This morning, Tuesday 25 October, the Farr-designed 30.48 metre/100-foot maxi, Leopard 3 (NED), skippered by Chris Sherlock, crossed the finish line of the 2022 Rolex Middle Sea Race at 10:54:29 CEST to take Monohull Line Honours in an elapsed time of 70 hours 34 minutes 8 seconds.

This is the third time Leopard 3 has participated in the Rolex Middle Sea Race and the second time it has been first monohull home, winning the RLR Trophy. The previous occasion was in 2009. Leopard’s elapsed time is some 30 hours outside the monohull race record of 40 hours 17 minutes 50 seconds established in 2021 by Comanche.

The Leopard 3 Middle Sea Race Monohull Line Honours Winning Crew:

Chris Sherlock, Matt Lester, Curtis Blewett, Tom McWilliam, Will Best, Stefano Nava, Gian Ahluwalia, Guy Filabozzi, Michael Pammenter, Laura de Vere, Samuel Wright, Murray Goodsell, Richard Bouzaid, Joost Schultz, Tim Marsh, Dennis Frederikson, Giles de Jager, Ian Budgen, Steve Booth, Guillermo Altadill, Ronald Bunders, Mitch Booth, Gerald Mitchell.

Conor Doyle’s Irish Xp 50 Freya, the only Irish boat in Malta's Middle Sea Race, is lying fourth on Tuesday morning in IRC Four division.

The leading boats came to a grinding halt at Stromboli in the early hours of Monday.

Philippe Frantz’s French NMD 43 Albator was the first to get going and has pulled out a lead on the water of 16nm over Kinsale's Freya and the Podesta family’s Maltese First 45 Elusive 2.

Elusive 2 had been leading the class since the start on Saturday, but Albator is now estimated to be ahead as the class make their way to Favignana.

The 43rd Rolex Middle Sea Race came alive on Monday, for some at least. It really is a race of two halves, as those crews to the west stretch their legs metaphorically in a stiff southerly, and those still to the east stretch their actual legs lying on deck waiting for the wind. The fleet is now spread between the Messina Strait and midway between Lampedusa and the finish

Live tracker below

Riccardo Pavoncelli's MOD70 Mana (ITA) crossed the finish line of the 2022 Rolex Middle Sea Race at 00:32:38 CEST on Tuesday, 25 October, to take Multihull Line Honours in an elapsed time of 61 hours 32 minutes 38 seconds.

The Mana crew were Riccardo Pavoncelli, Alexia Barrier, Paul Larsen, Jeff Mearing, Tom Dawson, Jonny Malbon, Kai Weeks, and Evan Walker.

In a close finish, Mana crossed the line less than one minute ahead of Zoulou (FRA), skippered by Erik Maris, after two and a half days of racing and 606 nautical miles. Giovanni Soldini's Maserati Multi 70 (ITA) finished third, ten minutes after Zoulou.

Kinsale skipper Conor Doyle is lying third in class four after the first 24 hours of the Rolex Middle Sea Race. 

The Irish XP-50 Freya from Kinsale Yacht Club was 30 minutes behind the Podesta family’s Maltese First 45 Elusive 2 through the Strait of Messina and is ranked third in class.

On board Freya – the sole Irish boat in the race – is a high-powered crew that includes Kelvin Harrap, Rory Harrap, Will Byrne, Barry Hurley, Nick Jones, Malcolm McCormick, Cian Guilfoyle, James Lyons, Conor Doyle and Nin O'Leary.

The Ireland Freya crew skippered by Conor Doyle from Kinsale ready for the start of the 2022 Middle Sea Race this morning in Valetta harbour includes Kelvin Harrap, Rory Harrap, Will Byrne, Barry Hurley, Nick Jones, Malcolm McCormick, Cian Guilfoyle, James Lyons, Conor Doyle and Nin O'Leary

This time last year, the race reporting was struggling to keep up with the pace of the frontrunners. The Maxi Multihulls had scorched 450 nautical miles of the 606nm course. What a difference a year makes: same or similar boats, polar opposite conditions. The story so far of the 43rd Rolex Middle Sea Race is one of determination and true grit, grinding out the miles one by one, sometimes taking more than hour to do so. Accepting pats on the back and slaps on the face from the wind is par for this edition. The fleet is currently spread between the Aeolian Islands north of Sicily, 220nm along the track, back to just north of Syracuse, a mere 83nm into the race. If it makes for hard watching from the shore, imagine life onboard.

The MOD 70s Zoulou skippered by Erik MARIS and to leeward Snowflake skippered by Frank Slootman in the Rolex Middle Sea Race Photo: Kurt Arrigo

Currently, the MOD70 Mana, just north of Filicudi, is doing just over 7 knots, 2nm ahead of Maserati Multi70. Meanwhile, Zoulou, another MOD70, looks to have dived south towards Snowflake, perhaps to stay in or find better pressure. All four are well north of the rhumb line. The leading monohulls are right among them. The monohull maxi Bullitt, sailing parallel with Maserati at a similar speed, leads the larger Leopard 3 by about 3.5nm. According to the tracker, the French Ker 46 Daguet 3 – Corum – at Stromboli - is leading overall in the battle for the Rolex Middle Sea Race Trophy under IRC time correction, but this is really just an indication with so much of the race still to run.

Yesterday’s start from Grand Harbour was a foretaste of the 24 hours that would follow. The wind continually dropped in and out. Some boats were able to make fast progress out through the breakwater into open water. For others it was more miss than hit. The 55nm passage north to Capo Passero, on the southeast corner of Sicily, followed a similar pattern among all classes: head northeast out of the harbour for about 20nm before choosing the right moment to turn north to Sicily. Boat speeds went up and down with the wind strength until about halfway across the channel when the five racing trimarans took off, posting speeds in excess of 20 knots. The Maxi Monohulls did their best to keep pace hitting mid to high teens (at least according to the tracker). Mid-size boats also profited from this welcome respite from the light airs.

The relief did not last. While the multihulls kept in good breeze all the way to the beginning of the Messina Strait, which they reached around midnight, the wind dropped across the rest of the fleet as the leading monohulls reached Etna. In the darkness spotting what wind there was from signs on the water became nigh impossible. Sailing into traps seems to have been frequent and being the lead boat on the water was not always the best position.

