The value of preparation ahead of MSR

The 71 crews confirmed as entered in the 30th Rolex Middle Sea Race, which starts this morning from Grand Harbour, have spent their last day readying themselves for what looks to be a challenging race.

The frontrunners are modelling course times between two and three days, with the likelihood of an extended period of 35-knots of wind on the topside of the course, north of Sicily.

This is the Mediterranean, a notoriously fickle environment.

The navigators and strategists throughout the fleet have been following intently the developing weather patterns over the past few days and all talk of encountering heavy weather at some point.

One word has kept coming up during interviews over that past 24 hours... preparation.

Australian Tom Addis was part of Team New Zealand in the last America's Cup and was on the Telefonica Blue team during the Volvo Ocean Race. He knows a thing or two about preparation.

Addis is sailing as navigator on the Roger Sturgeon's STP65 Rosebud/Team DYT (US) with whom he also sailed when she won the 2007 Rolex Sydney Hobart. Addis competed in the storm-swept 2007 Rolex MSR, too.

"This race is always very interesting. You don't get many 600-mile races with this number of corners and land effects.

"Quick changes in conditions, very local changes especially going up through the Strait of Messina. There's always something to be working on next with no big straight lines," Addis said.

Around the dock there is clear evidence among all crews that they anticipate experiencing strong winds. The presence of orange coloured sailcloth on the pontoons and foredecks being checked and packed, checked again and re-packed, confirms not just the mandatory presence of storm sails, but that boats expect to use them.

Whilst Rosebud is representative of the elite professional end of the fleet, the 36-foot Otra Vez Fexco is typical of the more Corinthian entry.

Edward Gatt Floridia, the skipper, is embarking on his sixth race and his first as an owner. Gatt Floridia is just as conscious of the importance of preparation.

"The hardest bit of this race is being skipper. Everything else is the same," explains Gatt Floridia.

"The only difference is that I am the skipper and have responsibility for boat and crew."

Gatt Floridia is taking this newfound responsibility very seriously, professionally in fact.

"Boat preparation is very important so you are ready for any conditions that you might encounter. You need to be prepared for any breakages you might have, especially those that can be repaired so you can continue the race.

"I don't think there is any difference between the small and bigger boats in managing the crew. If the weather is rough, it is harder for certain and more uncomfortable."

The Rolex MSR has proven over the years to suffer no fools.

The conditions will be testing and what will be demonstrated by the results at the end of the week is not only those that have sailed the best, but those that have best prepared themselves and their equipment.