Lloyd Thornburg’s MOD 70 Phaedo3 passed through the Messina Strait yesterday, approximately 24 hours into the Rolex Middle Sea Race, and also rounded Stromboli at approximately 4pm in the afternoon.

The ballistic trimaran was waiting to get into fresh breeze from the southeast during the evening.

The three combined hulls of Phaedo3 have a waterline length of 60 metres (200ft) but the entire structure only weighs 7,000 kilogrammes.

Coupled with hi-tech sails and a rotating and canting mast, Phaedo3 is capable of travelling at over twice the wind speed.

Last night, Phaedo3 was also expected to be on a broad reach in 15 knots of breeze and should be literally flying at well over 20 knots of boat speed, towards the most northwesterly point of the race course –Favignana.

It is highly unlikely that any of the 111-strong fleet, which set sail from Valletta’s Grand Harbour on Saturday morning, will see Phaedo3 again, until they return to Marsamxett Harbour.

George David’s American Maxi Rambler 88 is in a commanding position to take monohull Line Honours having stretched out a 15-mile lead over Jan-Henrik Kisteit’s German Maxi 72, Momo.

Late in the afternoon yesterday, only eight yachts had passed through the Messina Strait – Rambler 88, Momo, Mascalzone Latino, B2, Wild Joe, Varuna, Plis Play and SFS II.

This pack of yachts is very likely to pull away from the fleet left in the Messina Strait, especially as the vast majority of the boats were experiencing negative current and will do so for the next few hours.

Ian Moore, navigator on Vincenzo Onorato’s Cookson 50 Mascalzone Latino, re-ported feeling mixed emotions on board.

“Just having a cold beer and some antipasti to celebrate getting out of the Straits but need an anti-depressant having seen the Ireland score!” (Moore was referring to his Ireland losing to Argentina in the quarter-finals of the Rugby World Cup.)

So far the Rolex MSR has produced conditions which have favoured the smaller yachts but that is about to change.

The fleet caught in Messina have little wind and experiencing foul current. For now, as a guide only, leading yachts from IRC Classes 5 and 6 include Lee Satariano and Christian Ripard’s J/122 Artie, Costantin Manuele’s First 40.7, Canevel Spumanti and Vikesha II skippered by Oleg Evdokimenko.

However, expect the high performance yachts to get back up the rankings by this afternoon.