Michele Galli’s Italian TP52, B2 have been confirmed as the overall winners of the 2015 Rolex Middle Sea Race, posting the best corrected time under the IRC handicap rule.
After over three days of racing, B2 was the IRC winner by seconds from Vincenzo Onorato’s Italian Cookson 50, Mascalzone Latino. The narrow victory was exemplified by the fact that Mascalzone Latino was the overall winner of the ORC class.
“Crossing the finish line with an advantage of nine seconds, on corrected time, was a big surprise, but even if we lost to Mascalzone, we would have been happy, because we know both teams did a great race and we both would be fair winners,” B2’s navigator Nacho Postigo said.
“I think the 50-52 feet is a good length for this race. The TP52 is an all-round boat, with very little weaknesses.
“For me, this is one of the most challenging races in the world.
“In this race there is a strong association between land and sea, and this drives you to take many important decisions along the way; sometimes, mistakes are really costly here.
“It is similar to races like the Fastnet or the Caribbean 600 in terms of dealing with the islands, whether you stay offshore or you get closer.
“We have a great team on B2, Francesco De Angelis is a very motivating person, always pushing.
“Michele (Galli) is a fantastic owner, very competitive, and he really loves these offshore races.
“And then the rest of the crew: I don’t know the number of peels we’ve done in these three-and-a-half days, but they were simply perfect.”
Galli and his team will receive the Rolex Middle Sea Race trophy at tomorrow’s prize-giving ceremony.
This is the second occasion that the TP52 B2 has won the trophy, winning the race overall in 2013.
There was high drama in the early hours of yesterday morning, with five Maltese boats all finishing the race in sight of each other at the Royal Malta Yacht Club.
Artie – first local boat
Lee Satariano and Christian Ripard’s Artie was the first Maltese yacht to cross the line, quickly followed by Timmy Camilleri and Josef Schulteis’ Xp-act Bank Sails.
Elusive II BOV, skippered by Christoph Podesta, was next but there was more to come.
Jamie Sammut’s Unica and David Anastasi and Sonke Stein’s Oiltanking Juno completed the scene.
Artie corrected out to win IRC Five and placed fourth overall in a fleet of over 100 yachts.
It was also the Maltese yacht with the best corrected time in IRC and ORC, winning both of the Teddy Borg trophies.