Rolex Middle Sea Race - FLYING FAST and FURIOUS

Day 5 of the Rolex Middle Sea Race has proved a day of reckoning for the competing fleet. The forecast strong northwesterly wind has arrived and consistently blown over 25 knots with gusts exceeding 40 knots. The effect has been to catapult the previously slow moving yachts towards the finish line in Malta.

Marton Jozsa's WILD JOE (HUN) in the final approach to Malta



ESIMIT EUROPA 2 (SLO) crosses the finish line to claim line honors for the 4th time

Esimit Europa 2 claimed line honors, crossing the finish line at the entrance to Marsamxett Harbor at 22:47.05 CEST on Tuesday night, setting an elapsed time of 82 hours, 42 minutes and 5 seconds. Although failing to better the course record time, Igor Simcic’s team has set a new record of four line honors wins, following successes 2010, 2011 and 2012. Niklas Zennström’s Rán finished second, exactly two hours later.

ACCELERATION

After three slow nights at sea, a dramatic change in conditions occurred late last night as the wind started to build progressively from the northwest just a the bulk of the fleet had reached the westernmost point of the course at Favignana. Boat speed accelerated rapidly propelled by storm force winds and a huge following sea.

Full speed for KUKA-LIGHT (SUI) approaching Malta

WILD CONDITIONS

GYR Scarlet Oyster reported 48 knots of wind close to Pantelleria just before retiring with broken rudder. Seb Ripard on the Maltese J122 Artie explained how they were coping: “We have wind gusting over 40 knots and 30 feet waves. With the full main and jib top sail, we have been flying along. The game plan has been a mixture of pushing as hard as we can but also protecting the boat, so we have been taking it a bit easier in the big gusts of over 40 knots and then going for it when the wind speed drops a little.”

Germana Tognella's CANTANKEROUS (ITA) sailing the last miles to Malta

REACHING MODE

The long awaited northwesterly is pushing the fleet towards the target. The wind angle means yachts are piling downwind towards the southernmost mark of the course at Lampedusa. The following leg to finish in Malta is still favorable in terms of wind angle, but the wind-driven waves are now hitting the yachts beam on.

Defending champion B2 (ITA) in surfing mode

100 HOURS (AND COUNTING)

By 15.00 CEST on Wednesday, exactly 100 hours after the start of the race, five boats have crossed the finish line and 25 have officially retired.

KUKA-LIGHT (SUI) and MONSTER PROJECT (RUS) entering the Comino Strait

WHO’S WINNING

For the moment, among the yachts to have finished, the Italian yacht Cantankerous holds pole position in the overall standings. With the increasing wind playing in the favor of the boats still at sea, new leaders are expected to emerge. For those still at sea the message is simple: the race is far from over.

CANTANKEROUS (ITA) surfing a wave in the final approach to Malta

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