Club Commodore keen to steer RMSR into uncharted waters

The 2010 Rolex Middle Sea Race (RMSR) came to an official close yesterday with the traditional prize-giving ceremony at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta.

In midweek, Lucky (USA) was crowned top boat on corrected time after finishing just minutes ahead of local entries Artie and Jaru in the overall standings.

All crews are currently observing a deserved rest while mulling on their performance but for the Royal Malta Yacht Club there’s no break as focus has already shifted to next year’s race in the hope that it will be bigger and better than that of this year.

Georges Bonello Dupuis, the Commodore of the Royal Malta Yacht Club, is the driving force behind the rise of the 600nm race around Sicily and back.

Many reckon his passion and enthusiasm are the main reasons why the RMSR has established itself as one of the most popular regattas in the Mediterranean at this time of the year.

“If I had to find a word to summarise the 2010 Rolex Middle Sea Race it has to be ‘epic’,” he told The Sunday Times yesterday.

“The organisation ran smoothly with very little hiccups. Again, we had a very high number of registrations, 76, and the weather was excellent all week. Besides, Maltese boats put in a very strong showing with Artie, Jaru and Comanche Raider combining to win the Nations Cup.

“I think that we are putting into practice all the experience gained throughout the years and, in-evitably, that has raised the bar in terms of prestige our event enjoys today.”

Still, that does not mean that the RMSR is a finished product.

“There are always areas where we can improve,” the RMYC Commodore contended.

“We’re always looking to increase the number of entries. This year we were just outside the all-time record of 78. One category where we all would like to see added increase in terms of participation is the multihull. That would help us establish a new record for entries.

“Another positive aspect this year was the significant number of boats we had from Eastern Europe. We shall continue to promote our race to make sure that we have more boats from this area of the continent.”

The introduction of Rolex as main sponsor has been a determining factor in the rise in status of the Middle Sea Race, first held way back in 1968.

Since, the Rolex-MSR relationship was forged in 2002 entries have almost doubled.

The sponsorship agreement expired this year but negotiations have already started and Bonello Dupuis said it’s only a formality before a new deal is signed.

“Rolex are extremely happy with the exposure they are gaining from the Middle Sea Race,” he said.

“I’ve just held talks with Rolex representatives on this issue and they sounded very enthusiastic at the prospect of extending their sponsorship agreement.”

Bonello Dupuis’s brains never stop working and he has another objective in mind for next year.

“We are hoping that for 2011 we will be in a position to host MSR boats in the waters close to our headquarters in Ta’ Xbiex,” he said.

“We’re waiting for the authorities to issue the necessary permits and have pontoons floating in place in time for next year’s race.

“This project will help us set up a sailing village at Ta’ Xbiex and boost the image of our sport outside Maltese shores.”