2019 | Rolex Middle Sea Race – Day 3 AM

2019 | Rolex Middle Sea Race – Day 3 AM

21 October 0900 CEST   DAY 3 AM Report   
Rambler turns south – snakes and ladders for the fleet north of Sicily
  
George David’s Rambler (USA) is cutting a lonely figure at the front of the 113-boat fleet. The American Maxi is 75nm ahead, having passed San Vito Lo Capo at dawn on the third day of the Rolex Middle Sea Race. During the night, Rambler managed to keep going, but only just, taking over 13 hours to sail from Stromboli to the promontory on the northwest corner of Sicily. Rambler is expected to speed up as she rounds the corner at Favignana and starts sailing to the west of Sicily and down towards Pantelleria. Stronger winds in this area of the 606nm course should lead to big increase in Rambler’s speed.   
Bruno Cardile’s ORMA 60 Ad Maiora (ITA) has also found good pressure, but needed to sail well offshore to find it. The trimaran is now about 40 miles from the north-west corner of the course and well behind Rambler.    
Nearly 48 hours into the race, some 41 boats have now passed Stromboli. Renzo Grottesi’s ClubSwan 42 BeWild (ITA) is 78nm from San Vito Lo Capo and still ranked as the top IRC boat overall. Second is Gabriele Bruni’s ICE52 PrimaVista-Lauria (ITA) and third is Frederic Puzin’s Mylius15 Corum – Daguet 2 (FRA). These two teams have chosen to stay closer to Sicily than BeWild and a group made up of IRC 1 & IRC 2 yachts. Weather models continue to show a complex picture for the northern coast of Sicily with areas of light winds interspersed with windless zones. 
The game of snakes and ladders is far from over for the majority of the fleet as we enter the third day of the Rolex Middle Sea Race.      
RMSR 2019RMYCRolex Middle Sea Race