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Recent
yachting and boating events covered by Outimage Publications |
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China Cup International
Regatta
Shenzhen, China,
Oct 29 - Nov 1, 2010. |
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The 18 Footers.
Regular Updates from the The Australian 18 Footers League. |
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Le Voiles de
Saint Tropez 2010
St. Tropez, France,
Sept 28 - Oct 3, 2010.
Photos by Carlo Borlenghi. |
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Swan Rolex Cup
2010.
Porto Cervo, Italy,
September 15 - 17, 2010.
Photos by Carlo Borlenghi. |
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Maxi Yacht Rolex
Cup 2010.
Porto Cervo, Sardinia, Italy.
September 5 - 11, 2010. |
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Italian Youth
Championships
Marsala, Italy, Sept 2, 2010.
Photos by Carlo Borlenghi and Luca Butto. |
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Rolex Ilhabela
Sailing Week
Ilhabela, São Paulo, Brazil,
July 17-24, 2010. Photos by Carlo Borlenghi. |
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| Audi MedCup Circuit
Marseille Trophy, Marseille, France, June 15-20, 2010. Photos
by Carlo Borlenghi and Guido Trombetta. |
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| Giraglia Rolex
Cup 2010. |
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Giraglia Rolex
Cup 2010
by Studio Borlenghi. |
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| Rolex Capri
Sailing Week 2010 |
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Louis Vuitton
Trophy
La Maddalena, Sardinia, Italy.
May 22 -June 6, 2010. |
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| Portofino Rolex
Trophy |
| Photos by Carlo
Borlenghi. |
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| America's Cup
Index |
| Photos by Carlo
Borlenghi. |
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| Rolex Farr 40
World's |
| Casa de Campo,
Dominican Republic April 21-24, 2010. |
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| Class winners confirmed
- update 16:00. |
| By the Rolex
Middle Sea Race Media Team. |
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Photos by Kurt
Arrigo and Rene Rossignaud for Rolex,
Page edited By Peter Andrews. |
| October 28, 2010. |
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| If the early
miles of the Rolex Middle Sea Race were a test of patience,
the latter miles were a true test of endurance. A strong
mistral of up to 40 plus knots helped push the fleet homeward
to the finish in Malta. The last two yachts, Zizanie and Amethyst
Abroad, were around the island of Lampedusa and racing
towards the finish line off the Royal Malta Yacht Club. The
two boats showed heaps of perseverance for hanging in, even
if the northwesterly breeze had subsided to a ‘mere’ 25
plus knots. |
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Ambiance of Grand Harbour Marina, Valletta, Malta.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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Meanwhile the
bulk of the fleet were safely secured in either Marsamxett
Harbour or around the corner in Grand Harbour Marina, and
the overall class standings were sorted as the last boats
trickled in.
One of the classes in the Rolex Middle Sea Race is the
Double Handed, and racing in this class is clearly not
for the faint-hearted. It requires all-round seamanship,
determination, stamina and above all, courage. At the 606-nautical
mile Rolex Middle Sea Race, the Double Handed Class is
somewhat under the radar with only three entrants, but
this year’s competitors were a diverse and experienced
group.
Taking line honours in the Double Handed Class was White Star,
a custom 54-footer, which finished yesterday afternoon with an elapsed
time of 4 days, 6 hours, 44 minutes, and 18 seconds. But the Italian boat
would have to wait until today when BOV Plain Sailing finished,
to see who would win on corrected time. |
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Anthony Camilleri's Canard 41 BOV Plain Sailing, wins the
Double Handed Class in the 31st Rolex Middle Sea Race.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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White Star’s crew
were experienced double handed sailors Diego Tisci and Daniele
Chiamenti. Tisci is a veteran of eight Rolex Middle Sea Races,
Chiamenti several as well, but this is the first double handed
Middle Sea for either of them. An Italian owner built the
yacht and is entering it in double handed races as a way
to showcase its’ potential. As Tisci said, "This
was the first race of a new program for the boat. It was
like a test; so we see how the yacht goes, how we have to
optimize that and the crew."
"We had a problem at the start and we broke the jib," continued
Tisci. "This is why we stayed far to the east on the way
to Messina. We could only use the staysail and code zero, which
doesn’t allow you to sail very close to the wind. That’s
why we had a very strange track! At the end, that was the best
we could do. Around Stromboli, we didn’t have much wind
and again it was difficult to go to weather without the proper
headsail."
"After that, the race was very strategic," said Chiamenti. "But
our strategy was based on the sails that we had, not on the wind!"
