The fifth day of the 40th edition of the Rolex Middle Sea Race has been bountiful, as yachts start to finish in numbers and tales of the race are shared. The strong wind to the west of Sicily has begun to affect the contest for the overall prize.
Rambler’s near 24-hour tenure at the top was ended by Black Pearl’s arrival early this morning. The turnovers then came thick and fast and, at press time, the ClubSwan 42 BeWild is atop the pile. With 85 yachts on the course there is plenty of racing left.
Richard and David Askew’s Wizard was the second yacht to finish. Never really in contention after a difficult opening passage to the Strait of Messina, the American maxi finally asserted her ocean-racing pedigree in the open water after Favignana.
Wizard was able to stretch away from a group formed of R’92 Pendragon (HUN), Wild Joe (HUN), Aegir (GBR) and Aragon (POL), which had been snapping at her heels. These four yachts eventually finished between 05:00 and 06:00 CEST, the first three within 8 minutes of each other.
When Black Pearl (GER) crossed the line at 08:24 CEST, the crew were clearly elated to have completed the course. “This boat is built for reaching and downwind, so whenever we go upwind it is like a rodeo. You get bounced around and it’s hard to catch a nap. Boiling water becomes a hazard,” explained Stefan Jentzsch.
“It was tough, but every year there is a tough part and that is what we like about it.”
Then, at midday, PrimaVista-Lauria, skippered by Italian Olympian and round the world sailor, Pietro D’Ali, slipped into the overall lead by 40 minutes. “We have a very good crew and know each other very well, so we were pushing all the time,” commented D’Ali.
“We played the shifts very well and never stopped.” One of many key points was the approach to San Vito Lo Capo.
“We went offshore at the right time, just before the big wind hole inshore near Trapani,” he advised.
The next major arrival was Lee Satariano’s Maltese entry Artie III. A two-time winner of the race, Satariano’s latest boat is a step up from previous projects. As the crew reached the dock to cheers, it was clear they had endured, as well as enjoyed, the race.
Satariano, on his 13th race, expressed real satisfaction with the boat and was very complimentary about his crew, a mix of experience, youth and skill, some of whom were part of the race for the first time. “It’s good to be back after a couple of years away,” said Satariano.
“For a first race, for this boat, part of a long learning process, we have gained a lot. We can really work on improving her now. The crew worked really hard, especially the young ones when it got really tough.”
“I can’t really pinpoint any one part of the race that was the hardest tactically, but the first night was very hard,” said tactician Christian Ripard, on his 30th race.
“We suffered because we are lacking the right sails, but we picked the right moves. We were with the big boys to Capo San Vito, when the wind came.” After a slow start, it became a true test of stamina.
“It was truly rough after Pantelleria,” said Ripard. “The boat is very fast, but it’s really brutal.”
At 15:40 CEST, BeWild crossed the line leapfrogging into first place by just over an hour. “We have sailed this race seven times and the weather has always been different,” commented Renzo Grottesi.
“BeWild is a good boat in light air, but it was difficult to decide which way to go. Then, for the last 200 miles, we were in strong winds. The humour on board and working as a team made us strong. It is a long race, with very strong competition, and you only relax when you have finished.”
The twists and turns are far from done, with boats due in later this evening in with a chance if the wind holds.
Malta Focus
With Artie tied up to the dock, the question remains which Maltese yacht will win on handicap. The Podesta family on Elusive 2 are closing in. Just behind, Timmy Camilleri & Richard Schultheis on Xp-act are continuing their fight with Sean Borg’s Xpresso.
Ramon Sant Hill’s Comanche Raider III is on the leg from Lampedusa, while Jamie Sammut’s Unica is about to turn the corner, with Jonathan Gambin’s Ton Ton Laferla Insurance just ahead.
JYS Jan, the all-female crew skippered by Gabriella Mifsud, has left her sistership, JYS Jarhead, skippered by Andrea Azzopardi, far behind on the leg to Pantelleria. Andrew Agius Delicata/ Matthew Gabriele’s double-hander Vivace is just south of Trapani, with Jonathan Camilleri Bowman’s Maltese Falcon II behind.