For the 118 yachts and the 1000 crew gathered for the 46th Rolex Middle Sea Race, the waiting is almost over. Starting tomorrow, Saturday 18 October, at 1100 CEST, from the incomparable setting of Grand Harbour, Valletta, the impressive fleet representing 31 countries faces 606nm of unrelenting challenge. The circular course, which starts and finishes in Malta, is primed once again to throw a complicated set of tasks at the assembled crews. Comprising both monohulls and multihulls, and ranging in length from 9.44 metres (31 feet) to 30.48m (100ft), in familiarity from first-timers to serial attendees, and in experience from apprentices to connoisseurs of the offshore discipline, the armada is in a heightened state of readiness.
Experienced navigator and race router, Mike Broughton, delivered the Weather Briefing at the pre-race skipper’s meeting: “The models have changed a lot in the last 12 hours or so, but there are still some different developments possible. A key feature is the low pressure system likely to spin off the north African coast, near Tripoli, and head northeast, arriving over the course area in the early hours of Sunday morning. For the moment, the start should be in an eight to 11 knot easterly. The fleet should then have a close fetch to Capo Passero on the southeast corner of Sicily, and onwards to the Strait. Then it depends on what the low decides to do.” According to Broughton, there are two principal scenarios. The low could deepen delivering heavy rain and gale force winds of 35 knots plus around Syracuse, mostly affecting the slower boats. Or it may not. North of Sicily, there is a 55% chance of a good easterly for those that get through the Strait overnight, and a 45% chance of much less. “Overall, we are looking at a very unsettled picture.” Further out is even more uncertain.
Fleet Facts: just over 1,000 crew from 53 nations and territories fill the yachts. The oldest participant is 82, with 23 others aged 70 years or more. The three youngest competitors are 15, with 10 more aged 18 or under. The oldest yachts are the 1961 Stormvogel, line honours winner of race in 1968 and 1969, and Patrick and Vincent Harris’ Illingworth and Primrose designed Mowgli of Portsmouth, launched in 1965. The most recent launch is Xavier Bellouard’s all-carbon, scow-hulled Lift 45 Maxitude from Marc Lombard. The largest monohull is Remon Vos’s Black Jack 100; Seb Ripard and Daniel Calascione’s Farr 30 Calypso is the smallest. The Paul Larsen skippered 25.49m catamaran Allegra faces a fascinating contest with the Shannon Falcone led 12.98m foiling cat, Falcon.
The overall winner of the Rolex Middle Sea Race and recipient of the magnificent trophy sculpted in bronze is determined by IRC Time Correction. Racing skill, nous and some luck with the weather will play their part in determining the victor from the 102 entries eligible. Black Jack 100 is undoubtedly the fastest in the group and should show a clean transom to the remaining 16 maxis, the cream of which is probably Louis Balcaen’s Maxi 72 Balthasar, featuring a stellar roster of ocean racing talent, including Bouwe Bekking, Pablo Arrate and Dirk de Ridder. Others to look out for: James Neville’s Botin 65 Artemis Bleu, with one Dean Barker of America’s Cup fame onboard, along with Juan Vila, whose exceptional navigator’s instinct helped Scallywag secure line honours in 2024; Kranendonk, the VO65 from China, features Olympic gold medallist Lijia Xu, as well as two Ocean Race alumni in Xue Liu (a winner in 2017/18) and Cheng Ying.
While accepting Black Jack 100 is clear favourite for line honours, skipper Tristan Le Brun is quick to point out nothing can be taken for granted in a 600nm offshore race. “We are looking forward to taking on this beautiful race once again. It is a wonderful opportunity to sign off a successful season, where we have finished first in every race we have started. That said, this is a complex boat, and the weather has some challenges, particularly the first night when we may encounter thunderstorms like last year. In order to deliver a good performance, at the level we target, we have to remain humble and alert.”
