Grand Harbour performed some magic on Saturday, as an assembled 118 yachts set off on the 43rd Rolex Middle Sea Race.

The ancient limestone walls of Valletta seem to come alive in bright sunshine, and they duly offered the gathered spectators, high up on the bastions, a perfect setting to send off the intrepid fleet.

While cannon fire aloft marked each start, whispering zephyrs greeted the crews at water level. Would there be sufficient breeze to exit the harbour was the key concern.

As it was, all seven starting groups got away cleanly, with several yachts putting down markers as they made the best of what wind was available.

By 4pm on Saturday, progress has been as expected: exacting and demanding, as the crews representing 24 countries did their best to navigate between fluctuating cells of pressure that litter the channel between Malta and Sicily.

At the front, the five maxi multihulls were leading the way, with debutante Frank Slootman’s Snowflake making the early running.

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