Rolex Middle Sea Race: everyone chasing the wind

Slow and grueling first phase of the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2022 for most of the fleet. In these hours the last boats are leaving the Strait of Messina, while the Mod 70 are already sailing between Pantelleria and Lampedusa. The average progress of the fleet has been very slow, with many fast, high-performance boats still in the stretch between Stromboli and Favignana almost 48 hours after the start. The first monohulls, the 100-foot Leopard in the lead, recently rounded Favignana.

Rolex middle sea race – everyone chasing the wind

The high pressure that has been affecting Sicily in recent hours has embroiled Middle Sea Race participants in a huge bubble of light wind from the southern quadrants. The passage to Stromboli was “dramatic” for many, as the island’s mountain left a cone of total becalmedness on the boats that had to turn it north.

The Aeolian Islands in general have proven to be a trap in these conditions, and only in the last few hours has the bulk of the fleet, finally benefiting from a slightly rising Levant, been moving away from the archipelago.

Rolex Middle Sea Race – what the provisional rankings say

The passage of Stromboli is the most reliable, because the bulk of the fleet has already passed through here. According to the provisional rankings, the Ker 46 Daguet 3 is given the lead in the IRC overall, which assigns the race’s overall ranking, with its Italian twin Lisa R in ninth position, the best of the Italian boats so far. Too early, however, to make realistic calculations in the rankings.

The MOD 70 Challenge

There is no doubt that one of the most fascinating aspects of this edition is the challenge between trimarans, with 4 MOD 70s racing including Giovanni Soldini’s Maserati. Leading the way, also first of the entire fleet, is Mana, skippered by Frenchwoman Alexa Barrier and owner Riccardo Pavoncelli. Not a lucky race for Maserati so far, as Soldini’s crew is currently in fourth position behind their direct rivals, but with a narrow gap that still leaves the outcome open. The Mod 70s have been sailing in close quarters all along, with hand-to-hand combat now going on for more than half the race.

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