(Gzira, Malta)- More often than not, sailors who have plied the
Mediterranean Sea since the days of Sumerian trading ships and Homer's
Odyssey share one thing-- the endless wrath by Neptune and the weather
Gods for not having given homage (e.g. respect or enough tasty red wine)
to permit safe, fast passage through the Straits of Messina (the famous
geographic "boot" of Italy) and a sleigh-ride home to Malta. Sitting
at the cross-roads of the ancient trading routes in the Med, Malta has a
long seafaring history of her sailors plying their trade between the
Middle Eastern and European empires and, more often than not, were long
sought for their knowledge of the capricious winds and seas in the region.
So, it was not too surprising that a combination of Maltese and Italian
sailors who've got that DNA coursing through their veins managed to
succeed in some of the most challenging conditions yet seen in the
RMSR's 34th edition.A record fleet of 100+ yachts set forth on their 606nm race with less than favorable weather conditions. While the start from Malta to the Straits of Messina had an encouraging forecast of southeasterly winds, the Straits of Messina on the approaches to Sicily were notoriously light, and the balance of the race was going to be a challenge of racing from one breeze patch to another nearly all the way around the islands course to the finish line at Malta.
The grand irony of this year's race is that J/sailors dominated the entire event. First to finish was Hasso Plattner's 86 footer MORNING GLORY (Hasso is an avid J/100 owner and sailor). The overall winner was the TP52 B2 skippered by none other than Mediterranean sailing star, Francesco De Angelis from Naples, Italy-- the famous winner of the J/24 Worlds in Capri, Italy many moons ago.
In IRC 4 Class, yet another Maltese boat won with Aaron Gatt Floridia's J/122 OTRA VEZ taking both line and class honors as well and taking 11th overall in a "big boat race"!! Just behind them sailing an incredible race was the J/111 BLACK BULL sailed by Marco Flandin from Italy-- she took a 5th in class and 16th overall! In fact, just a few miles from Lampedusa Island, the last turning mark before the "sprint" to the Malta finish line, BLACK BULL was sailing nearly boat-for-boat with the J/122 OTRA VEZ! One wrong tack made the difference between these two boats for line and handicap silverware.
The sound of clinking of glasses and rousing voices filled the air Thursday at the Royal Malta YC. Hundreds of competitors enjoyed the full hospitality of the club, sharing their stories with fellow competitors over copious quantities of delicious food and thirst-quenching beverages. After days and nights at sea, isolated from the outside world, the cosmopolitan crowd also enjoyed good food and excellent company.
IRC Four was the largest class taking part in the Rolex Middle Sea Race. 46 yachts from 10 different countries including Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Ireland, Italy, Montenegro, Malta, Russia, Sweden and the United Kingdom. Edward & Aaron Gatt Floridia's J/122 OTRA VEZ completed the 606-mile race at dusk on Day Five, after racing with a highly competitive fleet. “After being becalmed several times last year, we decided that this year that would not happen,” commented Edward Gatt Floridia. “Racing in light airs is very tiring, to keep the boat moving requires the whole crew to concentrate, even the off-watch have to wake up and move their weight to the correct side of the boat. The critical point in our race was after Stromboli. There was virtually no wind and on that first night we took the main sail down and hoisted our wind seeker. We were determined to keep going and we did. The moral on board was excellent and we are very proud of winning the class. Nearly half of the yachts racing were in Class 4 and there were a number of very well sailed boats for the overall win. The weather suited the bigger yachts this year. We can't do anything about that, we can only try to win our class and that is what we have done.”
J/24 World Champion Francesco De Angelis
also had some war-stories to tell about his experience sailing the TP52
B2. After losing all their electronics on the first night out, B2's
navigator Nacho Postigo said, “We tried everything to reboot the system,
but it simply didn't work. In the end, we used the GPS on a smartphone
taped to the pedestal, it worked quite well!” The impromptu solution
forced the crew to rely more on their instinct, as Postigo closes: “We
raced B2 like a J/24 and Francesco had to call the strategy almost
completely blind - I don't think he had more than two hours sleep!” Not
surprising they could sail fast with limited input, as De Angelis had
sailed dinghies and J/24s for years on the Italian circuit with no more
than a compass! Said De Angelis, “It was a difficult race, the first
time this team has done a race this long together. To arrive ahead of
almost 100 boats is a great achievement. We are very tired! Comfort is
not really associated with a TP52 and we experienced everything: light,
medium and some strong wind. Technically and physically it was a very
challenging race. The key was not losing ground in the difficult moments
or getting blocked during periods of light air.” Sailing photo credits: Rolex/ Kurt Arrigo For more Rolex Middle Sea Race sailing information
(Gzira, Malta)- Closing the Mediterranean sailing season with gusto, the
34th edition of the Rolex Middle Sea Race starts on Saturday 19th
October and is destined to mark a significant chapter in the history of a
popular offshore event. The race is in a period of ascendancy. Over one
hundred international yachts have registered for the 606-nm contest
commencing and finishing in Malta, and comprising a challenging
anti-clockwise circumnavigation of Sicily. First held in 1968 and
organized by the Royal Malta Yacht Club, the race has been sponsored by
Rolex since 2002.
The
appeal of the race is clear: first-rate competition, a largely
Corinthian atmosphere, a fascinating racecourse. 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". Starting from the Grand Harbour, Valletta, beneath Fort
St Angelo and the Saluting Battery in Valletta, the fleet head north
along the eastern coasts of Sicily up towards the Straits of Messina. Mt
Etna is usually visible on the fleets port side, billowing ashes and
lava throughout the night. Once through the Straits, the course leads
north to the Aeolian Islands and the active volcano of Stromboli where
the yachts turn west to the Egadi Islands. Passing between Marettimo and
Favignana the crews head south towards the island of Lampedusa, leaving
Pantelleria to port. Once past Lampedusa the fleet turns northeast on
the final leg towards the South Comino Channel and the finish at
Marsamxett Harbour. En route the crews take in an amazing diversity of
landscape and sea conditions, all of which combine to create the
attraction and challenge of the race.
The
autumn’s major festival of international yachting lived up to its
expectations for the sailors doing battle in the Gulf of Saint Tropez
and the waters off Pampelonne Beach in front of the infamous Cub 55
(where beach clothing is often optional). A festival on shore, a
sporting celebration at sea, it's a proven recipe for success that is
synonymous with "la dolce vida" or, perhaps, "la vida loca" (as in Rio's
Festival or New Orleans' Mardis Gras)!
The
sailors were greeted by an extraordinary mix of weather this year.
From fierce storms that swept down from the northwest bringing 30-45 kt
gales to sublime, gorgeous days of westerlies with 10-15 kts-- perfect
for a day's sail with friends after a long evening of entertainment with
friends in the village of St Tropez or dancing at the Club 55 disco on
the Pampelonne beach until dawn!
And,
Saint-Tropez attracts the stars, both human and sailing machines. Many
of them J sailors past and present (J/24s, J/80s, J/109s)-- Sébastien
Col, Jan Dekker, Peter Holmberg, Jean-Pierre Dick-- they were all there,
most sailing anonymously and enjoying one of the world’s greatest
sailing festivals. 
