| Sunday 10:00 CEST Update |
| By Rolex Media Team. |
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Photos
By
Kurt Arrigo
for Rolex and Carlo Borlenghi.
Edited by Peter Andrews. |
October 18, 2009. |
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| After a fast passage across to Capo Passero and the southern tip of Sicily yesterday afternoon, the Rolex Middle Sea Race launched first the sting from its tail as darkness arrived last night. Whilst the leaders closed fast on the Strait of Messina, the smaller slower yachts experienced a night of squalls and rain as the front pushed through earlier than expected. |
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Danilo Salsi's Swan 90 DSK Pioneer Investments surfing the swell during the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2009.
Photo © Rolex /
Kurt Arrigo.
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| Currently, Mike Slade’s ICAP Leopard is the breakaway leader sitting pretty, thirty miles due east of the lonely outpost of Ustica, and on a line north of Palermo. Leopard is now starting to fly with her boat speed creeping up on each polling of her tracker as she punches into 30-knot headwinds from the northwest. |
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Mike Slade's Farr 100 ICAP Leopard, during the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2009.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo .
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Behind Leopard, the war of attrition has begun. Hap Fauth’s Bella Mente was the first to encounter equipment failure around 08.30 this morning. Their retirement was reported soon after rounding Stromboli in fourth place on the water.
Next it was Roger Sturgeon’s Rosebud / Team DYT, who called in to advise they had lost her mast just before 10.00 and were motoring to Milazzo. All crew were reported to be fine. |
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Roger Sturgeon's Rosebud Team DYT, passing Stromboli Volcano, Sicily, October 18, 2009, during the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2009.
Photo © Carlo Borlenghi / www.carloborlenghi.com.
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| Karl Kwok’s Beau Geste is in a comfortable second position at the moment, with Niklas Zennstrom’s Rán, Patrizio Bertelli’s Luna Rossa; the two Volvo 70s, Ägyd Pengg’s Ericsson and Fabio Mangifesta’s Intermatica; and Andres Soriano’s Alegre in hot pursuit. According to the transit at Stromboli, Alegre is leading on handicap. |
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Karl Kwok's Beau Geste, passing Stromboli Volcano, Sicily, October 18, 2009, during the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2009.
Photo © Carlo Borlenghi / www.carloborlenghi.com.
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| Further back, David Anastasi’s Strait Dealer was the first Maltese yacht through the Strait and looks to be doing well on handicap. They are keeping pace with Matt Hardy’s Swan 82 Nikata, and Piero Paniccia’s Cookson 50 Calipso, both bigger yachts. |
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Niklas Zennstrom's Ran, passing Stromboli Volcano, Sicily, October 18, 2009, during the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2009.
Photo © Carlo Borlenghi / www.carloborlenghi.com.
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It is doubtful that mainly Maltese crew on Strait Dealer are having quite as
nice a time as those on Nikata, who called in to tell us that the menu last
night included a "Slow roasted Moroccan lamb tagine."
Just to confirm that they are taking the race seriously however, we were advised that they were sailing in 30 knots of breeze from the northwest and making a direct course to Stromboli. Nikata also reported that: "The sea state is reasonable and the biggest gusts we’ve seen are 37 to 38 knots." |
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David Franks' J125 Strait Dealer, During the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2009.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo .
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Twenty three yachts are through the Strait of Messina so far, with more due through shortly. The last boat in the fleet is the Bruno Vari’s veteran Alpha Ketch 42 Zizanie, which is abreast of Etna making 6 knots.
In the battle of the double-handers, Mark Shranz and Isaac Borg on Nemesis Credal is ahead on the water, whilst Isidoro Santececca and Francesco Piva’s Cymba and Michael and Steven Clough’s Cambo III are locked in a duel, just approaching the beginning of the Strait. |
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Ägyd Pengg's V70 Ericsson, during the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2009.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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| The key for ICAP Leopard’s assault on the course record, which is still on the cards, is how quickly she can reach the northwest corner of Sicily. The faster she gets there, the faster she meets the northwesterlies that will power her downwind and southwards to Pantelleria and Lampedusa. |
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Mike Slade's Farr 100 ICAP Leopard, during the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2009.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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The afternoon review will take a closer look at her prospects for the second half of the race and how the remainder of the fleet have fared during the second day. A further more detailed report will be issued this afternoon.
For more information about the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2009 including the entry list, position reports and results please visit www.rolexmiddlesearace.com. |
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| Outimage, Rolex and Carlo Borlenghi © 2009 |
