Malta’s master mariners show mettle

The 30th Rolex Middle Sea Race is in its closing stages with only two yachts left at sea and the major prizes decided ahead of the final prizegiving tomorrow.

This has been an exceptional race for many reasons, one of which is the arrival before midnight on Wednesday of all the Maltese yachts to finish the race. Ten out of the 14 local entries completed the 606 nautical mile course.

While none made a serious impact on the overall trophy outcome in a race that favoured the bigger, faster yachts in the 69-boat fleet, all may hold their heads up high for having competed in a testing edition of this internationally respected race.

All the Maltese yachts finished in a 14-hour period that began with the arrival of David Franks’ Strait Dealer at 09.42 on Wednesday morning.

David Anastasi, the skipper, described a wet, difficult ride that saw his team finish having eaten about 10 per cent of their provisions.

The first leg to Messina was fast and relatively easy, since it was downwind. Thereafter, the race became upwind and circumstances changed completely, “it was difficult to manage the boat in the conditions. The biggest issue was running out of energy. It was practically impossible to eat and sleep properly.

“We survived on chocolate, dried sausage and sweets.” Anastasi pointed to teamwork as critical in bringing the yacht home.

Next across the finish line in Marsamxett Harbour was Jonas Diamantino’s Comanche Raider II Gasan Mamo, some two hours later. Comanche Raider raced much of the course with a steadily disintegrating boom.

A crash gybe during a 40-knot squall, which hit while passing Capo Passero on the first night, started a problem that worsened progressively through the race. Said Diamantino: “In that instance we crushed the gooseneck which fixes the boom to the mast. It was pitch black so it was impossible to properly assess the damage, so we continued till daybreak on reduced sail.

“That said, we still hit our top speed of the race! In the morning we sorted out a jury rig that lasted us to Stromboli. Then we started to have more problems as the boom tried to twist free of its remaining fixings.”

Diamantino’s crew set about re-jigging the jury-rig again, a fix which stayed the course to Lampedusa. At Lampedusa the sea state put further pressure on the boom and tore it from its mounting completely. That Comanche Raider completed the course is testament to the tenacity of the crew.

Thirty minutes after Comanche Raider, Elusive II Medbank crossed the line. Owner, Arthur Podesta, completed his 30th race in the process adding further lustre to an enviable record.

Podesta spent the afternoon on tenterhooks waiting for confirmation of a Class 3 win, which was eventually confirmed.

David Pizzuto’s Geisha led an early afternoon charge that included the Timmy Camilleri-led Vikesha and Jost Merten’s Rebel. It was just after teatime that things heated up. Lee Satariano’s Artie and Sandro Musu’s Aziza had been match-racing each other all the way back from Pantelleria and entered Marsamxett separated by a few minutes.

Artie crossed the finish line first, delighting Satariano, “it was a race that the crew had to be up for at every moment. We put safety first, but we pushed the boat the whole way. It was a great finish in front of the new yacht club, the atmosphere was very special.”

Musu was another to describe the vicious gusts of the first two nights, but encountered no serious damage that affected their performance. He put a lot down to preparation, but also considered the unflinching effort of the crew to be critical.

The last two Maltese yachts home were Edward Gatt Floridia’s Otra Vez Fexco and Michael Montanaro Gauci’s Whistler, finishing at 23.20. The gap was less than the previous pairing and the excitement tangible. The Royal Malta Yacht Club terrace was packed with support for the two yachts. Otra Vez took the hooter six seconds ahead of Whistler.

About as tight as it could get after four-and-a-half days of racing. Gatt Floridia was clear that this was his best Rolex Middle Sea Race yet.

“It was a very windy race and rough, very hard, but fun,” he said.

“We made Stromboli in record time. Our problem was that during a storm at Capo Passero, we lost our wind instruments and so were sailing blind, particularly at night. We definitely learnt a lot, sailing by boat speed alone. I’m proud we managed to carry on regardless.”

The four other Maltese yachts participating retired with no injuries to crew.