Lee Satariano and his Artie crew were basking in glory yesterday after being crowned winners of the 2014 Rolex Middle Sea Race during a presentation ceremony at the Mediterranean Conference Centre, Valletta.

For Satariano, 40, this was yet another achievement in his 10-year stint as skipper of the J-122 Artie as he celebrated his second overall victory in the prestigious Mediterranean classic regatta following his first triumph of 2011.

“This victory is more special given the conditions we faced in the latter stages of the race,” Satariano told The Sunday Times of Malta.

“The weather changed dramatically near Favignana as the wind picked up considerably, making it very difficult for the fleet to manoeuvre. However, I’m blessed to have experienced people like Christian and Sebastian Ripard with me on board on Artie. They took a decisive role in those difficult conditions.

“Both have raced in some of the toughest regattas in the world, such as the Sydney-Hobart. So, they know a thing or two more than some others about such situations.

“Credit, however, is due to all our crew. They practised really hard in the last few months and you could see they were well-prepared when the need arose. This was one great team effort.

“Winning the Middle Sea Race in 2011 was memorable as it was our first but this year has added significance as it was achieved in more challenging seas.”

Seriously prepared

The Artie crew started practising in earnest at the start of the new year.

“Our training schedule began in January and in April we also had four J-70s available for sailing drills and manoeuvres. These boats are similar to Artie but smaller in size,” Satariano explained.

“We had ample time to try out the boats. That exercise was so useful, it gave our men significant hands-on experience which came in handy during the race.

“Besides, we also had two professional sailors, Matthew Almekinders (Holland) and Timothy Davies (Australia). They were a great asset and of great influence on young duo Sam Pizzuto and Thomas Ripard, in particular.”

Grooming young sailors is one area Satariano wants to be more involved in.

“Nurturing young talent is crucial to ensure a sound future for the race and the sport in Malta,” Satariano said.

“I work closely with the Malta Young Sailors Club and I can tell that there are some competitors there who are showing great promise. In fact, there are a few who will be monitored more thoroughly in the coming months.

“We all know there is great potential here so it’s up to us to give this talented group enough space and opportunities to develop their skills.”

Speaking of talent, Satariano has one of his own as his 12-year-old son, Jake, has just represented Malta at the Optimists World Sailing Championships in Argentina.

And it seems that Jake is set to follow in his father’s footsteps as last week he was among the protagonists in the cham-pionships, placing himself in the top 50 in his category.

“I have been thinking a lot about Jake lately and his performances in Argentina,” Satariano said.

“Considering it was his first experience at this level, he has done pretty well and his results did not go unnoticed.

“We talked about it with the RAN crew and they were impressed, saying they were ready to give Jake their assistance in his development.

“Jake is an ambitious lad. Hopefully, he’ll stay on this track and continues to train hard to become the man he wants to be.”

Last 10 Rolex MSR Trophy winners

The Artie crew
Lee Satariano, Christian Ripard, Sebastian Ripard, Matthew Gusman, Sam Pizzuto, Tom Ripard, Matthew Almekinders, Gordon Bugeja, Timothy Davis.