Local fleet in Middle Sea Race

The 2002 Rolex Middle Sea Race, due to start on the October 26, looks set to spark quite a few Maltese campaigns.

Most of the local boys will this year be making that extra effort to try and claim the coveted Middle Sea Race Trophy, especially after last year's runaway success of the local "Strait Dealer" campaign.

Timothy Camilleri, John Ripard and Andrew Calascione, crewmembers of the 2001 winning boat, have now jumped ship and have set up a new campaign with a new yacht called "Market Wizard". Their new boat, a J-109, has just arrived in Malta and has recently competed in France. If her performance is anything to go by, she will be one tough boat to beat.

Local businessman David Franks now owns the J-125, Strait Dealer, and has made some slight crew changes. A new sail inventory and an electronics upgrade have again got her as a hot favourite for the line honours trophy, especially in the local fleet.

The Maltese Falcon campaign, led by Alfred Manduca, will again compete hoping for better weather than last year. For the last two years, Manduca has worked hard at getting the best crew possible by competing in various events throughout the Mediterranean IMS circuit. These included the Rolex IMS Worlds in Capri, the Roma per Tutti and the IMS European Championships at Punt'Ala. Manduca will be helming a Beneteau 40.7

Malta Sailing Federation president, Anton Valentino, will also give it another go.

"If I were given a choice of which race I would want to compete in a whole year, this would be the one. There is no other racecourse, anywhere, which resembles the Rolex Middle Sea Race," Valentino said.

He will compete in the Cruising Division on board his sailing boat "First Ever", a Beneteau 35s5

The Rolex Middle Sea Race starts from the waters opposite "Couvre Port" and takes sailors on an anti clockwise direction around the island of Sicily.