Sailing, Middle Sea Race: the adventure with 112 boats starts from Malta

Starting with wind, then light air. These are the forecasts for the 44th Rolex Middle Sea Race which starts on Saturday morning 21 October from the Grand Harbor of Valletta, Malta, for its 660 mile route around Sicily with, after the Strait of Messina, buoys in Stromboli, Favignana, Pantelleria and Lampedusa. Then the finish line, again in Valletta. A course with two records both set in 2021. That of the monohulls with Comanche, an Australian 100 footer (also a Sydney-Hobart in its palmares) which, thanks to ideal conditions (the regatta was always with strong winds and downwind speeds) closed the race in one day, 16 hours, 17 minutes and 50 seconds. In the multihulls, the MOD 70 of the American Jason Carroll did better than the mono Argos, which took about seven hours less: 1 day, 9 hours, 29 minutes and 28 seconds.

Record regatta

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That was an exceptional edition also because Comanche won all the trophies: the one for line honours, the one in corrected time and the class one. An exploit that according to the forecasts seems unlikely for anyone to repeat in this edition which on the starting line, despite 112 boats at the start, regrets the absence of some protagonists. Especially large multihulls. Just three at the start. Alongside two fast-cruising trimarans with Adamas, the Rapido 40 of the Italian Aldo Fumagalli, there is only one MOD 70: Limosa, ex Mana of Riccardo Pavoncelli, winner last year. Limosa presents itself with the colors of The Famous Project, the project of the French Alexia Barrier for the 2025 assault on the world tour record with an all-female crew. To prepare for the challenge that will be taken on board the trimaran Idec Sport (record holder with Francis Joyon) Barriere and her crew are training with Limosa, the only MOD 70 in the race.

Multihulls

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The other MOD 70 regulars of the Rolex Middle Sea Race were absent, starting with Giovanni Soldini with Maserati Multi 70 ready for the start (Wednesday 25 October) of the Hong Kong-Vietnam Race, while Snowflake (second behind Soldini at the 2023 Transatlantic Race) interrupted the activities, Argo is on a cargo ship taking it back to France from the Pacific and Zoulou is working on the construction site. All eyes therefore on monohulls where there is no shortage of contenders for overall victory in the major class. First of all the Farr 100 Leopard 3 winner in 2022. On board, alongside the Italian Corrado Rossignoli, Mitch Booth, the Belgian-Australian champion who despite the load of medals, a silver and an Olympic bronze, the ten world titles and also the record at the 2021 Middle Sea Race aboard Comanche, in the crew file, is defined as: “gardener and part-time sailor”. Other contenders for the line honors are Bullit, Andrea Recordati’s Wally 92, second in 2022, the Wally 82 Django HF of the Italian-English business man Giovanni Lombardi Stronati, the French Wally 107 Paprec and finally Lucky, ex Rambler, which keeps its nickname of “serial winner”. On board Brad Butterworth, who left Alinghi Red Bull Racing for a moment to take part in a regatta which saw him, as tactician, team up with Rambler, winner of five editions. Five great contenders to which are added another five boats that were former protagonists of the round the world crew between Volvo 70 and Volvo 65. Then there are many aiming for victory on corrected time, from Guido Paolo Gamucci’s Mylius 60 Cippa Lippa , to Kuka 3 of the Swiss Franco Niggeler with Sandro Montefusco at the helm (three participations in the Olympics), to the Maxi Dolphin MD62ab Ekita of Bruno Marin, winner of the Barcolana Maxi, the prologue of the Barcolana. Beyond the rankings, the Rolex Middle Sea Race is like all the great offshore regattas, an adventure on the sea and as such attracts enthusiasts who, far from ranking objectives with their boats, tell of great passions. Like those of the 16 boats that make up the 6th Class, all under 12 meters in length with the smallest, Muttley-BDM of Luca Bettiati and Federico Sazzini who with their Figaro 3 (9.70 meters in length) race in the special category of the “doubles”. Or like the owner of Valentina, a wooden ketch of just under 15 metres, designed by the designer and singer of classic lines Carlo Sciarrelli and launched in 1982, which for the second time after 2022 will compete again with others and much more young boats. And with the 660 miles of the 44th Rolex Middle Sea Race. Especially with a weather that between winds at the start and light breezes already along the southern coasts of Sicily towards the Strait of Messina leaves us to imagine a regatta full of surprises. The adventure begins on Saturday 21st. Cannon fire from the Saluting Battery of the Grand Harbor in Valletta at 11am.