Chocolate 3, for example, had sailed exceptionally off the start and Bouwe Bekking reported in during the early evening: “It’s a beautiful sunset, and up to now we’ve been sailing a very good race. François (Bopp) did a very good job at the start, wiggling ourselves through that, the crew work was good and, right now, Bullitt, one of the biggest in the fleet, is only one and a half miles ahead of us, so we can’t complain.” A few hours later at 0300 CEST, after making solid progress up the eastern seaboard of Sicily in line abreast with her IRC 2 class competitors, the Swiss boat looks to have hit a hole and had reason to complain. The boats further offshore just kept on moving, leaving Chocolate 3 behind. It has taken much of the day to get back on terms, and the crew will shortly be rounding Stromboli in a pack of other IRC 2 yachts.

Life onboard the fastest yachts in the fleet was easier until halfway to Stromboli. Having negotiated the narrow Strait in relatively good shape, exiting at 0130 CEST on Sunday morning, Paul Larsen reported in at dawn on the approach to Stromboli: “It’s oily calm conditions. We are holding on by our fingernails to a very tentative lead on the good ship Mana. The sun is just rising and behind us we can see Zoulou, Maserati and Snowflake. We are trying to hang on to every little gust we can get, as we glide along at 3.5 knots which, believe me, is hard fought for and very much appreciated.”

Christopher Sherlock's Leopard 3, a Farr 100 is competing in ORC: X, IRC: Class 1 in the Rolex Middle Sea Race Photo: Kurt Arrigo

For a long time, Leopard 3 looked to have the legs on the slightly shorter Bullitt. Their passage up the coast of Sicily was harder than for the multihulls, but easier than for many yachts behind. Reaching the beginning of the 20nm strait at about 0300 CEST, the two did well to get through it in two hours. Then shortly after exiting the Strait of Messina at around 0500 CEST on Sunday morning, Leopard appears to have got into difficulties, coming to a near standstill and losing 5nm to her Italian rival, a gap which has not changed greatly in the intervening hours.

The fight at the front of IRC 3 has been no less intense, with Lee Satariano and Christian Ripard on Maltese yacht Artie eking out a lead over Tonnerre de Glen from France and sistership Ino XXX from the United Kingdom. Just before midnight, off Syracuse, Artie and Tonnerre appeared to get stuck in glue while Ino XXX further offshore kept moving. Artie made better work of the conundrum than Tonnerre, but lost significant ground to Ino XXX. While these two have stretched away from the rest of their class, Artie has not yet been able to claw back lost ground as they approach Stromboli. Ripard and Satariano have done the race enough to know it is not over and if the forecast wind ahead of them is as tricky as it looks, there will be plenty of opportunities.

Yves Grosjean’s French Neo 430,NeoJivaro, also in IRC 3, gave a flavour of the experience so far for most of the crews: “It’s been a long night, we have been done a lot of sail changes… spinnakers, genoas, really everything. There isn’t a single sail we have not tried.”

The night to come does not look any easier, with a light easterly wind forecast for much of the hours of darkness, patchy throughout and diminishing over time. There will be no respite for any of the crews as they work hard to harness every puff and gain any advantage.

DAY 2 CLASS UPDATE 1700 CEST

IRC 1 AT STROMBOLI TRANSIT (12 YACHTS AROUND)
All but two of IRC 1 have passed the northernmost transit. Hungarian entry, Marton Jozsa’s Wild Joe is ahead of Jean Pierre Barjon’s French Botin 65, Spirit Of Lorina, on corrected by only 22 minutes, with Niklas Zennstrom’s CF520 Rán from Sweden a further five minutes back. On the water, Andrea Recordati’s Wally Yacht Bullitt from Italy holds a 3.5nm lead over the Spanish Farr 100 Leopard 3 led by Chris Sherlock, which in turn is 7nm ahead of Wild Joe. All are now sailing west from Stromboli at between seven and eight knots.

IRC 2 AT STROMBOLI TRANSIT (3 YACHTS AROUND)
The German TP52 Red Bandit skippered by Carl-Peter Forster, Eric de Turckheim’s French NMYD 54 Teasing Machine… and Gerard Logel’s French IRC 52 Arobas2 hold the top three spots separated by an hour on corrected time. Meanwhile Hagar V (ITA), Daguet 3 – Corum (FRA), Maverick (AUS) and Chocolate 3 (SUI) are close behind very near to passing the Stromboli transit.

IRC 3 AT MESSINA TRANSIT (5 YACHTS THROUGH)
Only five yachts have made it past the Messina transit. James Neville’s British HH42 Ino XXX holds the lead from Maltese entry Artie, co-skippered by Lee Satariano and Christian Ripard, by 23 minutes. Gilles Caminade’s Ker 40 Chenapan 4 (FRA) is in third, three hours off the current pace. Tonnerre De Glen (FRA) and Mahana (FRA) are the other two through. Ino XXX and Artie are approximately 22 nautical miles from their next transit at Stromboli.

IRC 4 AT MESSINA TRANSIT (3 YACHTS THROUGH)
The leading boats on the water in IRC 4 were registering over nine knots of boats speed on exiting the Strait of Messina, but slowed as they entered the open water north of Sicily. The Podesta family’s Maltese First 45 Elusive 2 has made it through the narrow strait and is ranked in pole position after time correction. Philippe Frantz’s French NMD 43 Albator was the first in class to exit the Strait of Messina and is ranked second. Conor Doyle’s Irish XP-50 Freya from Kinsale YC, was 30 minutes behind Elusive 2 through the Strait and is ranked third in class.

IRC 5 AT MESSINA TRANSIT (1 YACHT THROUGH)
Gianrocco Catalano’s Italian First 40 Tevere Remo Mon Ile is the first boat in the class to exit the Strait of Messina and is likely leading by a substantial margin after IRC time correction. According to the tracker, second in class and on the water is Ed Bell’s British JPK 1180 Dawn Treader. Johnathan Gambin’s Maltese Dufour 44 Ton Laferla lies in third in class. A special mention for Beppe Bisotto’s Fast 42 Atame racing two-handed with Catherine Jordan, which is currently fourth in class.

IRC 6
It has been slow going in IRC 6 with most of the fleet due east of Etna having raced less than 100 miles in the first 24 hours. However, a leading pack of four boats has made a significant gain after finding good breeze at around midday. Massimo Juris’ Italian JPK 1080 Colombre leads the class on the water, about 10 nm from the exit to the strait. Maltese J/99 Calypso, skippered by Seb Ripard, is about two nm behind Colombre, but according to the tracker is ranked first by about an hour after IRC time correction. The double-handers Ludovic Gérard’s French JPK 1080 Solenn for Pure Ocean and the American Sun Fast 3300 Red Ruby, raced by McKee and Strum-Palerm, are in a close-fought duel. Solenn is just ahead on the water, but appears behind Red Ruby after time correction.

See live tracker below

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.

