Rolex Middle Sea Race: it’s on! Italians on the hunt for glory

It’s time for the Rolex Middle Sea Race, in fact the most iconic and inimitable of regattas held in the Mediterranean starts today from Malta. There are 120 boats registered, including as always a good number of Italian boats, 23 in total. The route is the usual: departure from Malta, anti-clockwise tour of Sicily leaving on the left the islands of Stromboli, Favignana, Lampedusa and Pantelleria, with arrival still in Malta.

Rolex Middle Sea Race – what the weather will be like.

In these hours all the attention of skippers and sailors is obviously directed to the weather, as October is a month in which there can be significant phenomena of breaking weather stability. The news is certainly one: there will be no Mistral that has made many editions of the Rolex Middle Sea Race so tough and epic. The 606-mile course is expected to be mostly affected by a south-southwest wind regime.

The first few hours after the start will then be a slack with about 15 knots of wind, which will gradually decrease along the east coast of Sicily. The Straits passage will be to be negotiated with variable breezes, as will the ascent to Stromboli. On Sunday the wind will be weak from the east-northeast, while on Monday there could be some strengthening from the south in the Sicilian Channel, where the fleet could encounter even over 25 knots especially in the initial stretch off Trapani. A Rolex Middle Sea Race that promises to be less “physical” than other editions but still quite complex strategically.

The favorites and the Italians

All eyes are on Gianni Di Vincenzo’s Ker 46 Lisa R, which among the domestic boats is undoubtedly the one with the best chance of getting a result and which sets off with the goal of trying, having won the Giraglia 2022. Also undoubtedly to be monitored is the Mylius 60 CK Cippa Lippa by Guido Paolo Camucci. Two boats to keep an eye on for ours are also Massimo Juris’ JPK 10.80 Colombre, fresh Italian Offshore Champion, which will have the strong and prepared Pietro Luciani on board as navigator, and Gianrocco Catalano’s First 40 Tevere Remo.

The favorite for line honors is Chris Sherlock’s Farr 100 Leopard 3, which is unlikely to attack, given the expected weather, the race record of 40 hours 17 minutes and 50 seconds set by the maxi 100 Comanche. Also racing will be the Italian Multi 70 Maserati with Giovanni Soldini and his crew. The multihull record is 33 hours 29 minutes 28 seconds and belongs to Jason Carroll’s Argo. This reference also seems unlikely to be attacked in this edition, but we will see if wind conditions provide any surprises.

Tracking

Mauro Giuffrè