| Challenging conditions
for all - update 10:00 CEST. |
| By the Rolex Middle Sea Race Media Team. |
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Photos by
Kurt Arrigo for Rolex,
Page edited By Peter Andrews. |
| October 26, 2010. |
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| The island of Malta was raked with heavy rain and lightning storms for the second morning running. The accompanying turbulent wind and rain were hardly a welcome for Alegre, as they reached the South Comino channel and eventually crossed the line in third place on the water in Marsamxett Harbour at 08:00. ICAP Leopard arrived last night at 22:00, three and a half hours behind line honours winner, Esimit Europa 2. |
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Andres Soriano's Mills 68 Alegre crossed the finish line, Tuesday
at 08:04am, during the 31st Rolex Middle Sea Race.
Photo © Rolex /
Rene Rossignaud.
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Mike Slade was quick to applaud Esimit, as ICAP Leopard moored up. "They sailed a great race and should be congratulated for that. It never looked like we were going to catch them in those conditions, but we did our best and, as always, we had a lot of fun along the way. That’s what it’s all about in the end, isn’t it?"
Will Best, navigator on Alegre, described the latter part of the race for them. "It was pretty straightforward from Favignana. We had a good run down there, though breeze was a little lighter than we thought. We laid Pantelleria on the wind, on starboard tack, hoping to get lifted. We didn’t, but still just laid it in one tack, which was great. From Lampedusa onwards, the breeze really came in; the TP52s’ (Lucky and Pace) and E1 had kept us company before then, but we extended on them." |
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Mike Slade's ICAP Leopard approaching the finish line for the 31st Rolex
Middle Sea Race.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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"We have made some changes to the boat since last year, but the heavy weather was all running this time; we didn’t get the same increase in performance that we know we have upwind. Physically the race was easier than last year, but mentally it was a lot tougher."
Onboard the TP52 Pace (GBR), Mickey Broughton reported in last night, and wrote, "We had an almighty crack of thunder earlier as the front passed and the boat got struck by lightening. Fortunately, all okay except some electronics that we are working on, and wind gear that got taken out." |
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Simonas Steponavicius Volvo 60 Ambersail, during the 31st Rolex Middle
Sea Race.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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The Baltic 77, Black Pearl reported that they had been match racing with the Volvo 60 Ambersail. That was until they had some problems with the jib halyard and had to change to the staysail, which slowed them down. However, once around the top corner of Sicily yesterday afternoon, the wind and waves increased and they were doing more than 10 knots boat speed with 30 knots of wind pushing them home.
At the northwest corner of Sicily off Trapani, a large part of the fleet was struggling with the opposite problem, little to no wind, and making 2 to 3 knots of boat speed. Once past Favignana, the breeze has increased and speeds slowly inched higher. |
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Axel Schroeder's Baltic 56 Laetitia, during the 31st Rolex Middle Sea Race.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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The overall handicap winner is still up for grabs with several contenders still racing towards the finish. Included in the top three, as of the rounding of Favignana, are the leading Maltese boat, the J/122 Artie, the TP52 Lucky (USA), and the J/133 Jaru, also from Malta.
The X-55 Capricciricci (ITA) and the VIva 48 Futura (ITA) both retired this morning, bringing the total number of retired boats to seven, with three boats finished and 66 still racing.
The race fleet can be tracked online at www.rolexmiddlesearace.com/tracker/#tracker.
The final prize giving is at 12.00pm on Saturday, 30 October at the Mediterranean Conference Center in Valletta.
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 |
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