Valletta's imperious Grand Harbour provided the stage for the Rolex Middle Sea Race start
by Quinag 17 Oct 18:50 BST
17 October 2026
Rolex Middle Sea Race 2026 © Kurt Arrigo / Rolex
Valletta's imperious Grand Harbour provided the stage for the start of the 2026 Rolex Middle Sea Race earlier today.
An impressively diverse fleet of 107 yachts, crewed by both professional and Corinthian sailors from over 50 countries, set off from the Maltese capital to embark on one of offshore sailing's most revered challenges.
This year marks the 47th edition of the 606-nautical-mile race which encompasses an anticlockwise circumnavigation of Sicily as competitors take on a racecourse that is beautiful and gruelling in equal measure.
Following the formalities and spectacle of the start, the fleet soon dispersed into open water, embarking on the leg along the east coast of Sicily towards one of the race's key early navigational junctures, the Strait of Messina. The race is extremely demanding from a tactical perspective, with frequent changes in geography and direction bringing constant shifts in wind conditions and sea state.
Rolex has been Title Sponsor of the race, organized by the Royal Malta Yacht Club, since 2002.