Scroll down for live race tracker

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.

Irish yacht Freya skippered by Conor Doyle of Kinsale Yacht Club is among the global fleet that has once again answered the call of the Rolex Middle Sea Race, with the 43rd edition, which starts at 1100 CEST, tomorrow Saturday, 22nd October, attracting a fleet of 120 yachts from 25 countries, including Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the United States, as well as most of Europe.

The Freya crew includes Kelvin Harrap, Rory Harrap, Will Byrne, Barry Hurley, Nick Jones, Malcolm McCormick, Cian Guilfoyle, James Lyons, Conor Doyle and Nin O'Leary.

Five maxi multihulls and two maxi monohulls are expected to lead the charge around the 606 nautical mile course, albeit at a more gentlemanly pace than last year. The prevailing forecast is for a light wind race, in complete contrast to the dream conditions of 2021. No matter, the challenge and attraction of offshore racing is as much mental as it is physical, and the Rolex Middle Sea Race has a reputation for always delivering whatever the weather.

The Ireland Freya crew skippered by Conor Doyle from Kinsale ready for the start of the 2022 Middle Sea Race this morning in Valetta harbour includes Kelvin Harrap, Rory Harrap, Will Byrne, Barry Hurley, Nick Jones, Malcolm McCormick, Cian Guilfoyle, James Lyons, Conor Doyle and Nin O'Leary

Experienced navigator and race router, Mike Broughton delivered the Weather Briefing to the expectant crews at the pre-race Skipper’s Meeting. “High pressure is dominating the central Mediterranean, which makes for light wind across the course,” he advised. “There will be no records this year, but on the plus side there should be no rain.” The first sections of the course all the way up to the Messina Strait look extremely tricky, but the front runners should expect decent breeze as they exit the Strait and head to Stromboli. “This wind will be on the nose, as will the medium, mid-teens breeze likely to be encountered from the Egadi Islands down to Lampedusa on the western side of the course.” In other words, this is going to be a test of patience, mental resilience and a determination to eke out every tenth of a knot possible.

The MOD70 Mana (GBR05) is skippered by Riccardo Pavoncelli in the 2022 Rolex Middle Sea Race Photo: Kurt Arrigo

Multihulls

Headline acts are the five former MOD70 trimarans led, in terms of experience at least, by Giovanni Soldini’s well-travelled Italian entry Maserati Multi70. A three-time line honours winner in 2016, 2018 and 2020, Maserati was second over the line last year after a close-fought battle with Argo. Riccardo Pavoncelli’s Mana was second on the water to Maserati in 2020, but a winner under MOCRA time correction. In 2021, Mana was third home. Alexis Barrier, the French professional sailor who competed in the last Vendée Globe is among the Mana crew, along with Paul Larsen of Sailrocket fame. “I have done the race three times before on much smaller, slower boats than the MOD70. The winds were strong and the waves big. It won’t be the same at all this time,“ Barrier explained. “Maybe we’ll break the record for the slowest race ever, although I hope not!” The three lesser-known quantities, in terms of this race, are: Frank Slootman’s Snowflake (USA) with Gavin Brady leading the crew, Erik Maris’ Zoulou (FRA) with Sidney Gavignet and Axciss entered by Italian sailor, Cosimo Malesci.

Maxi Monohulls

On paper at least, the monohull line honours contest is between the 30.48 metre Farr-designed Leopard 3 and the 30.5m Judel & Vrolijk drawn Bullit. Leopard 3 (ESP) has past pedigree with boat captain Chris Sherlock on his fifth Rolex Middle Sea Race and third on Leopard 3, which was first home in 2009 and runner-up in 2017. The crew includes Will Best as navigator, a role he held on Alegre in 2008 (line honours) and 2009 (overall winner). “The weak high pressure over the centre of the Med is not moving anywhere fast,” confirmed Best. “Smaller cells will develop over the next few days that will come and go, but the big thing for us is to get to the southerly flow off the western end of Sicily. If you get to that first you should be fine, but getting there will be the most stressful part for us.” “It will be hard sailing to start with, working every puff for every inch,” continued Best. “Boats will be much more even when it is so light. It doesn’t matter if you are 50 foot or 100 foot. Only when we get into the breeze will our waterline length allow us to extend.”

Andrea Recordati’s Bullitt is on its debut race, but features a talented team including ocean race winner, Joca Signorini, sought-after navigator and weather-router Marcel Van Triest, Mike Joubert – a race winner with Hi-Fidelity in 2012 – and Peter Van Niekerk, two-time America’s Cup winner. Signorini explained a little background to the boat: “It’s a Wally Yacht more used to inshore racing, but the team has put a lot of work into making her ready for the Rolex Middle Sea Race, where we are going to spend a few nights onboard.” “The boat is ready,” he continued. “We have a light forecast, which may suit us, and we are expecting a big fight with Leopard. It’s going to a long race, and we have to keeping working hard throughout. The nice thing about this race is that there are so many stages. We are doing a lot of work trying to understand how to adapt to each stage, because it’s going to be tough and there is a lot ahead of us. ”

Other maxis to look out for including Dutch entry Aragon, a class winner in 2020, Jean-Michel Caye’s Vismara 77 Luce Guida (FRA), Guido Paolo Gamucci’s Mylius 60 Cippa Lippa X (ITA) and whose Cippa Lippa 8 finished second overall in 2016, Jean-Pierre Dreau’s Lady First 3 (FRA, another Mylius 60), Jean Philippe Blanpain’s Vismara 62 Leaps and Bounds 2 (FRA) and the Botin 65 Spirit of Lorina entered by another Frenchman, Jean-Pierre Barjon. The VO70 I Love Poland of Grzegorz Baranowski, line honours winner in 2020, while hugely popular for their interaction with local youth sailing is unlikely to be favoured by the predicted winds. Marton Jozsa’s Wild Joe will be on its 11th race and should never be discounted.

The most interesting, and undoubtedly more significant, battle is the one for the overall monohull win under IRC Time Correction, rewarded with the magnificent Rolex Middle Sea Race Trophy. The number of standout yachts in this year’s IRC category is remarkable and picking likely winners is a lottery. ‘To finish first, first you have to finish’ is the overworn saying in any race-based sport. In yachting, one can add ‘first in class’. The monohull yachts are divided into groupings based broadly on size, performance characteristics and the eventual IRC rating. The wind across the course during the race has a real impact on the results, as it favours or hinders different segments of the fleet depending on strength and direction, neither of which ever sit still.

