With the frontrunner, Esimit Europa 2 halfway down the track to Favignana and Maretimo, at around 13.30, ICAP Leopard made a bold move, heating up about 45 degrees off the rhumb line to avoid a windless area, and in a bid for speed.
Alegre and the following pack of a dozen or so 50-footers – E1, Pace, Lucky, Wild Joe, Cantankerous, Latetia, Dralian, Brave, Ambersail, and Altair 3 – were around Stromboli by 17.00 yesterday evening. Behind them a steady procession of the fleet continued straight back to Messina.
The Slovenian maxi, Esimit, may be in pole position for line honours but there is a fierce battle for the overall lead on corrected time.
Yachts from three different classes occupy the podium positions at the Messina checkpoint.
The Rolex Middle Sea Race is a truly international affair with yachts from six different countries vying for the overall lead.
Lee Satariano and Christian Ripard’s J/122, Artie, from the Royal Malta Yacht Club, was leading on corrected time at Messina.
Ripard has won the race before and is recognised as one of the finest Maltese yachtsmen.
Just over an hour behind the overall leader was American Bryon Ehrhart’s TP52, Lucky, from the New York Yacht Club, which is very much in contention. There are three boats scrapping for third place overall – RMYC member Soenke Stein’s J/133, Juno, Martino Orambelli’s Italian Swan 45, Mandolino and Spanish Swan 56, La Floresta del Mar, skippered by Jaime Olazabal.
Johnny Vincent’s British TP52, Pace is also battling for honours and was fifth yesterday.
Mike Broughton, Pace’s navigator, explained via satellite link yesterday: “We are playing nip and tuck with Wild Joe and the other TP 52 Lucky, who have us on corrected time at the moment.
“We had a great race up until about 06.00 this morning when we parked up with most of the rest of the fleet 15 miles east of Catania. After a short-lived windy run through the Messina Straits, we are now sailing in light airs just three miles behind Alegre and E1.”
The weather forecast shows the approach of the cold front this afternoon that should move along down the southwest coast of Sicily.
Conditions then look lively and will make it a quick latter part of the race for those boats around the turning ‘mark’ of the island of Favignana. For the smaller boats still racing westwards, this will be a significant speed bump in their progress as they beat out to the corner.
Jaime Olazabal, skipper of La Floresta del Mar, suggests that these expected conditions may favour the Swan 56. “The more the wind goes on the nose, and the heavier it gets, the better for us,” Olazabal said.
“That might be the case tomorrow (today) on our way to Trapani, but the weather forecast remains a little unclear. Today we have been enjoying some of our supplies of Spanish jamón which will keep our strength up for the racing to come.”
George David’s Rambler (US) established the current course record of 47 hours, 55 minutes, and 3 seconds in 2007. To break this mark, a Class 1 leader would have to finish this morning before 11.35 a.m.