The 2016 Rolex Middle Sea Race is done and dusted, with just the final prize-giving remaining. For the crews that completed the course, this celebration will be a last opportunity before leaving Malta to reflect on their adventures and achievements.
A total of 107 yachts started the race from Valletta’s Grand Harbour last Saturday.
The winds were light but the atmosphere vibrant as spectators filled the numerous vantage points surrounding the natural amphitheatre.
Once beyond the breakwater, crews enjoyed a fast passage to Sicily particularly the powerful multihulls Maserati and Phaedo.
The first night was tactically demanding, with the perennial challenge of choosing the best approach to the Strait of Messina catching out even the most experienced navigators.
The monohull fleet racing for the overall prize compressed overnight, stretching out again as the faster and better-positioned yachts moved into freshening breeze.
As these yachts approached Stromboli later in the day, the wind shut down once more bringing the fleet back together.
The puzzles being posed by the wind conditions did not end at Stromboli.
The leaders eventually pulled away and as they approached the northwestern tip of Sicily, another windless zone created more drama.
It was Mascalzone Latino’s ability to progress through this transition relatively unscathed that probably won them the race.
Racing alongside bigger, faster yachts proved a great encouragement. Behind the chasing, smaller yachts missed out on the best of the southerly breeze off Trapani and were given a rough deal at Lampedusa as the wind faded again.
Rambler 88 would go on to take line honours in the early hours of Tuesday morning, well outside the crew’s record time set in 2007.
Mascalzone Latino would finish nearly 12 hours later, one of a pack of yachts that bridged the last leg between Lampedusa and the Comino Channel in solid breeze. The fleet behind stalled and would struggle home.
Second-placed Cippa Lippa was some six hours behind on corrected time, confirming the determination of the Mascalzone team to make the best of their opportunities in the race. Third-placed Foggy Dew, from France, was the smallest yacht in the top ten, and proved that even in conditions that favoured the larger yachts, there is scope to do well if you keep your focus. Artie, Malta’s two-time winner of the overall prize, finished ninth overall.
The 37th Rolex Middle Sea Race offered its typically complex challenge for the competing crews, and will be remembered for its mental demands rather than physical ones.
Once again participants were rewarded for their efforts with the unremitting hospitality of the organisers, the Royal Malta Yacht Club, and the stunning scenery of the course with views of volcanoes, islands, sunrises and sunsets, and aquatic wildlife.
The 38th Rolex Middle Sea Race starts on October 21, 2017.