Eric de Turckheim's Teasing Machine, an NMYD 54 competes in Class 2 in the 2022 Rolex Middle Sea Race Photo: Carlo Borlenghi

50 foot and above

Among the 50 footers, Niklas Zennstom from Sweden is back for a fourth race. The back-to-back Rolex Fastnet Race winner finished first in IRC 1 on each of his three previous visits. This year he has entered his brand new CF52 Rán, which features Justin Slattery, a treble-winner with Comanche in 2021. 52 feet or 15.85 m has been a sweet spot on several occasions in the past 20 years, the last being the TP52 B2 in 2015. Carl-Peter Forster’s Red Bandit, another TP52, could be one to profit from the forecast conditions. Under its previous guise of Freccia Rossa, the boat was a winner at a light-airs Rolex Giraglia in 2018. Forster’s crew of young sailors from the Bayerischer Yacht Club have proven their inshore credentials winning the big boat class at this year’s Copa del Rey. Whether they can translate the potential into a 600 mile classic remains to be seen. Forster is a fan of both the offshore discipline and the race itself. “It will be a challenging race with a difficult forecast, very different to last year,” he said. “600 nautical miles is a step up in experience for this young team, but I have confidence in them. We are looking forward to the test. And, of course, this racecourse is one of the more impressive scenically as well as tactically.” Gerard Logel’s IRC52 Arobas2 (FRA), third overall in 2022 Rolex Giraglia, and François Bopp’s Chocolate 3, a Swiss Farr 52, may also fancy their chances if the conditions work in their favour.

Kinsale Yacht Club entry Freya, an XP50 skippered by Conor Doyle is the sole Irish entry in the 2022 Middle Sea Race Photo: Michael Chester

40 foot and above

Lower down the ranks, there are several contenders among the 40-plus footers in what is regarded by the racers themselves as a highly competitive fleet throughout the size brackets.

Included in this class is Kinsale Yacht Club entry Freya, an XP50 skippered by Conor Doyle.

The Maltese have a strong showing. Obvious picks include the two-time-winning Podesta clan on Elusive 2 and the two-time-winning Artie III team led by Lee Satariano and Christian Ripard, who also won the race with Bigfoot in 1996. A potential dark horse is Jonathan Gambin’s Dufour 44P Ton Ton Laferla, reputedly configured for light winds. Third overall in 2020 and on his 16th circumnavigation, Gambin exudes a quiet confidence. “I’m looking forward to the race,” he says. “It is going to be long, so judging the supplies required is key. We are well set up and the crew is well prepared and ready to be both patient and determined.”

James Neville, RORC Commodore and owner of the HH42 Ino XXX, which won IRC 3 in 2021 and finished sixth overall, is here for a second time. Neville is impressed with the yachts gathered. “It is a simply a must do race. There is a phenomenal fleet here, really off the scale. Some terrific competition among our close rivals and among both bigger and smaller boats,” he remarked. Of the general situation, he had this to say: “It’s a beautiful part of the world, with so much history too. The scenery on the course is just spectacular, but it is much lighter this year, so it could be a long race. Weight will be critical, but so will having enough water and food for the duration.”

The two Ker 46s Dominique Tian’s Tonnerre de Glen (FRA) and Giovanni di Vincenzo’s Lisa R (ITA) come into the race on the back of some good form. The French team were second overall at the Rolex Middle Sea Race in 2020 and, this year, won the 437nm Palermo – Montecarlo Race under IRC, beating Dreau’s Lady First 3 in the process. The Italian team, from the Adriatic coast, won the 241nm Rolex Giraglia in June. Federic Puzin’s Daguet-Corum 3 is another French Ker 46, with a crew mainly from Brittany and which finished third overall in 2021. “Every year this race is special. Every year it is different,” comments Puzin. “It is a big adventure on a very sportive race, sometimes tough conditions and sometimes light like this year. It is always very demanding.” “The first ambition is to sail the best we can all of the time,” advised Puzin. “If we are able to do this, then maybe we’ll end with a good position.”

Light winds present extra problems for the smallest, slowest yachts in the 2022 Rolex Middle Sea Race Photo: Carlo Borlenghi

30 foot and above

The smallest, slowest yachts may have reason to be more concerned than their bigger rivals. So often a light wind start is followed by a strong wind finish that sweeps the slower yachts home. There is no expectation of this scenario. For the five-man French crew on Raging Bee, a JPK 1010 led by Jean-Luc Hamon there is no illusion about the enormity of the task ahead. Two years ago the team finished third in IRC. This year they intend to do better. Philippe Guivel is a trimmer on the 10m/30 footer. “We are much more comfortable and effective in tougher conditions, with light wind we know it is going to be difficult,” Guivel explained. “For our first participation two years ago, we were very happy, and this time we have come back to win our class.” “We will have to be accurate with our weather forecasting, and we are being very attentive to this,” he continued. “We need a good start, then try to stay clean during the transition phases like the Messina Strait and the points at which the wind changes, where we can make real gains.” Despite the prolonged time expected for the race, the crew is in good spirits. “We think the finish will be on Friday like last time,” said Guivel. “We know how much food and water to carry, and have added a supplementary day in case.”

This bottom end of the fleet features a number of double-handers too, such as the Sun Fast 3300 Red Ruby sailed by Jonathan McKee and Alyosha Strum Palerm (Uinted States), Ludovic Gérard’s Solenn for Pure Ocean (FRA), Chris Opielok’s German entry Rockall and Ondrej Vachel’s Czech entry Mary S – Vachelboat. These two person crew will need to conserve their energy as well as their supplies.

The Maltese also form part of the equation too, with the two Jarhead Foundation entries, the J/109s JYS Jan and JYS Jarhead crewed by young local sailors with aspirations to grow their offshore skills. Andrew Agius Delicata and Matthew Gabriele, with Vivace, may be pleased they chose this year to race fully crewed rather than two handed as previously, while Sebastian Ripard, skipper of the J/99 Calypso will need all his considerable experience of the race to get around.

The classic 600-mile offshore race with certainly the most exotic course - the Rolex Middle Sea Race will this Saturday launch the latest edition of the International Maxi Association’s Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge (MMOC). Running into 2023, the MMOC comprises seven events culminating in next August’s Palermo-Montecarlo. Its silver perpetual trophy is awarded to the winner at the IMA annual dinner at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo every September.

Organised by the Royal Malta Yacht Club in collaboration with the Royal Ocean Racing Club, the Rolex Middle Sea Race is dramatic in almost every way. The start takes place off the Maltese capital Valletta within Grand Harbour, famous for its towering ancient ramparts and multitude of centuries-old forts. Its anti-clockwise lap of Sicily passes two active volcanos, Etna and Stromboli, the latter of which erupted violently last weekend. The course heads south to the island of Pantelleria, 40 miles off the coast of Tunisia and on to Lampedusa, from where the boats return to the Maltese finish line.

