Late on Thursday night time ran out for O2 and Fremito d'Aria, paving the way for success to Farr 52, Optimum 3, of Pericles Livas and Nikos Lazos. The Greeks were confirmed overall handicap winners of the 2004 Rolex Middle Sea Race.
"We are crazy happy because we didn't think we could win such a big race," commented Lazos, navigator on board.
"I believe the Rolex Middle Sea Race is the biggest offshore race in the Mediterranean at the moment. So we have set ourselves new goals now."
Although the Greek team have campaigned boats before, this is only their second time competing in the race aboard Optimum 3.
"First of all I believe it is the crew," continued Lazos as to why they had won. "If the crew is no good, the best boat in the world will not win. That is the most critical factor in my opinion.
"Second is preparation. We had a really well-prepared boat with new sails this year."
Livas and Lazos, who respectively run a stationery company and a manufacturer of industrial rubber conveyor belts in Athens, hope to return to defend their title in 2005.
Chris Bull's experienced team on board the J/145 Jazz managed to hang on to second place, leaving the fight for the final podium spot between late arrivals Sonke Stein's O2, from Germany, and Dario Levi's Italian J/109 Fremito D'Aria.
Ultimately, the two boats match-raced in towards Marsamxett, finishing just two minutes apart after 607 miles and five days and 10 hours of racing. The Italian boat was third, the German fourth.
There had been a number of other similarly tight finishes, the closest being the one between local rivals Alfred Manduca, on the Beneteau First 47.7 Allegra, and the brand new Grand Soleil 40R Aziza of Sandro Musù. They arrived just one second apart.
"It was very close and a fantastic race," said Musù, who finished sixth overall on corrected time.
Allegra didn't fare so well on handicap. Manduca, who has taken part in every race since 1996, said they had come into their own en route south to Pantelleria in the 30-knot winds behind the storm and its accompanying 'discotheque' lightning display.
Unfortunately, passing Pantelleria their speed suddenly slowed and it was only 18 hours later when conditions had abated that they were able to get a crewman into the water. It transpired they had some rope and fishing nets wrapped around their keel.
Sailing with Manduca this year were his regular team, plus four new crew, two of whom were teenagers from Malta Young Sailors Club.
First Maltese yacht home was Primadonna of a very proud Georges Bonello Dupuis, Commodore of the Royal Malta Yacht Club, sailing in his first Rolex Middle Sea Race.
"It was longer than anticipated - it was tough," said the champagne-drenched Commodore after crossing the finish line at 18:57 on Thursday.
"You'd be leading, the wind dies down and everyone closes back up. At Messina we had 28 boats crawl back up on us. At Stromboli the worst thing happened - we arrived and everyone left while we stopped. The biggest joke was about who was going to pay the next 'parking meter'."
Primadonna finished eighth overall on handicap.
The prize-giving ceremony for the 25th Rolex Middle Sea Race takes place today at the Mediterranean Conference Centre. The 26th race next year starts on October 22.