Big challenge for Alfa Romeo

Sixty-four hours 49 minutes and 57 seconds is the 607-nautical mile course record to beat. Every Rolex Middle Sea Race skipper is aware of it and all of them are keen to better it.

The main challenger for a new course record, without doubt, is Alfa Romeo, the 90-foot maxi yacht, proud holder of at least 70 line honours and reckoned as the fastest maxi in the world.

Joining Alfa Romeo for the big challenge today is a record 49-strong fleet, 14 of them local boats (another local record for entries). This is an exceptional year for the 25th edition since 1968 when only eight boats participated.

Neville Crichton, owner of Alfa Romeo, is aiming to claim two honours - the Rolex Middle Sea Race and establishing a new record.

But to achieve this Alfa Romeo has to overcome the stiff challenge from the rest of the fleet, mostly from other maxi yachts Damiani Our Dream and Black Dragon, sister-ship of Nokia, last year's Middle Sea Race winner.

These three maxis, fully crewed professionally, also have the task to beating another set of boats with ambitious aims to win the famous trophy even though they are manned with semi-pros and amateurs.

The modern impact of high-tech design and sail materials has raised the level of racing to incredible standards that any boat with the right wind conditions can win it. This situation makes it even harder to predict an outright winner.

Weather forecasts are not really encouraging for the fast boats either with predictions of light winds for most of the time today.

Also most of the ocean-racing skippers hate the short sharp swells that the sea around Malta offers. This is another handicap that locals and Mediterranean skippers are accustomed to though.

The highlight of this enchanting course, along 19 islands and two live volcanos, is the spectacular start today at 11 a.m. at Marsamxett.

Expectations are running high from this record entry of 50 boats. Over 600 sailors will be at their best to set sail in what many consider as the best racing course in the world.

Meanwhile, Royal Malta Yacht Club Commodore Georges Bonello Du Puis will be fulfilling his dream today when figuring for the first time in the Middle Sea Race on Primadonna.

"This is something that has been on my mind for many years now," he told The Times yesterday.

"I've been chairman of the organising committee long enough to know what the Middle Sea Race entails but now I'm looking forward to this new experience of helming my own boat in competition.

"We hope the weather will be favourable because this boat can go really fast in windy conditions."

Du Puis has an eight-man crew, three of whom from the UK. They started training seven months ago.

Before, Primadonna belonged to Sydney to Hobart hero Chris Bull who will be on board Jazz today.

Bull is the vice-Commodore of the Royal Ocean Racing Club.

The 2004 edition of the Middle Sea Race may provide the first thrills on the sea for Bonello Du Puis but not for seasoned seafarer Arthur Podestà.

Today, Podestà sails off to his 25th successive participation in the race on board Elusive, making him the only person to take part in all editions so far.

2003 flashback...

The 2003 Rolex Middle Sea Race attracted no fewer than 44 yachts from all over the high seas.

Charles Dunstone, of Nokia, was more than happy to add one other Rolex to his collection. Skipper David Bedford made sure to gain best corrected time for Nokia beating Squalo Bianco and the American 66-foot racer Zaraffa.

Alfa Romeo, reckoned as the fastest maxi around, could only manage a line honours win.

A Volvo 60, built in 1997 for the Whitbread round-the-world race, is taking part in this year's Middle Sea Race but its travels are far from over.

The owners, Peter Hopps and Hilary Cook, were the first to sign up for the round-the-world race for amateur sailors, being organised by the London Corinthian Sailing Club in 2006/7.

They bought the 13-ton boat, now called Innovation by Catering Centre (picture), earlier this year, and have already put it through its paces in St Malo and Portugal.

There are 16 crew members, including Winston Azzopardi, whose company, The Catering Centre, is sponsoring the boat, and Darrin Cauchi, the Vikings Sailing Club teenaged member who recently spent 50-hours in a dinghy during a sailing marathon.

Azzopardi is the only crew member who has taken part in the Rolex Middle Sea Race before.