How to follow the Rolex Middle Sea Race
The 43rd Rolex Middle Sea Race kicks off this weekend from its spectacular starting line in the heart of Valetta Harbour, Malta.
The Rolex Middle Sea Race is one of the classic 600-mile offshore races, but the only one to take place in the Mediterranean. Despite its scenic setting, the Middle Sea Race is contested over a truly challenging course – a counter-clockwise loop around Sicily that typically offers varied conditions and requires complex tactical decisions.
The race often attracts some of the biggest boats in the offshore racing scene vying for the prestigious line honours. However, the 2022 edition of the Middle Sea Race features a surprising lack of maxi monohulls, lacking a defending champion Comanchesstill scorpions or Wanderer 88 (also previous line award contenders) participating this year.
The largest yacht competing in the IRC monohull fleet this year is the 100ft leopard 3, a likely contender for the honors of the monohull lines. Her closest challenger in size is the one designed by Wally/Judel Vrolijk Bullitat 93 feet followed by the Marten 72 Aragon.
Some of the closest racing will likely be under the 60-70ft models, which include vismara, messenger and other custom designs competing against VO60, VO65, and VO70 sea warhorses.
Rolex Middle Sea Race course
The 606 nautical mile Middle Sea Race will start and finish in Grand Harbour, Malta. On the course, the boats sail counter-clockwise around Sicily and a number of surrounding islands.
Shortly after the start, the fleet has to sail along the east coast of Sicily and through the Strait of Messina, which is considered one of the most technical sections of the route thanks to its challenging currents and driving winds: the entire event can often be won or lost in this early part of the course. Once through the strait the course heads north to the Aeolian Islands and the active volcano of Stromboli, where the yachts turn west to the Aegadian Islands.
The fastest yachts will strive to complete the course in less than 48 hours. Last year, “unique” conditions resulted in the course record being broken for the first time in 14 years.
The maxi trimaran argon set a new absolute benchmark of 33 hours, 29 minutes and 28 seconds during the 100-foot Comanches set a new monohull record of 40 hours, 17 minutes and 50 seconds.
With near-perfect conditions last year when those records were set, and some of the world’s fastest monohulls a year away from racing, it seems unlikely that this year will set a record for monohull racers, but if the conditions play along, the multihull record could well still be won.
Favorite for Line Honors among this year’s MOCRA entries will be Giovanni Soldini’s heavily modified ex-Multi 70 (formerly a MOD70), maserati. maserati has been developing an experimental foiling program for many years and regularly participates in the Middle Sea Race. You’ll face challenges from four other non-foiling MOD70s hoping for a fast and furious race forecast.
How to follow the Middle Sea Race
The start of the Rolex Middle Sea Race will be streamed live on Facebook and YouTube on Saturday 22 October 2022 from 10:30am CEST.
Live Updates: Streamed on Facebook every morning at 09:00 CEST from Sunday 23rd October to Friday 28th October
You can also follow the race via the race tracker at: yb.tl/rmsr2022
Complete list of Middle Sea Race entries.
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