Valletta, Malta, 24 October: Each year the Rolex Middle Sea Race attracts a diverse fleet in terms of yacht design, size and age, crew composition and, of course, ambition. It is from this diversity that so many extraordinary stories emerge. There also seems to be common accord that the race rewards the participants in so many ways that winning really is not everything. Just taking part, and completing the course, is a reason to celebrate life and the sport of offshore sailing.
The final IRC class podium was decided on day seven of the 2025 Rolex Middle Sea Race. Guido Baroni’s Italian Sun Fast 3600 Lunatika, co-skippered by Alessandro Miglietti, had finished at 1540 CEST on Thursday, but had to wait until today for the win to be confirmed. Mowgli of Portsmouth had until 10.44 this morning to finish and secure an unlikely, but impressive result. In the end, Mowgli fell short, completing the 606nm course at just after 1100, to correct out 22 minutes behind Lunatika. Still impressive for a classic entry.
Short-Handed
Baroni and Miglietti, the Lunatika team, are both from Rome, and ahead of the race had sailed from Genoa to Malta over the season taking in regattas along the way. The class win at the 46th Rolex Middle Sea Race carried special meaning, following retirement in 2024. Heartbreak turned into motivation and, 12 months later, the duo returned stronger, more determined, with a point to prove.
“We love the Rolex Middle Sea Race because it’s one of the most beautiful and demanding courses in the Mediterranean. You sail through stunning places, but the weather makes it a real challenge. It’s never predictable,” commented Baroni. “Last year we had to retire after damaging our mainsail, and that stayed with us all year. We returned with one clear goal: to finish what we started. To stand here now as winners feels extraordinary.”
“Double-handed racing is very different,” confided Baroni. “It demands organisation, endurance and total trust. You have to manage the boat, yourself and each other — two people doing the work of eight.”
“This victory is for everyone who loves double-handed sailing, but especially in Italy!” enthused Miglietti. “It shows that with preparation and persistence, it is possible to take on the great offshore races and win. The Rolex Middle Sea Race is not just a competition; it’s an adventure that tests your seamanship, your friendship and your spirit.”
Although they fell just short, British brothers Patrick and Vincent Harris brought a timeless style to the 46th Rolex Middle Sea Race with Mowgli of Portsmouth, a 60-year-old classic sloop designed by Primrose & Illingworth. Completing the race four seconds shy of six days, the exhausted pair tied up at the Royal Malta Yacht Club spent but wide-eyed with the fantastic reception they received. Hand-steering for the entire race, the Harris brothers’ resilience was inspiring and was a suitable tribute to Mowgli’s heritage.
“We wanted to bring Mowgli back to celebrate her 60th birthday. The Rolex Middle Sea Race was the right time to do something bold.” commented Patrick. “We’d completed this race double-handed in 2004 and always dreamed of returning. It wasn’t about winning; it was about finishing with the boat, together, and proving she still has what it takes.”
“No autopilot meant no rest; one helming, the other grabbing minutes of sleep or pumping the bilge,” commented Vincent. “Cooking was nearly impossible; patience was harder still. But Mowgli behaved beautifully. She’s heavy, steady, and honest — she tells you exactly what she wants. The conditions were brutal at times, yet she just kept going. To hear that we placed second in our division was a complete surprise. For us, that’s victory enough.”
Marco Paolucci’s Italian JPK 1180 Libertine, racing with Niccolò Bertola, was the first two-handed team to cross the finish line, finishing the race in just under five days. Libertine completed the Double-Handed podium, finishing third after time correction. This was Paolucci’s 14th race and his eighth two-handed.
Classic Lines
This is the third time Pier Paolo Canè has participated in the Rolex Middle Sea Race with Valentina, a classic-looking yacht designed by Carlo Sciarelli in the 1980s. Interestingly, Valentina was commissioned by Enrico Masini, who won this race overall in 1975, exactly 50 years ago with another boat of the same name.
