Countdown for Rolex Middle Sea Race

The 2023 Rolex Middle Sea Race, which starts October 21, has attracted 109 yachts representing 25 countries including Kazakhstan, San Marino and Israel – all three thought to be attending for the first time. The 44th edition of the 606 nautical mile classic is demonstrating its global appeal and ability to motivate participation from countries not regularly seen on offshore start lines elsewhere in the world.

The fleet has 107 monohulls, two multihulls, with the largest yacht to be Stephane Neve’s Spirit of Malouen X at 32.55m, while the smallest is Muttley – BDM Audit at 9.76m. The most entries are from Italy with 23 followed by Malta with 12, with the from Australia.

As the host for the annual race, Royal Malta Yacht Club endorses the position taken by World Sailing, the International Olympic Committee, and other global sports organizations concerning the invasion of Ukraine, and has not accepted entries from yachts with identified connections to Russian and Belarusian nationals.

In the monohull line honors contest, leading the way will be Leopard 3, BlackJack, Spirit of Malouen X, and Pyewacket 70. This illustrious group is expected to be joined by Lucky, the former Rambler 88 which holds the record for being first to finish in five consecutive races between 2015 and 2019, as well as the Wally 28m Bullitt, which made its debut last year.

Among the yachts that will be hoping to lay their hands on the overall trophy this year are a clutch of boats that performed very well in this year’s Rolex Fastnet Race. Maximillian Klink’s 15.85 metre Caro from Switzerland was overall winner at the RORC’s flagship event, but Chris Sheehan’s Warrior Won from the United States finished third at the Fastnet and fourth at the 2022 Rolex Sydney Hobart, just 10 minutes behind Caro on corrected time.

Philippe Frantz’s French entry Albator finished fifth at the UK’s top offshore race, just ahead of Bryon Ehrhart’s Lucky (ex. Rambler) and James Neville’s Carkeek 45 Ino Noir, on its debut 600 mile offshore race. They will no doubt be happy that last year’s Rolex Middle Sea Race winner, Teasing Machine, is not returning to defend her title.

Notably, the crew of the HH42 Artie guided by owner Lee Satariano and Maltese legend Christian Ripard, who will embark on his 33rd race – only one shy of the current record set by another local hero, Arthur Podesta who passed away in 2015. Artie has won the race on two occasions in 2011 and 2014, on Satariano’s previous boat a J/121. The current boat is a step up in performance potential, claiming a second in class last year.

The Podesta family meanwhile maintains its extraordinary connection with the race. The three siblings – Aaron Christoph and Maya – are preparing for yet another lap on the Maltese First 45 Elusive II, with which Malta’s most recent triumphs at the race were achieved, the back-to-back wins of 2019 and 2020.

The last time a 40 foot yacht won the Rolex Middle Sea Race was in 2018 when the JPK 1180 Courrier Recommandé picked up the main prize, and the year before it had been the JPK 1080 Bogatyr, offering plenty of encouragement to the quarter of the fleet that fit beneath that overall length. There are two JPK 1180s this year – Per Roman’s Garm from Sweden and Richard Fromentin’s Cocody from France.

Cocody was fourth in class and 18th overall at this year’s Rolex Fastnet Race while Garm was doing well in the same race until the Swedish crew infringed a Traffic Separation Zone taking a scoring penalty in the process.

Event information – Entry list – Facebook

Source: RMYC