wally 93 Bullitt.

After the dramatic start from Valletta’s Grand Harbour, leaving Malta in an awkward sea state had already cost Bullitt one spinnaker. Then, as tactician Joca Signorini explained: “We had a major broach and ripped the kite, damaged the jib and the mainsail and some stanchions, so we decided it was better to turn around.”

In IRC 2, Luigi Sala’s Vismara 62 Yoru saw 60+ knots and three water spouts. “We could see the storm coming from the north - we dropped all the sails,” said Yoru’s main trimmer Claudio Valessi. “It hit a lot of boats and many retired. Fortunately everyone on our boat was okay.” For two hours the Italian team valiantly stood by the Scuderia 65 Hagar V, after she’d dismasted. Sadly Yoru herself suffered a hydraulic issue forcing her to retire.

Ahead, the 100s – Remon Vos’ Black Jack 100 and Seng Huang Lee’ Scallywag 100 - were making headway. “We saw 40 knots and a sustained 35, which in a 100 footer is enough,” commented Scallywag skipper David Witt. During this the middle of their A3 had flapped itself to destruction on the furler.

Meanwhile Black Jack, staying west, had built a solid lead entering the Strait of Messina. In the gale they had seen 42 knots under three reefs and J4, hightailed it downwind at 30 knots. “It was beautiful. At night, we had thunder storms, everything - Mother Nature was expressing herself!” commented skipper Tristan le Brun. But in the Strait, encountering foul tide, the others caught up, including the 72ft Balthasar.

Exiting the Strait at 0330 on Sunday morning the frontrunners restarted. Again staying west Black Jack edged into the lead and was first turning west to pass Stromboli at 0700.

Pain followed as the wind went soft passing northern Sicily. Bryon Ehrhart’s Lucky (ex-Rambler 88) briefly led having edged south, the four then tacked north in search of pressure. Here Balthasar was left behind. Tactician Bouwe Bekking explained: “They were two miles ahead of us and got the breeze and we were just stuck.” On board they hoisted a crew aloft to spot wind.

As dusk fell the front runners floundered as Balthasar found the breeze and closed. Overnight Scallywag made steady progress, leading Black Jack past the tricky headlands west of Palermo, having put 18 miles on Lucky and Balthasar. Approaching Favignana, she found pressure to the west to lead south to Pantelleria but here Black Jack did well in the east as Lucky and Balthasar, locked in combat, closed from behind with pressure.

At 0100 on Tuesday Black Jack led around Lampedusa, the southerly turning. Here differing tactics between the 100s decided the race’s outcome. Witt explained: “I thought we were going to tack but Juan [Vila, navigator] said ‘we are going into that cloud - it will look terrible, but we will come out on the other tack and be 30° high'. When Juan Vila says that, you do what Juan Vila says. And Black Jack, for the first time in 550 miles, let us go.” Sure enough, exiting the cloud the wind veered from northeast to southeast, leaving Scallywag to windward, laying the Comino Channel.

On a starboard fetch Scallywag led through the Comino Channel and on upwind to the finish at Valletta’s Marsamxett Harbour entrance. She took line honours finishing at 09:43 followed by Black Jack at 10:01.

“It is a huge relief for me, for the owner and the team, after our bad luck in the Sydney Hobart race breaking the bowsprit twice,” commented Witt. “To come here for the first time and get this result is fantastic. This is one of the toughest races I’ve done in a 100 footer. I am very proud of the team and navigator Juan Vila – if he wasn’t on board, we’d still be out there…”

Lucky relished the fetch back from Lampedusa, enabling her to close on the 100s. Owner Bryon Ehrhart said they had ‘taken a moment’ approaching Pantelleria, the scene of their dismasting last year. On the first night they saw 47 knots and they had spent an hour sailing with two reefs alone. Tactician Brad Butterworth recalled: “It was squally and kept building as the rain came through. It lasted longer than we thought…” Subsequently the beamy Lucky did well keeping up with the slender 100s and Balthasar in the light.

Balthasar passes the island of Marettimo in the Aegadians. Photo: Kurt Arrigo.Balthasar passes the island of Marettimo in the Aegadians. Photo: Kurt Arrigo

Balthasar won IRC One and looks on track for a top 10 finish in IRC Overall. “The first day was difficult as it was for most boats,” commented skipper Louis Balcaen, a veteran of two Volvo Ocean Races. “We had the big squall and then we broke a kite, but otherwise we managed to protect the gear and were able to sail to Messina in a straight line doing 20 knots.”

In the light conditions being the chasing boat allowed them to follow the progress of the boats ahead. Here Balthasar proved herself in 3-7 knots. “It is very slippery in that. The whole stretch across the north of Sicily we were still in touch with the 100s,” said Balcaen.

In IRC Two, Jean-Pierre Barjon's 65ft Spirit of Lorina, plus the Vismara 80 Luce Guida and Nacira 69, struggled alongside 50 footers. Spirit of Lorina had won her class and finished second in IRC Overall in the 2022 Middle Sea Race after she’d won the IMA Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge winner over 2021-22.

During this year’s race she saw 44 knots on the first night and then experienced another gale rounding Lampedusa on the final night. “It was an epic race,” commented a tired Barjon. “But the first night was not good, nor the last.”

During the race Spirit of Lorina used all of her sails save her A5. They also blew a kite on the first afternoon thanks to the lumpy seastate. “It was really interesting because we had all conditions, strong wind, beautiful weather, Brittany weather!” commented co-skipper Benjamin Epron.

The 2024-25 IMA Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge resumes next year with La Larga, the offshore race of Palmavela on 26 April.

Published in Middle Sea Race

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About The Middle Sea Race

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.

Middle Sea Race History

IN THE BEGINNING

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

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.

At A Glance - Middle Sea Race 2025

First held: 1968

Organising Authority: Royal Malta Yacht Club

Start

The 45th Rolex Middle Sea Race will start on Saturday, 18 October 2025.

Grand Harbour, Valletta: seven separate starts, at 10-minute intervals, from 11:00 CEST on Saturday, 18 October 2025

Start Line: between the Saluting Battery, Upper Barrakka Gardens (Valletta) and Fort St Angelo (Birgu)

Various vantage points all around the Grand Harbour, high up on the bastions or at water level. Harbour access for spectator boats is restricted during the period of the start.

Course

Set in the heart of the Mediterranean and is considered one of the most beautiful in the world. It starts and finishes in Malta, passes two active volcanoes and takes in the deep azure waters surrounding Sicily, and the Aeolian and Egadi Islands, as well as lonelier outposts of Pantelleria and Lampedusa, both closer to the African continent than Europe.

Length: 606 nautical miles (1,122km)

Outright Race Record: 33h 29m 28s, Argo, United States, Jason Carroll

Monohull Race Record: 40h 17m 50s, Comanche, Cayman Is, Mitch Booth

Main Trophies

Rolex Middle Sea Race Trophy – overall race winner under IRC Time Correction

Boccale de Mediterraneo – winner of ORC category

RLR Trophy – winner of monohull line honours

Captain Morgan Trophy – winner of multihull division on corrected time (MOCRA)

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