Maxi participation in the race has been strong since the first race, in 1968, was won by Dutch plywood pioneer Kees Bruynzeel’s 74ft ketch Stormvogel. This year, of a provisional 124 starters from 24 nations, 19 are maxis and five more are MOD70 trimarans. 

One of the strongest competitors in recent years has been George David's Rambler 88, winner of Middle Sea Race line honours five consecutive times from 2015-2019. Photo: ROLEX / Kurt Arrigo

Winner of the IMA’s MMOC for 2021-22 was Frenchman Jean-Pierre Barjon and his Botin Partners 65 Spirit of Lorina. He returns with a bigger program this season that starts with the Rolex Middle Sea Race. Remarkably this is Barjon’s first time competing here. “It has been a long ambition. We tried to come here four years ago, so we are very happy to make it this year. It will be an interesting discovery for me, because our longest race so far has been Rolex Giraglia. Everyone says that the course is very beautiful and it has a very good reputation. The first time is always best!”

The favourite for monohull line honours this year is the Farr 100 Leopard 3, which claimed this prize in 2009. For her Dutch owner, it too will be his first time. “I can only compare it with the Caribbean 600, which was great fun. What we enjoyed most is being with a group of people and you go through all the nature, the storms, etc - it is a big adventure.”

However, Leopard 3 has competed here many times with her original owner Mike Slade and Chris Sherlock, her long term skipper: “At the moment, it looks relatively light, but one thing is sure about this race: it won’t be what it says it’s going to be today! I think it will still be a 2.5-3 day race for the maxis. In five knots of wind we can do 9.5-10 knots of boat speed. 12 hours of that and you can rack up 100 miles.

“For line honours it will be between us and Bullitt,” continues Sherlock. “We rate higher than them, but in the light air they are quick. But we don’t need much to keep going - we have a lot of area up high and hopefully that will pay off for us.”

Italian Andrea Recordati has a highly talented all-star crew on Bullitt. This Wally 93, originally launched as Nahita, was fourth home on the water in this year’s Rolex Giraglia. Nipping at her heels will be the VO70s I Love Poland, winner of the IMA’s 2022 Caribbean Maxi Challenge, and the Dutch owned HYPR and the VO65 Sailing Poland.

 I Love Poland approaches Valletta to claim line honours in the 2020 Rolex Middle Sea Race. Photo: ROLEX / Kurt Arrigo

Fighting for overall line honours will be the strongest line-up of the MOD70s assembled since they raced as a one design class a decade ago: Five of these semi-foiling trimarans will be on the start line. Most familiar with the course is Giovanni Soldini’s Maserati, a former line honours winner and race record holder. Riccardo Pavoncelli’s Mana was a close third behind Maserati last year. The three others have all changed hands this year – Eric Defert’s Axciss was originally Race For Water; French GC32 skipper Erik Maris has Zoulou, which raced here before as Powerplay; while Snowflake was formerly Karl Kwok’s Beau Geste – this will be the first race on her for new owner Frank Slootman, having graduating up from his Transpac-winning Pac 52.

Above: Riccardo Pavoncelli's MOD70 trimaran Mana passes the Aeolian Islands in the Middle Sea Race Photo: ROLEX / Carlo Borlenghi

Leading the high-performance 60-footers will be Márton Józsa and his DSS canting keel Reichel/Pugh 60 Wild Joe. This will be the team’s 11th Rolex Middle Sea Race.

Márton Józsa's DSS-equipped Reichel/Pugh 60 Wild Joe rounds the volcanic island of Stromboli during the 2020 race. Photo: ROLEX / Carlo Borlenghi

“It is a beautiful race and a beautiful course, with always very challenging weather conditions,” says Józsa. “It is different every time with different weather systems in different parts of the race. The geography is interesting. We love this place because they are very warm friendly people. With Wild Joe, this is our most important race.”

The Hungarian crew will face stiff competition from the canting keel Mylius 60 Cippa Lippa X of Guido Paolo Gamucci and another race regular - the Marten 72 Aragon of Dutch joint owners Andreas Verder and Arco Van Nieuwland.

Following these will be Jean Philippe Blanpain’s Vismara-Mills 62 Leaps and Bounds 2, Jean-Pierre Dreau’s Mylius 60 Lady First 3 and Hagar V, the Scuderia 65 of Gregor Stimpfl. This trio have all travelled extensively this season with Lady First 3 having crossed the Atlantic to compete in the RORC Caribbean 600. Hagar V and Leaps and Bounds 2 finished first and third respectively under IRC in July’s Aegean 600.

Also to watch out for are the much-campaigned Swan 82 Kallima, entered by Robi Stäube, while two brand new cruiser-race maxis will be on the start line on Saturday in Luca Guida, a Vismara 77 campaigned by Jean-Michel Caye and Ekita, which is a newly launched Maxi Dolphin 62 entered by Bruno Marin.

Bringing up the rear will be the historically significant Swan 65 King’s Legend, which finished second to Flyer in the second Whitbread Round the World Race in 1977-78.

The first start will be at 1100 CEST on Saturday, 22nd October.

With the start of the 2022 Rolex Middle Sea Race just three weeks away, another fascinating contest beckons. The entry list currently stands at 120 yachts representing 25 countries, including Ireland.

As Afloat previously reported, Kinsale Yacht Club had two entries in the race. Conor Doyle's Xp50 Freya returns to the Mediterranean, but club mate Thomas Roche's Meridian, a Salona 45, is no longer on the entry list.

While Covid is no longer so much in the headlines, there are plenty of other uncertainties in the world but, yet again, the 606 nautical mile classic is proving its global appeal. Starting from Grand Harbour, Valletta on Saturday, 22 October, to the crash of cannon fire from the Saluting Battery high above the water, the stage looks set for another cracking race.

Conor Doyle's Xp50 Freya from Kinsale Photo: Michael Chester

The range and breadth of the fleet has been well-rehearsed in previous releases. Here are just a few of the facts: 112 monohulls, eight multihulls (including five 21 metre racing trimarans), largest yacht: Leopard 3 at 30.48m, smallest yacht: Cuorematto at 9.5m, most entries from Italy with 27 followed by France with 19, furthest travelled entries: High Five from New Zealand and Maverick from Australia; and 11 double handed entries including two-time Olympic medallist Jonathan McKee on Red Ruby from the USA.