All mahogany planks, teak deck and brightwork, Valentina has an element of stealth that has brought surprising results. In 2022, she was 84th across the line, but corrected to 18th under IRC. This year she was 93rd home, scoring 11th overall and second in IRC 6 under time correction.
“I am a lover of offshore sailing, and the Rolex Middle Sea Race is certainly one of the most beautiful courses in the world,” advises Canè. “Moreover, it is a race that is suitable for Valentina. She was built in 1984, with lines that the designer Carlo Sciarrelli partly derived from the 1700s – not for maximum speed but for maximum hydrodynamic efficiency and minimum resistance. Her best points of sail are broad and beam reaching. She performs well under handicap over long passages. As soon as we widen the angle, she breathes. On a beam reach, she is very fast for her type.”
“Although we are all Corinthians, this is really a race for us. We know that we can be really competitive in some situations. Two years ago, we finished well despite a big mistake at the end. We knew we could do better, if the conditions are not against us.” This year has proved that they could.
“We always want to do well, but whatever the result it will still be a great memory for us. We will still have the memory of passing between the islands, using them as marks. The transitions from strong to calm allow time to talk, to discuss many things.”
The Future
Youth is a massive part of the Rolex Middle Sea Race. The stats speak loudly. 27 crew under the age of 21. Three aged 15. Two of the 16-year-olds were on their second race, competing with the Jarhead Young Sailors Foundation on JYS Jan.
“I feel very happy about finishing another edition,” said Pippa Bartolo Panis. “Maybe it wasn’t the result we wanted, but I had a really good time. It was a good race, and not every year can be a podium. You have to learn. Half my crew was 16 and under, and I feel very proud to be doing the Rolex Middle Sea Race and, particularly my second, by the age of 16. I started sailing by accident. Now I’m very glad that I did, and I’ve found a passion as much as I have.”
“We had our issues, for example a spinnaker halyard blew right after the start and we had to fix it, but overall, the atmosphere was very positive on board. We were always supporting one another. One of the highlights was the way we finished. Right before, we were all stressed that we were not getting a podium place. I admit I was really upset. Our skipper, Claudio Budeja, just said, ‘right guys, let’s finish on a high, put on some music and enjoy the moment.’ It changed the mood completely.”
Reassuringly, the beauty of the course is not lost on a generation frequently felt to have their heads in their phones rather than looking around at the world. Bartolo Panis again, “It was beautiful to look at the course, passing through places during the day rather than at night like last year. I was really happy to see Stromboli, Pantelleria and Lampedusa. It was just gorgeous. On one night, when we were completely stuck in really light winds, we had dolphins on either side of the boat going along next to us and that was much better than just being stuck in no wind!”
The learning process is constant. Every corner of the course can present a new opportunity to think about problems and find solutions: “It was insanely difficult to get the tactics right in this race. Straight after Messina when it looked like were going to park. Claudio said get an A3 up, which we did not expect, and we started moving. Yesterday, in the South Comino Channel, the mainsail was blocking the spinnaker and giving it dirty air. First, we sheeted it all the way in and then Claudio told us to flip it onto the other side of the boat. We needed two guys holding it out, praying it would not swing back. It worked though.”
Stationed mostly on the bow, but given opportunities to learn other roles enriched the experience. Bartolo Panis also learnt how to overcome a fear of getting something wrong: “The most challenging manoeuvre was peeling the spinnaker. I know I knew what I was doing, but every time I would worry, and so I would take myself through the whole process first. Then the other crew would always help, and we managed to pull all the peels off correctly, so I’m really happy about that.”
From two-handed sailors to youthful enthusiasm to those that prefer life in the slow lane, the competitive side of the Rolex Middle Sea Race covers the full panoply of offshore sailing. And with such diverse interest in participating, its future looks healthy. Tomorrow, Saturday 25 October, the participants efforts will be celebrated at the final prize giving.