Rolex MSR winners emerge

Without doubt the most productive finish line watch duty at this year's Rolex Middle Sea Race was from 11.30 to 15.30 yesterday.

Royal Malta Yacht Club watch-keepers, Clive and Mary Chipperfield, witnessed 11 yachts complete the course, equalling the number that arrived over the whole of Monday and Tuesday.

The total number of finishers by 17.30 was 37. An exciting day which saw Andy Soriano's Alegre confirmed as overall winner and David Franks's Strait Dealer, skippered by David Anastasi, taking the trophy for first Maltese boat home on the water.

A number of class trophies were decided, but with eight yachts still to finish there are one or two still in the balance.

Malta woke to a windless, clear sky with some mild humidity. A nice start to the day for a tourist, but not a good situation if you are clawing your way along the northern coast of Malta rather hoping to wrap a class victory with a fast finish.

Klaus Diederich's and Grant Gordon's Swan 45 Fever (GBR) found itself in just this situation at sunrise.

The international crew, including notables such as Andy Beadsworth, Gary Barron, Wouter Verbraak and Tony Rey, really had to work to squeeze their steed over the line.

In the end, the effort was not enough and currently Arthur Podesta and Elusive II Medbank sit atop Class 3.

The big noise of the morning, after the name of Alegre was stamped on the MSR trophy, was the arrival of Strait Dealer.

Another epic adventure that ended with a patience-sapping finish. One that was worth it though for Franks, who was probably on his last lap of the racecourse.

Franks was delighted to be back and to secure the prize of first Maltese boat home, despite enduring some difficult times.

"We had a good crew and I enjoyed the race very much," he said.

"There were some tough points, but we didn't break too many things and we didn't lose too many things. We got tangled up in a lobster pot and went through an ice storm. I've never had such a cold MSR and this is my seventh.

"This is a most fantastic race. It is so well organised, it's so exciting, so many great boats come along."

Anastasi was pleased, too, but admitted that their ambition had been to win first Maltese boat on handicap. Strait Dealer does better downwind than upwind and with more of her race being into wind, she was always going to be hard pressed to secure that prize and, indeed, at present it is held by Artie.

"We had a really good race up to Messina in conditions that the boat loves," Anastasi said.

"From then on the wind was on the nose, which is very hard for us. Everything went well, the crew worked well together including the younger ones such as Sean Borg, Darren Cauchi and Alan Tabone."

Unique record

Elusive II crossed the line at midday, all but four days after starting the race in Grand Harbour.

Podesta has now completed 30 MSRs. An unparalleled record and one which will not be matched for many years.

His enthusiasm for the race continues to shine through, even when he has been in a battle.

"This was as tough as the 2007 race, though perhaps not as treacherous," he said.

"We hit our first major squall after Capo Passero and suffered an enormous broach. We recovered... eventually... and continued pushing forward. We had another enormous squall at Stromboli and then, all the way to Palermo, we had squalls every two or three hours. That made the race most tiring."

A couple of hours after the finish and a good meal later, Podesta laughingly confirmed that he would be returning next year.

Five hours after Elusive, we saw the tightest finish to date as four yachts entered the harbour.

Lee Satariano's Artie led the charge, followed three minutes later by Sandro Musu's Aziza and Antonio Fava's Velado (ITA), separated by half a tack and five-seconds.

Sneaking in just before press time to grab their piece of the limelight was Seawolf of Southampton (GB).