Argo breaks Middle Sea Race record

Ta’ Xbiex, Malta (October 24, 2021) – Following the start yesterday for the 42nd Rolex Middle Sea Race, Jason Carroll’s MOD70 Argo (USA) crossed the finish line today to take line honors and smash the outright record for the 606nm circumnavigation of Sicily.

Argo finished at 20:39:28 CEST in an elapsed time of 33 hours 29 minutes 28 seconds, bettering the existing multihull record of 56 hours 31 minutes 31 seconds, set by Giovanni Soldini’s Maserati Multi70 in 2020, and the outright race record of 47 hours 55 minutes 3 seconds, set by George David’s 90ft Rambler in 2007.

Argo was sailed by Jason Carroll, Weston Barlow, Chad Corning, Peter Cumming, Thierry Fouchier, Charlie Ogletree, Alister Richardson, and Brian Thompson.

Event information – Entry list – Tracker

About the Race:
The Rolex Middle Sea Race was established as the result of sporting rivalry between great friends, Jimmy White and Alan Green, two Englishmen residing in Malta, together with Paul and John Ripard, two Maltese members of the Royal Malta Yacht Club.

Jimmy, Alan (later to become the Race Director of the Royal Ocean Racing Club), Paul and John would eventually map a course designed to offer an exciting race in different conditions to those prevailing in the immediate Maltese coastal waters.

The 606nm course, essentially a clockwise circumnavigation of Sicily starting and finishing in Malta, would be slightly longer than the RORC’s longest race, the Rolex Fastnet. The resulting course is the same as used today, although sailed in the reverse direction. The Rolex Middle Sea Race course record has been broken on five occasions since the inaugural edition in 1968.

The course record, established by George David’s 90-foot Rambler (USA) in 2007, is 47hrs 55mins 03 secs. The multihull record of 49 hours, 25 minutes, 1 second was set by the Multi70 Maserati in 2016.