77 boats and still counting

With only a matter of days until the start of the 29th Rolex Middle Sea Race, organisers the Royal Malta Yacht club are rubbing their hands together at the prospect of an entry exceeding 70 boats for the first time ever. Not only that, but the yachts are drawn from most corners of the sailing world with the fleet flying no less than 18 different national flags.

Entries close on Saturday and the race itself starts from Marsamxett Harbour on October 18 - so there is still time to be part of an historic contest that marks the 40th anniversary of this 607 nautical mile adventure.

The race is open to yachts from 9-metres to 30.5 metres and this year will see the full range.

Currently, the 100-foot Farr designed Rapture takes pole position in the size stake. This is not something that particularly troubles Jeff Hanlon, Rapture's captain.

"This will be the first of four planned offshore races for Rapture," he said. "We chose the Rolex Middle Sea Race because it is one of the most famous races you can do and we enjoy this style of offshore distance racing.

Hanlon has heard all about Malta's hospitality and the scenery around the course. He has also heard the race can be difficult, but again this is not an overriding concern.

"I have known about the race for years. I was even told recently not to do it due to its tough reputation for bad weather, but that's yacht racing" he said.

Other big boats, over 70-feet, include Stormvogel (GBR) 39 years after her last participation, Steinlager II (NZL) and Michael Cotter's Whisper (IRL), hoping to complete the course this time after retiring in the face of the storm last year. The newcomer is the Nauta 80 Acaia Cube owned by Italian film star, Claudio Amendola.

Much has been written already about the battle royal shaping up in the 50-70 foot range, where the IRC race boats, Rosebud/Team DYT (STP65/USA) and Andres Soriano's Allegre (Mills 68/GBR), have just been joined by a second STP 65, Jim Swartz's Moneypenny (USA). And the participation of the 60-foot, Veolia Oceans, Boogaloo (FRA) could add another twist to the tale.

Those that represent shape of things today will find themselves up again some of the former workhorses of the oceans - the VO60, Big One (CRO) makes a welcome return and is joined by a trio of 2000 vintage Open 50s, 13 (ITA), Regione Piedmont (ITA) and Vento di Sardegna (ITA).

The 50-foot Rolex Fastnet 2007 winner Chieftain is back under new ownership, Adrian Lee. The sole TP52 is the IRC optimised RAN (GBR) owned by Skype co-founder Niklas Zennström.

Elsewhere in this size band are a pack of cruiser/racers, such as the Baltic 56, Lurigna (SUI), the Shipman 63 Coral (RUS), the Swan 62 Berenice (ITA), the J/V 53 Bank von Bremen (GER) and the First 50 ISR 500, which is apparently the first ever entry received from Israel. Imagine owner Gil Tagar's surprise to find he will not be alone, with a second Israeli flagged yacht scheduled to be on the startline - Wizsoft.

Other Maltese boats fill the ranks here too - rmyc Commodore Georges Bonello Dupuis will helm Escape, Arthur Podesta continues his uninterrupted run of participation with Elusive Medbank, past race-winner John Ripard Jr has entered Lazy Duck with a crew made up mainly of his children and other close relatives, David Franks goes again with Strait Dealer as does Tim Camillieri on Vikesha.

Into the 40-foot and below segment and there are more familiar Maltese names, including Sandro Musu's Aziza, Jonas Diamantino's Gasan Mamo Comanche Raider and an entry from Maltese Falcon (the Maltese Beneteau 40.7 version) is expected today, which would bring entries to 75.

There are a number of boats hovering around the minimum length mark, but rounding out the fleet at a shade over 31-feet looks to be Noel Racine's JPK9.6 Foggy Dew (FRA).

George Davi''s Rambler (US) established the current course record of 47 hours 55 minutes and 3 seconds in 2007.