Thomas Roche's Meridian, a Salona 45 Photo: Bob Bateman

Multihulls

An almighty clash is expected between Giovanni Soldini’s Maserati Multi 70, former line honours winner; Riccardo Pavoncelli’s Mana, former MOCRA handicap winner skippered by speed sailing record holder Paul Larsen; Zoulou (FRA) skippered by Erik Maris, currently leading the owner-driver standings on the GC32 circuit and who mixes sailing with endurance motorsport; Frank Slootman’s American entry Snowflake and Cosimo Malesci’s Axciss.

Maserati is a Multi 70 entrant in the Rolex Middle Sea Race Photo: Kurt Arrigo

“This is the first Middle Sea Race for my crew and me. We are super excited about it,” enthused Malesci. “This is also our first race on a MOD70. I sailed competitively on dinghies growing up, then on bigger boats in a few offshore races while I was studying in the US where my master’s thesis at MIT was on the seakeeping capabilities of trimarans! I got back into sailing once I graduated, mostly on F18 catamarans.”

“I have always wanted to race on a MOD70, and the Middle Sea Race seemed the perfect setting to do it,” continues Malesci. “I recently sold my tech company and to celebrate I have managed to convince the other three founders of the business to join me. Since we all met through sailing, when we were younger and then started a business together, I couldn't think of a better way.”

Malesci is realistic about their chances given the experienced opposition he faces: “Being our first race on a MOD70, we will mostly focus on safety, understanding the boat, and enjoying the experience. That said, we are all fairly competitive in nature, so if the opportunity arises, we may push it a bit!”

Monohulls

As one would expect, the monohull fleet is a true mix of professional and Corinthian crews, cruiser/racers and all out fliers, those with the ambition to win the Middle Sea Race trophy on IRC Time Correction and those just participating for the challenge. Marton Josza’s Reichel/Pugh designed 18.28m Wild Joe, is one of the more experienced crews. ”The Wild Joe Sailing Team is competing in the race for the eleventh time,” according to Josza. “The same Hungarian crew has also completed the distance twice in a different, smaller boat, so this is the 14th Middle Sea Race we are starting with this crew.”

Marton Josza’s Reichel/Pugh designed 18.28m Wild Joe Photo: Kurt Arrigo

Josza takes the race very seriously and over the years has worked on improving the boat and the skills of the crew. “We come to win every year, just like everyone else,” smiles Josza. “We are very proud to be able to represent Hungary. We race on the beautiful Lake Balaton, where we train some very talented sailors. We really like this course. The various weather conditions always bring a significant challenge. There is no single characteristic, nature always plays tricks on us, but we enjoy fighting against the elements.”

The popularity of the race is easily explained according to Josza. The course itself is one part of the equation and the enthusiasm of the crews, like his, is another. “The Middle Sea Race is one of the most difficult offshore races. Going around Sicily is a great adventure in itself,” he says. “It is a multi-day competition, which requires full concentration and hard sailing, or enormous patience. The race is a popular and well-known competition in sailing circles, but it is also a spectacular event for non-sailors, and we like to spread the word to a much larger audience.”

All through the fleet there are stories like Josza’s. Crews that have done the race on multiple occasions, regularly drawn back by the compelling prospect of the race itself, gilded by the possibility of glory and passing into legend.

At the smaller end of the fleet, Bohemia Praha Vachelboat from Croatia could be a dark horse to follow. The Middle Sea Race has never been won overall under IRC Time Correction by a double hander. The closest result in recent years was Azuree in 2014, which eventually finished fourth, winning IRC 5 in the process.

Bohemia Praha is a JPK 10.30 from Croatia. Its crew is made up of Ondřej Vachel and Pavel Roubal. JPK yachts have frequently done well in the race since first appearing in 2016, when Noel Racine and Foggy Dew, a JPK 10.10, finished fourth overall. JPK designs won overall in 2017 and 2018. Last year there were four in the top ten.

Add to that set of stats the fact that the last time Vachel and Roubal participated they did rather well. “This is only our second Middle Sea Race,” advises Vachel. “But in 2018, we came second overall under IRC (just behind the renowned Courrier Recommandé of Géry Trentesaux). We also won the ORC division.”

The pair are really looking forward to participating again. “It is an amazing racetrack, and the Royal Malta Yacht Club are great too,” says Vachel. “One thing we are definitely looking forward to is the start in such a beautiful place.”

Local Heroes

Maltese interest is considerable and understandable. A proud sea-faring nation, crews from the island have won the race on nine occasions. The most recent wins being back-to-back in 2019 and 2020 with Elusive 2, which has entered again this year. Some 12 Malta-flagged entries are competing in 2022. While local bragging rights are important, whether being the first Maltese crew home or highest ranked on handicap, winning the Middle Sea Race trophy is never far from the mind.

The most recent Maltese win in the race being back-to-back in 2019 and 2020 with Elusive 2, which has entered again this year

The smallest yacht to have won the race in the last 20 years is the 10.75m Market Wizard from Malta in 2002. One of the smallest entries this year is the 9.94m J/99 Calypso, skippered by Sebastian Ripard, whose first race was with Market Wizard. Ripard, now on his 16th race, is clear what he enjoys: “I guess the main thing is to switch my phone off for a few days and get totally consumed both by the racing and the competition, as well as the adventure of being out at sea for a few days in an array of conditions ranging from hot and breathless to wild and stormy.”

“This year we’re racing with a similar crew to last year,” explains Ripard. “Daniel Calascione and I, as co-skippers, and then another four high quality young Maltese sailors: Fabio Galea, Saul Vassallo, Kris Borg Nicholas and Sam Pizzuto.”

New to the race is the Corona Sailing Team, entered on Luis Azzopardi and Sara Baldwin’s Botin & Carkeek 46, Xone Superyacht Corona. “The Middle Sea Race is every sailor’s dream,” said Baldwin. “It is known to be one of the most challenging yet rewarding races in the Mediterranean Sea.” The Corona crew includes a mix of experience in offshore racing, and Baldwin is looking forward to taking part: “Determination, dedication, and willpower are the driving forces of our team. We aim at doing well, keeping in mind the safety of everyone onboard and the boat itself.”

With two months to go to the start of the 43rd Rolex Middle Sea Race, Kinsale Yacht Club has a second entry in the race. Conor Doyle's Xp50 Freya returns to the Mediterranean and joins club mate Thomas Rcohe's Meridian, a Salona 45.

