Rolex Middle Sea Race: Surpassing high expectations
by Quinag 28 Oct 2023 16:16 BST
21 October 2023
Offshore races are long and gruelling yet frequently decided by fine margins and minute details. The 44th edition of the Rolex Middle Sea Race demonstrated this in crystal clarity as two contrasting yachts and crews produced awe-inspiring performances in a memorable contest for the coveted title of overall victory.
Rolex’s longstanding support of yachting includes close relationships with some of the world’s leading 600-nautical mile competitions. Majestic, historic and partnered by Rolex since 2002, the Rolex Middle Sea Race, organized by the Royal Malta Yacht Club, is the Mediterranean’s most renowned offshore race.
Emerging victorious as overall race winner was Andrea Recordati’s Wally 93 Bullitt. For the owner of the Italian yacht, success was momentous and unexpected in equal measure:
“The race was very demanding and challenging. Coming first overall in corrected time, honestly, I am still having difficulty believing it. I am ecstatic. I am super happy for the boat, she deserves it. We put a lot of effort in to optimise and improve her. I am especially happy for my crew. I have an exceptional team and they really deserve this too.”
Bullitt’s success owed part to making the right calls at the right moments. One key juncture was the Strait of Messina, a complex section of any Rolex Middle Sea Race. Here the crew showed great navigational dexterity in choosing when to switch from hugging the Italian mainland to the Sicilian side of the narrow passage. A move designed to evade the adverse pull of the current and maintain pressure on their closest competitors.
Leopard 3 would ultimately claim line honours as fastest monohull. Bullitt was second across the finish line in Malta a little under two hours later, assuming leadership on corrected time. An impressive performance in itself as many of her maxi yacht rivals were more naturally set up for the rigours of offshore racing.
Bullitt sailed the 606-nautical mile (1,122 kilometres) course with a crew of 20 sailors. A typical number of personnel required to sail such a powerful and large – 93-foot (28.34 metre) – maxi yacht. The predominantly Corinthian fleet in pursuit were sailing smaller yachts, with fewer crew numbers. the leanest of which were teams of just two. One, the 33ft (9.99m) American yacht Red Ruby, came close to making Rolex Middle Sea Race history as the first ever double-handed winner.
Red Ruby owners Christina and Justin Wolfe have sailed as a duo for nearly 30 years. Their intuition and decision making are second nature. Qualities which are essential when the race itself is so unforgiving as Justin explains:
“So much happened in the race. We made at least 22 sail changes. The conditions constantly change, the course changes, you sail hours and hours at a time without any rest at all because there is so much going on.”
A wealth of experience sailing together, an equal ability to cover all roles on the boat, and complete commitment enabled the pair to sail Red Ruby to her full potential throughout the race. This was no more so than on the long stretch from the island of Lampedusa to the South Comino Channel just before the finish off Valletta. It was here that they started to think the unthinkable.
Red Ruby would fall short by an agonising 24 seconds following over four days and nine hours at sea. Naturally this led to some reflection on where time could have been shaved as Justin explained: “Over the course of a 600-mile race how many places did you leave 24 seconds? All over the place. One better tack, one better call on the current in the Messina Strait...”
However the overriding sentiment was not regret but a sense of satisfaction in what was achieved as Christina revealed:
“I'm really proud of what we did. The Rolex Middle Sea Race is known for being a really tough race and we had conditions that none of weather models predicted. We came here to race a great race and put everything out there and I think we tried to do that and that's all you can do.”
While 24 seconds is a slim margin, the closest Rolex Middle Sea Race finish remains the nine seconds which saw B2 prevail over fellow Italian yacht Mascalzone Latino in 2015. The latter would return a year later to win the race.
No records were set at this year’s race. Leopard 3 sealed a back-to-back monohull line honours title in an elapsed time of two days, 12 hours, 50 minutes and 56 seconds. The leading multihull, MOD70 Limosa led by French woman Alexia Barrier, had finished some twelve hours earlier. Neither was able to overturn the respective race records set during the 2021 edition.
Rolex stands for precision and perpetual excellence in everything it does; values required to be a top offshore racing sailor as keenly manifested by competitors throughout the 44th Rolex Middle Sea Race. The 2023 race will be remembered for the spirit of the crews who maximised every opportunity presented, who overcame the complexity and unpredictability of the weather and who sailed with great determination right to the line. The seconds which separated the leading boats the perfect testament to this endeavour.