David Griffith’s J/V 62 Whisper from Australia is on her first lap of the course. The highly experienced crew have many Rolex Sydney Hobart’s under their belt, and took part in this summer’s Rolex Fastnet Race. Clare Costanza, the navigator, shed light on the certainties and uncertainties ahead: “The start looks light to moderate breeze, upwind on starboard but slightly cracked. Finding a clear lane will be one challenge and then, how we set up for the low pressure likely to move across the course on Saturday night, Sunday morning. We are likely to exit Messina in the dark, making it difficult to see all those whirlpools!” Looking further ahead, the wind direction seems a little clearer, but Costanza confirmed the strength would depend on the position of the low pressure in relation to Sicily. “This could be a key factor in the race,” she said, continuing, “But overall, it’s going to be exciting.”
Further down the ranks, the fleet is packed with a mix of talent and adventurous spirit. The mid-sized segment, between 14m/45ft and 17m/55ft is awash with potential. Frederic Puzin from France makes an awaited debut with his striking Carkeek 54 Daguet, a couple of years since recording podium finishes with his previous yacht. The Red Bandit team, overall winners in 2024, return but this time with the Botin 56 Black Pearl, after dismasting their TP52 during the Admiral’s Cup earlier this year. Marc Lagesse, a winner with Bullitt in 2023 and the regular navigator on Black Pearl, will add some valuable course and boat insight to this committed young team. It is a massive ask to expect the German crew to repeat last year’s performance, but with the motto “expect nothing, give everything” they are not here to make up the numbers. Niklas Zennstrom’s Carkeek 52 Rán 8 returns, having won class twice previously in his Maxi 72. So too, Quentin Stewart and Maverick, the DSS foil equipped Infiniti 46 another past class winner, are back again. The Finnish Infiniti 52 Tulikettu is less proven in this race, but has been modified to improve balance and speed since last year, and owner Arto Linnervuo is convinced with the right conditions they can be a real threat. Giovanni Lombardi Stronati’s Italian entry Django Deer is the former Botin 52, Caro, a winner at the Rolex Fastnet Race in 2023. Stronati and his crew are in fine form after successful forays in this year’s Admiral’s Cup and Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, albeit in different boats. Tactician Vasco Vascotto brings his irrepressible energy to the mix, commenting: “The Rolex Middle Sea Race is one of the most fascinating and challenging races in the Mediterranean, combining beautiful scenery, pure tactics, and ever-changing weather conditions. With the Django Deer team, we are a well-established crew coming off the back of our experience in the Rolex Fastnet Race and the Admiral’s Cup. We have combined elements of the two teams, but we are in Malta with a new boat, and we are approaching this challenge with humility, determination, and a desire to race at the highest level. Every mile of this race requires absolute concentration, and it will be the perfect opportunity to test our cohesion as a crew. We are excited and cannot wait to get started.”
Lower down in the order, but no less ambitious with regard to finishing well and challenging for the main prize, Lee Satariano’s HH42 Artie III is one of several Maltese yachts carrying the weight of the island state’s expectations. A two-time winner with his previous yacht, Satariano’s crew enjoys the calm leadership and extensive knowledge of Christian Ripard, about to embark on his 35th race matching the record of the late Arthur Podesta, another of Malta’s legendary yacht-racers. Satariano is pleased with the preparations for this year’s race, which included the Aegean 600 in July. “The boat is in good shape, so is the crew. We were able to work on it before and after going to Greece. We have the mostly the same people onboard, and are looking forward to the race even if it is unlikely to be our conditions. The first night looks interesting, but we are hopeful we will be quicker to the Strait than last year, and are hopeful any thunderstorms will pass through without affecting us. After Messina, though, it looks to be going light and then lighter.”