Entries continue to build, with 88 yachts representing 24 nations currently registered. The change is an uptick of 28 yachts since the last report in July and bodes well for the race with four weeks until entries close. Italy has by the far the biggest participation to date, with 18 boats, followed by France with a potent-looking 13 and then Malta with eight – and the possibility of more to come. Featuring Maxi Multihulls, Maxi Monohulls, fully crewed and double handers, the fleet is a true cross-section of offshore racing prowess gathering from many parts of the world.

Conor Doyle's Xp50 Freya is the second Irish entry in the 2023 Middle Sea Race Photo: Bob Bateman

The cut-off date for entry is officially Friday, 23 September 2022, but the Royal Malta Yacht Club (RMYC), has retained the discretion to accept late entries up to Friday, 30 September. The race itself starts from Grand Harbour, Valletta, on Saturday, 22 October.

The Multihull start from Valetta

Among the recent crop, notable entries include Riccardo Pavoncelli’s returning MOD 70 Mana, skippered by Paul Larsen, in the multihull fleet and Andrea Recordati’s 28.3 metre Bullitt, in the monohulls, making a race debut for the boat and apparently the first ever Wally Yacht to participate. In the scrap for overall honours under IRC, more big guns have been handing in their paperwork, including: two-time winner Elusive II from Malta, Dominique Tian’s Ker 46 Tonnerre de Glen from France, previously a class winner at both the Middle Sea and Fastnet Races; Giovanni di Vincenzo’s Lisa R, from Italy, another Ker 46 and overall winner at the Giraglia in June; Frenchman Erik de Turckheim’s ever threatening Teasing Machine; the British trio of James Neville’s Ino XXX, Ed Bell’s JPK 1180 Dawn Treader and, Mark Emerson’s British entry Phosphorous II.

Since the first race in 1968, Maltese yachts have won on nine occasions, most recently in 2020 and 2021, when the Podesta siblings secured back-to-back wins with Elusive II. This year’s clutch of local boats looks as strong as ever.

Elusive II

The Podesta participation in the Middle Sea Race was already legendary, with the late Arthur Podesta competing in 35 races and passing on his enthusiasm to his children, who have now all completed over 20 races themselves. This year’s preparation will be as comprehensive as ever, but set against a challenging domestic situation, as Maya Podesta explains: “This year has not been straight-forward. Christoph, my brother, became father to a baby boy, Jamie, in March, and I gave birth to Amy in July. So, while the boat has been maintained at race winning potential, our focus has been distracted!”. Fortunately, the core crew onboard has not changed greatly since 2016, and although there are two newcomers this year the Podestas have proven their ability to successfully integrate fresh faces. “One crew member who will not be on the boat this year,” laughs Podesta, “is Amy! She will be five months old and will be at home with my mum and the rest of the family, and will have to wait until she is 16 before she can take part.”

Lee Satariano is another race winning Maltese skipper, with wins in 2011 and 2014 on his previous Artie, a J/122. Last year, in company with his co-skipper Christian Ripard, Satariano was second in IRC 3. “This will be my 15th Middle Sea Race and the crew is largely the same as last year with a couple of changes,” he explains. “Every year I really look forward to the build-up and the preparation of the boat. Getting the crew together and putting in some training sessions is always part of the excitement. Hopefully, we will get similar conditions to last year...fast and wet!”

Now on his 16th race, Jonathan Gambin is back again with Ton Ton Laferla and a crew comprising staff from his business, friends and family. Gambin’s best result to date was third overall in 2020, and his enthusiasm never seems to waver: “I really enjoy the fact that that the race is different every time. I am always hoping for lighter winds because it suits the performance of my boat and the crew. Mainly, though, I just look forward to it because it's the first ‘holiday’ for me after a summer of hard work!”

Maltese Falcon II has a long association with the race and is currently in the ownership of Jonathan Camilleri Bowman. “I have participated five times in total in the Middle Sea Race and the last four times with Maltese Falcon II,” advises Bowman. “Currently the crew consists of two females and eight males. The first few years definitely proved to be a learning experience in getting the right balance of skill, attitude, mental readiness and physical capability within the crew. It is a tough race, at a tricky time of the year for the weather. We are always striving to improve, but I’m very happy with the current group.” Bowman is another who loves the preparation period, the training, the activity around the Royal Malta Yacht Club and the overall adrenalin rush of getting to the start line. “I must admit there are times during the race when I question why I decided to take part again,” he smiles, “especially when the wind and waves are up. However, once you overcome a difficult phase, then you just end up yearning for more and always look forward to finishing the race and getting ready for the next one!”

2022 will be the first year that Vivace will compete fully crewed under the co-ownership of Andrew Agius Delicata and Matthew Gabriele, with the previous two participations being double handed. “In total, I have competed in eight Middle Sea Races with the first at the age of 15,” advises Agius Delicata. “Four have been fully crewed and four double handed. The race that gives me the most satisfaction is last year’s, when Matthew and I came third in the double handed class and beat a lot of fully crewed boats in our handicap classes. Plus, it was with our very own boat.”

The Otra Vez team, with owner Aaron Gatt Floridia, has posted some solid results in the past, but has struggled to find its form with its latest boat an ICE 52. “I've taken part in six Middle Sea Races and our best results to date were a third overall in 2011 and a first in Class in 2013 with the J/122,” advises Floridia. “The worst is that we did not finish the last two editions due to equipment failure with the ICE 52.”

The crew on Otra Vez is a mix of friends who have been with Floridia for many years, and some new additions including some young Danish sailors who raced at the Giraglia 2022 and the 151 Miglia. It is a very good mix of experience and youth according to Floridia, who is another committed fan of the course: “It's an exciting race. Full on and the corners make the racing very unpredictable. There are always a lot of very well sailed boats taking part, so you really have to be on top of your game to do well.”

Other Maltese entries to look out for: the J/99 Calypso skippered by Sebastian Ripard and Mario Debono’s Sun Odyssey 45 Janissah.

Race Management  changes
Behind the scenes, the Royal Malta Yacht Club has continued the process of strengthening its Race Team.

Earlier this year, June, another 25-year-plus veteran of international race management and race scoring joined the team, taking on the role of Principal Race Officer. Stefan Kunstmann’s experience crosses virtually all disciplines of sailing. Of most significance has been his involvement with the RORC Race Team since 2008, which has led to working on in 15 – 20 offshore races a season. Kunstmann, from Germany, is a respected International Race Officer, whose career highlights include being PRO for sports and keelboats at Kieler Woche, PRO for the Bermuda/Hamburg leg of the NRV Atlantic Anniversary Regatta and ongoing consultancy for the Newport Bermuda Race. Stefan is well versed in the Offshore Special Regulations, particularly through his contributions to the development of the proposed Appendices WP (Racing round Waypoints) and TS (Traffic Separation Schemes). “I have been fortunate to be the RORC representative at the Middle Sea Race on two occasions,” said Kunstmann, “And I am really looking forward to supporting the Royal Malta Yacht Club Race Team with the 43rd edition of this spectacular race.”

