| Over the top of Sicily - 18:00 Update. |
| By the Rolex Middle Sea Race Media Team. |
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Photos by
Kurt Arrigo for Rolex,
Page edited By Peter Andrews. |
| Sunday October 24, 2010. |
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ICAP Leopard made a bold move around 13.30 while halfway down the track to Favignana and Maretimo With the frontrunner, Esimit Europa 2. Altering course up to about 45 degrees off the rhumb line, the obvious plan was to avoid a windless area and maintain some speed.
Alegre and the following pack of a dozen or so 50-footers; E1, Pace, Lucky, Wild Joe, Cantankerous, Latetia, Dralian, Brave, Ambersail, and Altair 3; are now around Stromboli. Behind them, a steady procession of the fleet continues straight back to Messina. |
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Mike Slade's ICAP Leopard approaching Stromboli, during
the 31st Rolex Middle Sea Race.
Photo © Rolex /
Kurt Arrigo.
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The Slovenian maxi Esimit may be in pole position for line honours, but there is a tense battle for the overall lead on corrected time. Yachts from three different classes occupy the podium positions at the Messina checkpoint. The Rolex Middle Sea Race is a truly international affair with yachts from six different countries battling it out for the overall lead.
Lee Satariano and Christian Ripard’s J/122 Artie from the Royal Malta Yacht Club, is leading on corrected time at Messina. Ripard has won the race before and is recognised as one of the finest yachtsmen in Malta. |
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Igor Simcic's Esimit Europa 2 rounding Stromboli, during the 31st Rolex
Middle Sea Race.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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Just over an hour behind the overall leader is American Bryon Ehrhart’s TP52 from the New York Yacht Club, Lucky, which is very much in contention.
There are three boats scrapping for third place overall; Royal Malta Yacht Club member Soenke Stein’s J/133 Juno; Martino Orambelli’s Italian Swan 45 Mandolino; and Spanish Swan 56 La Floresta del Mar, skippered by Jaime Olazabal. Johnny Vincent’s British TP52 Pace is also vying for honours and is lying in fifth place overall. |
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Bryon Ehrhart's TP52 Lucky, during the 31st Rolex Middle Sea Race.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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"We are playing nip and tuck with Wild Joe and the other TP 52 Lucky, who have us on corrected time at the moment," said Pace’s navigator, Mike Broughton via satellite link. "We had a great race up until about 06.00 this morning, when we parked up with most of the rest of the fleet 15 miles east of Catania. After a short-lived windy run through the Messina Straits, we are now sailing in light airs just three miles behind Alegre and E1."
The weather forecast shows the approach of the cold front on Monday afternoon that should move along down the southwest coast of Sicily. Conditions then look lively and will make it a quick latter part of the race for those boats around the turning mark of the island of Favignana. For the smaller boats still racing westwards, this will be a significant speed bump in their progress as they beat out to the corner. |
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Marton Jozsa's Reichel Pugh 60 Wild Joe sailing past Favignana, during
the 31st Rolex Middle Sea Race.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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| Jaime Olazabal, skipper of La Floresta del Mar suggests that these expected conditions may favour the Swan 56. "The more the wind goes on the nose, and the heavier it gets will be better for us. That might be the case tomorrow on our way to Trapani, but the weather forecast remains a little unclear. Today we have been enjoying some of our supplies of Spanish jamón which will keep our strength up for the racing to come." |
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Vladimir Prosikhin's Volvo 70 E1, during the 31st Rolex Middle Sea Race.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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The race fleet can be tracked online at www.rolexmiddlesearace.com/tracker/#tracker.
George David’s Rambler (USA) established the current Course Record of 47 hours, 55 minutes, and 3 seconds in 2007. To break this record, a Class 1 leader would have to finish on Monday morning before 11.35am. The final prize giving is at 12.00pm on Saturday, October 30, at the Mediterranean Conference Center in Valletta. |
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Igor Simcic's Esimit Europa 2 passing Stromboli, during the 31st Rolex
Middle Sea Race.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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| 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 and Rolex © 2010 |