Meanwhile, the Podesta legacy continues to be carried by his children, also two-time winners of the Rolex Middle Sea Race back-to-back in 2019 and 2020, and racing on the family yacht Elusive 2. Gery Trentesaux brings his considerable offshore aptitude to the table with Long Courrier. A winner here in 2018, he has previously won the Rolex Fastnet Race and among his exceptional French crew is Alexis Loison. Loison is a two-time winner of the Rolex Fastnet, remarkably racing double-handed. His most recent success was this summer, one in which he also secured the Solitaire du Figaro Paprec title. Karpo from Slovenia is a popular entry. Matic and Mats Vrecko are on their fourth race, and won class in 2023 with the Elan 450.
Heading into the smaller entries, the potential for captivating performances remains high. Calypso, the Maltese Farr 30 is led by Seb Ripard and Dan Calascione, whose fathers won the race together in 2002, and whose mutual grandfather, John Ripard Sr, won the inaugural race in 1968. Seb Ripard was also on the winning boat in 2002, his first Rolex Middle Sea Race. There is a second entry called Calypso, this time a J/99 sailed double-handed by Filippo Moroni and Latiri Mondher under the flag of Taiwan. No short-handed crew has yet won the Rolex Middle Sea Race. Red Ruby came closest in 2023, falling a handful of seconds short of overcoming Bullitt, nearly three times her size. There are eight such crews this year, with Ivica Kostelic’s Figaro 3 Amelicor one of the top picks. Kostelic is the former Croatian winter sports ace, securing four Olympic medals and a World Cup title before turning away from the frozen water in 2017.
Another skilled pairing, in terms of general experience, is Marco Paolucci and Niccolo Bertola on the Comet 38s Libertine. Paolucci has done the Rolex Middle Sea Race 13 times, seven times double-handed. “I love this race. I think it’s the best race in the Mediterranean. The organisation is perfect and the race also. It is always different, you never know what it will be like until the start. You never know what will happen until you finish, and you have to complete the course to finish. If you get to Comino Channel, you may have done 600 miles, but you have not finished.” Paolucci enjoys the double-handed discipline. He smilingly cites fewer problems as one advantage, but more importantly that you have to know everything about the boat, the responsibilities from front to back, the rules and you have to trust your crewmate. Bertola, by contrast, is on his first Rolex Middle Sea Race. He comes with a track record of youth, Olympic and offshore racing, and has racked up eight world titles in his career. “I really like the challenge of offshore racing, especially double-handed. You have to manage the boat, the weather and yourself. The Rolex Middle Sea Race is the best in the Mediterranean and I was thrilled when Marco asked me to join him.”
While every boat wants to do well, not everyone can win. Putting in a good performance and finishing, is often more important than the result, as confirmed by the Italian entry, Valentina. Built in 1986 and owned by Pier Paolo Canè, the classic-looking mahogany ketch was designed by Carlo Sciarelli. With her varnished planking, wooden mast and blocks, she is as much a work of art as a sailing vessel. “I am a big fan of blue water sailing, and the Rolex Middle Sea is one of the most beautiful races in the world. It is also very suitable for Valentina,” says Canè. “We have no spinnakers, only gennakers, and on this course we can sail wide angles. We are all Corinthian sailors. We like to do well, but just as important are the moments and memories of the course, as well as the atmosphere here in Malta. These are always fantastic.”
While the main body of the fleet will be racing for the overall prize awarded to the best yacht under IRC Time Correction, there are many other incentives to do well including the simple, but rewarding satisfaction of completing one of the world’s classic 600 milers. The Rolex Middle Sea Race initiates the RORC Season’s Points Championship 2026, and it is the opening salvo in the International Maxi Association Mediterranean Offshore Challenge 2026 and forms part of the 2025 Swan Maxi Series. The Multihull category competes for its own silverware, there is an ORC division, and the double handers have line honours and handicap class trophies to compete for, as do the local Maltese fleet.
The final prize giving is scheduled for Saturday, 25 October, and the start procedures beginning tomorrow morning are just the first steps in a long and fascinating journey. While the weather is uncertain, one constant is that an enthralling stream of stories will play out over the coming week.