There are three months to the start of the 2022 Rolex Middle Sea Race. Some 61 yachts have entered, with crews from Australia, the United States, Canada and most of Europe slated to participate. The fleet comprises the usual array of professionals, amateurs and adventurers. At the faster end, debutant Frank Slootman’s MOD70 Snowflake has been joined by Giovanni Soldini’s Maserati Multi 70, on the Italian multihull’s fifth appearance.

As Afloat reported in June, Thomas Roche's Salona 45 Meridian from Kinsale Yacht Club is entered into the race that has seen a string of Irish boats compete in recent years. 

Giovanni Soldini’s Maserati Multi 70 Photo: Kurt Arrigo/Rolex

Among the monohulls, the 30.5 metre Leopard 3 is currently the largest entry, making a welcome return after a five-year absence. Within the main body of IRC entries, the impressive two-time winning Maltese co-skipper combo, Lee Satariano and Christian Ripard, are back hoping for a three-peat, with Satariano’s latest Artie.

Lee Satariano and Christian Ripard's Artie III Photo Kurt Arrigo/Rolex

The cut-off date for entry is officially Friday, 23 September 2022, but the Royal Malta Yacht Club (RMYC), has retained the discretion to accept late entries up to Friday, 30 September. The race itself starts from Grand Harbour, Valletta, on Saturday, 22 October.

One entry to catch the eye is Maverick. The Infiniti 46R has campaigned around the 606 nautical mile course with great success on two previous occasions by Quentin Stewart, winning class both times and finishing third overall in 2016. This year Maverick has been chartered by Michael Firmin, who raced on the DSS foil-equipped flyer at the 2017 Fastnet and 2019 Sydney Hobart (third in class).

“Despite a longstanding love of the ocean and offshore racing, this will be my first Middle Sea Race,” says Firmin. “I have been very lucky to complete all the other major blue water events, and I hold this one in high regard. It has long been on the bucket list.”

As for why now, Firmin answers: “We have the race on the schedule for our new boat, so wanted to take the chance to gain experience and insights for the future.” When he learnt that Maverick was available for the race, he leapt at the chance to charter her: “Maverick is an awesome boat that I have had a long affinity with from the initial concept through to Quentin’s successful campaigning over many seasons. I know her pedigree very well.”

And, while it will be a debut race for Firmin, he has surrounded himself with an exceptional crew, many of whom have done the race before. “It’s a tough race with multiple points on the course where decisions need to be made, which combined with the variable conditions make it a thinking sailor’s race,” he explains. “The crew is a great mix of seasoned and successful professionals combined with high quality, experienced amateurs, most of whom I have known and sailed with over many years.” Among others, Firmin is joined by Stu Bannatyne, known as King of the Southern Ocean and a four-time winner of the Ocean Race; Steve Thomas, a two-time 29er world champion, David Gilmour and Gordon Kay, the founder of Infiniti yachts.
In contrast to Firmin, Chris Sherlock is no stranger to the Middle Sea Race, having first competed back in 1997 onboard Mike Slade’s IOR maxi, Longobarda. Sherlock has competed four times since as the skipper of Leopard of London in 2002, and Leopard 3 in 2009, 2010 and 2017.

“When we came in 1997 with the Longobarda, it was part of Mike Slade’s wish to help the Royal Malta Yacht Club with the reinvigoration of the race,” explains Sherlock. “He was also keen to visit Malta again.” The 24.2m Longobarda was third to finish on the water behind the newer Sagamore and Alexia B. The 29.49m Leopard of London achieved the same result in 2003, losing out to Alfa Romeo and Nokia Enigma.

“The Middle Sea Race is one of the greatest offshore races in the world,” says Sherlock. “First, it’s a circle and that is unusual. It has the most amazing scenery too. Most importantly, though, I think it is a fair race. You will get a bit of everything and because it is a circle every boat should get the conditions they perform best in at some point. It is not just a straight line, so it is never ever boring.”

In 2009, Slade and Sherlock brought the 30.5m Leopard 3 to the course and in winds similar to 2007, set a blistering pace finishing just over 30 minutes outside the then record time. Returning in 2010, and racing in less favourable breeze, Leopard 3 was outgunned by Esimit Europa 2 in the battle for line honours. In 2017, Leopard 3 was under charter with Sherlock as skipper and finished second on the water behind Rambler in another ‘slow’ year.

Fast conditions in the 42nd Rolex Middle Sea race

For 2022, Leopard is under new ownership, as Sherlock explains: “We have a new owner who is currently building his familiarity with the boat. He is young, likes to helm, and is keen to go offshore. We did the RORC Caribbean 600 as a taster and that went well. The Middle Sea Race is the next challenge.”

“It is one of my favourite races,” concludes Sherlock. “This year we have got a great crew, with a lot of Ocean Race experience, but also experience on Leopard: Mitch Booth, Ian Budgen, Jan Dekker, Juanpa Marcos, and Will Best as navigator. I’m really looking forward to it.”

Looking at the rest of the 61-boat fleet, one-third of the entries to date took part in last year’s Middle Sea Race reflecting well on the course’s notable scenic attractions and tactical challenges. Frederic Puzin’s Daguet-Corum 3 had the best result finishing first in IRC Class 2 and third overall, while Artie III was second in IRC Class 3 and seventh overall. Chenapan 4, Gilles Caminade’s Ker 40 finished in the top twenty overall, as did fellow French entry Ludovic Gerard’s Solenn for Pure Ocean (second in the Double-Handed Division).

Francois Bopp’s Chocolate 3 Photo: Kurt Arrigo/Rolex

Francois Bopp’s Chocolate 3 (Switzerland) and Stella Maris (Austria) also put in creditable performances to finish in the top half of the 105-boat IRC fleet. Henry de Bokay and the Elliott 52 Rafale (Germany), the J/109 Jubilee of Gerald Boess and Jonathan Bordas, and the Swan 65 King’s Legend are back again, despite the disappointment of not completing the race in 2021 and again demonstrating the compelling appeal of the race.

The eventual fleet count last year was 114, with the highest ever gathering being 130 achieved in 2018, the 50th anniversary of the first Middle Sea Race in 1968. The RMYC is always looking to exceed that target, and who is to say that this will not be the year.

The 43rd edition of the Middle Sea Race will start on Saturday, 22 October 2022.