Record fleet of 63 entries from 13 countries

With less than two weeks to go before the start of the Rolex Middle Sea Race, the number of boats entered has reached a record 63 - a marked improvement over last year's 50-strong record fleet and numbers achieved in previous years.

Starting from Valletta's Marsamxett Harbour in Malta on October 22, the annual Rolex Middle Sea Race is considered the Mediterranean's answer to other 'classic' offshore yacht races events such as the Rolex Fastnet and Rolex Sydney-Hobart Yacht Races.

While the fleet has grown for 2005, it has also changed in profile. Following the line honours victories of Neville Crichton's Alfa Romeo in the last two races, this year there are no 30m maxis - Charles Brown and Bill Buckley's New Zealand sloop Maximus was forced to withdraw following her dismasting at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup last month.

This year, the fleet has expanded particularly in the medium-large size range, mainly through the efforts of the Royal Malta Yacht Club, organiser of the Middle Sea Race, its strong volunteer base and the committee headed by Commodore Georges Bonello Dupuis.

"This year the fleet has increased particularly in the 50-80ft length range," said Bonello Dupuis.

"We have 16 entries in that section, but the largest entry list is between 38 and 48ft where we have 22 boats. So there may be fewer maxis, but there are more 50 and 60 footers and that is where the hottest competition will be."

Also impressive this year is the number of different nations taking part - of the 63 boats competing, 13 countries are represented. While the largest groups are from Italy and Malta, the most far-flung entry is Schle Wood's brand new Italian-built Sleeker 45 cruiser racer, Pasaya, registered to the Royal Varuna Club in Thailand.

Fresh from their win at the Rolex Settimana Delle Bocche in Sardinia is the Russian entry Synergy, a Grand Soleil 40R launched this year.

Owned by Valentin Zavadnikov, a Senator in the Russian parliament in Moscow, Synergy is skippered by Andrew Nikolaev and his brother Andrei, the tactician/boat manager.

There are three entries from the US - the large Swans Constanter and Favonius and the Oyster 53 Paul Gerard.

Greece again has strong entries in George Vassilopoulos' Brave, a Farr 520 and sistership to last year's IRC handicap winner, Optimum 3 of Pericles Livas and Nikos Lazos.

Olympic medallists

Also gunning hard for the Rolex Middle Sea Race trophy, to put alongside the one he already has for the Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race, will be Anglo-Greek owner Nick Lykiardopulo and his team led by Jez Fanstone on the Ker 55, Aera.

There are six yachts from the UK, including the 60-foot Swans Fenix & Spirit of Jethou, as well as Irishman Eamon Conneely's TP52 Patches, featuring Olympic medallists Shirley Robertson and Ian Walker in her crew.

Another boat having made the passage south is the new Formidable 3, belonging to Dutchman Piet de Vroon.