| Clean Away. |
| By the Rolex Middle
Sea Race Media Team. |
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| Photos by Kurt Arrigo
for Rolex, edited By Peter Andrews. |
| 15:00 CEST Sunday 22 October,
2011. |
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| As a low-pressure system moved over the island of Malta last night, bringing a southerly breeze and thick cloud cover, the 70-boat 2011 Rolex Middle Sea Race fleet filled Valletta’s Grand Harbour for a series of starts. With spectators crowding the Upper and Lower Barrakka Gardens which offer unsurpassed views of the starting area, the Royal Malta Yacht Club race committee was set up at the Saluting Battery immediately below the upper garden, where the start line ran between a mast on the Battery and an inflatable buoy across the harbour, just off Fort St. Angelo. |
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The start of Class 4 in the 32nd Rolex Middle Sea Race from the Upper Barrakka
Gardens, during the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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| The first of four starts at 11:00 CEST, the smaller Class 4 boats were off in an eight-knot breeze and the Corby 36 AOC Rockall (GER) took the initial bragging rights as first boat out of the harbour. As a front moved in and the breeze in the confined starting area funnelling around buildings and fortresses, conditions became gusty. For the 19 boats in Class 2 for the third start, they had their hands full gybing downwind just to exit between the breakwaters. Among them, the 62-foot B2 Natali (ITA) and Cookson 50 Cantakerous (ITA), were caught out in the squirrely conditions, each suffering a close-quarter round-up. |
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Christopher Opielok's Corby 36 AOC Rockall (GER) was the first
boat out of the harbour, during the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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| The last start of Class 1 which included the scratch boat, the 100-foot Esimit Europa 2 (SLO); Niklas Zennström’s JV72, Rán (GBR); Andres Soriano’s Mills 68 Alegre (GBR); and Marco Rodolfi’s Swan 80 Bernice Bis (ITA); all taking advantage of the building breeze which was now up to around 15 knots, though still puffy, for a quick exit out of the harbour. As Rán’s navigator Steve Hayles accurately summed up: “The start is quite unique, the way we start inside the entrance, but you want to get out of there cleanly with no infringements.” |
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Steve Hayles, Navigator on Rán (GBR), before the start of the Rolex
Middle Sea Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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| From Grand Harbour, the fleet sailed down the coast to a turning mark off St Julian’s. In a sudden change of conditions bringing squalls and lightning, some unprepared quickly had to deal with a broach. It was around this time that the German Open 40 Pogo, became the race’s first retirement with a torn mainsail. |
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Niklas Zennström’s JV72, Rán (GBR) sails out
of Grand Harbour, during the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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With an eye on the weather Shortly before casting off, the owner and helmsman of Rán, Niklas Zennström, shared his outlook of what was to come.
“The wind for the first two days looks very, very light and very fickle, so it’s going to be quite challenging for all of us; because it is hard to predict where the little wind is and where it is coming from. It is going to be one of those races where you have to have a lot of patience. I think it is going to be very tactical, it is going to be very much looking to see what’s happening to the other boats close to you and seeing where the wind is.” |
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Andres Soriano’s Mills 68 Alegre (GBR), during the Rolex
Middle Sea Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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Racing on the Swan 82 Nikata (GBR) is skipper Matt Hardy, with navigator Mike Broughton and Simon Shaw calling tactics. Shortly before the race start, Broughton also provided his view of the weather.
“It looks like a full mix of conditions, but the good news is the wind is from the south most of the time, not from the cold north. We have a trough line coming through today, so will have a little bit of rain on it and little bit of wind. But at least we have southeast winds to get us away from the island, so that’s good news to get us started.” |
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Class 4 pre-start manoeuvres, during the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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Broughton then turned his attention to the challenges that makes this race so special.
“We’re looking forward to it. We love this race course, we love the complex mental challenge of the fluid dynamics of the wind going around the mountains and islands, and trying to work our way around to avoid the worst of the shadows. It’s a hard equation to crack and a great challenge, and actually pretty damn hard in a heavy boat, but we’ll be working as hard as we can.” |
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Matt Hardy's Swan 82 Nikata, with navigator Mike Broughton and Simon Shaw
calling tactics, during the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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A total of 70 yachts started the 32nd Rolex Middle Sea Race and at 15:00 CEST, the bulk of the fleet was midway across the 50-nautical mile passage between Malta and Sicily. Race leader Esimit Europa 2 was ten miles south of Capo Passero, Sicily, making 14 knots. The Slovenian boat was six miles ahead of Rán, with Alegre a further three miles behind.
In 2007, George David’s Rambler (USA) established the current course record of 47 hours, 55 minutes, 3 seconds. To beat this, the first boat must finish by approximately 11:30 CEST Monday, 24 October. |
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Igor Simcic's Reichel Pugh 100 Esimit Europa 2 (SLO), during the Rolex
Middle Sea Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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| Crucial to today’s start of the Rolex Middle Sea Race was the Old Saluting Battery, which stands on the lower part of the Saint Peter and Saint Paul Bastion. Originally built in the 16th century, it remained in continuous use right up until 1960. The battery functioned as a master time keeper for the city, as the gun shots at sunrise and sunset marked the beginning and end of the working day and the opening or closing of the town gates. A gun was also fired at noon to signal to mariners in the harbour, the exact moment of midday, necessary for the regulation of watches on board ships for accurate navigation. |
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The start of Class 1 in the 32st Rolex Middle Sea Race from the Upper
Barrakka Gardens, during the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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Restored in 2005, the Saluting Battery includes eleven original British 24-pounder cannons from the mid-late 19th century. As well, re-enactors are dressed in period uniforms representing the Royal Malta Artillery.
The final prize giving is at 12:00 CEST on Saturday, 29 October at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta. |
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Members of the Royal Malta Artillery at the Saluting Battery overlooking
Grand Harbour, Valletta, during the start of the Rolex Middle Sea Race
2011.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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| For further information
about the Rolex Middle Sea Race, go to: www.rolexmiddlesearace.com. |
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| Outimage and Rolex © 2011 |