When the forecast coincided with this strategy, White Star was
in good shape. From Trapani on, the northwest breeze allowed them a favourable
point of sail. To add to their woes, White Star lost instruments
as well. The two sailors estimated maximum wind speed at approximately
35 knots. But off the wind and with a staysail set, they were good to go.
Asked about the best part of sailing double handed, Tisci said with a smile "I
think the team. But really, I like sailing short- handed," Tisci continued. "It’s
nice to be at sea. You don’t have to argue about what you think is
right or wrong; it’s your race, just yours. You aren’t a wheel
in a big mechanism; you are only the mechanism. And we take all decisions
together."
The two concurred about the course and Chiamenti said, "For sure it’s
the best race in the Mediterranean. It’s very tactical, and the panorama
is great. You’ve got a volcano, you’ve got the Messina Strait,
and the time of year is great, it’s not too cold, not too warm." |
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Vladimir Prosikhin's Volvo 70 E1, wins ORC1 division in
the 31st Rolex Middle Sea Race.
Photo © Rolex / Rene Rossignaud.
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The 34-footer, BOV
Plain Sailing, crossed the line midday on Thursday
after five days, zero hours and 52 minutes at sea. Their
corrected time was good enough to give the Maltese boat
the Double Handed Class overall win.
Maltese sailing veteran and sailing in his tenth race,
owner-skipper Anthony Camilleri is no stranger to the Rolex
Middle Sea Race. But his crew, Gilbert Azzopardi has never
raced two-handed before and neither has the boat. The Tango
34 is the smallest and lightest boat of the 76 yachts that
started the race. Camilleri spoke dockside, after completing
the race.
"I am delighted that we have won, but first and foremost, I must give a
mention to Bepe Bisotto, skipper of Atame. We had a great battle, often
side-by-side, but when we developed a problem with the reefing lines of our mainsail,
he offered to stop and help. That offer of assistance shows the spirit of our
discipline, we look after each other."
"Probably the lowest moment in the race was the last night," continued
Camilleri. "We were tired and the weather was really bad, up to forty knots
of wind on the beam, with six metre waves crashing into the cockpit. We took
down the mainsail and continued under storm jib alone, it was the hardest part
of the race. This race is one of contrasts and the previous day the sailing was
spectacular. Downwind with the spinnaker up, we were surfing at a constant 12
knots, at times accelerating to 18 knots. It is an amazing feeling with just
the two of us, a very special moment." |
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Jens Kellinghusen's Rogers 46 Varuna, wins ORC2 division
in the 31st Rolex Middle Sea Race.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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Last night,
the Fast 42 Atame pulled into Trapani to get a respite
from the relentless wind and sea. Beppe Bisotto wrote in
an email report, "Ad impossibilia (it’s impossible),
as the Latins say."
"Ian (Knight) and I shared the same thinking," Bisotto
continued. "Outside, a Force 8 gale is blowing hard from
the north. No way to pass Favignana island, as we had been stopped
for ten hours with no wind. We missed the wind shift, blowing
at southwest Force 7 straight into the face, with forecast predicting
force 8 on the back. More than this, to Pantelleria Force 7 southwest
on the nose was forecast. So, surrounded by gales, we decided
to stop and avoid any possible damage. Do not forget that we
were only two-handed instead of a full crew of eight to ten.
By the way, we are happy to have raced faster than many bigger
boats with full crew! Atame is definitely solid, fast, and reliable."
Only the x40 Pita Maha (ITA), retired today, bringing
the total number of retired boats to 13, with 58 boats
finished and two still racing (note: three boats have sought
shelter, but have not officially retired).
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.
Overall class Standings
IRC Overall - Lucky (USA)
IRC 1 - Esimit Europa 2 (SLO)
IRC 2 - Lucky (USA)
IRC 3 - Jaru (MLT)
IRC 4 - Artie (MLT)
ORC Overall - Jaru (MLT)
ORC 1 - E1 (RUS)
ORC 2 - Varuna (GER)
ORC 3 - Jaru (MLT)
ORC 4 - Three Sisters (CZK)
Double Handed - BOV Plain Sailing (MLT) |
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| Outimage and
Rolex © 2010 |
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| Scuttlebutt Europe Daily News Feed. |
| Produced by boats.com Europe, Scuttlebutt Europe is a digest of sailing news and opinion, regatta results, new boat and gear information and letters from sailors. |
| To the Scuttlebutt Europe Daily News Feed Page. |
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