| Halfway around. |
| By the Rolex Middle
Sea Race Media Team. |
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| Photos by Kurt Arrigo
for Rolex, edited By Peter Andrews. |
| 10:30 CEST, October 24, 2011. |
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| Much like a playbook for the Rolex Middle Sea Race, forty-eight hours into the race and the fleet has encountered all of the challenges and conditions that tacticians and navigators had anticipated well before the race start. The 606-nautical mile course around Sicily is notorious for its changeable conditions and local anomalies in wind, current, and weather. Many competitors work out a game plan that breaks the course into several parts, each with its own challenges. And overriding all race plans is the weather forecast. |
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Niklas Zennström’s JV72 Rán (GBR) turns the northwest
corner of Sicily, during the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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This year, the predictions were for lighter breeze at the start, though several fronts passing through the area were expected to bring more wind along the western coast of Sicily.
After a faster than expected first 24 hours, the frontrunners suffered on the stretch of the course along the north coast of Sicily. It was here where the lighter winds finally materialised, slowing boats down to a relative crawl. But once they could stick their bows around the northwest corner of Sicily past San Vito lo Capo, they were back in the breeze and off again. |
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Igor Simcic’s Reichel Pugh 100 Esimit Europa
2 (SLO) rounding Stromboli,
during the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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Igor Simcic’s Reichel Pugh 100 Esimit Europa 2 (SLO) made its way around the corner last night, passing between the Egadi Islands of Favignana to port and Marettimo to starboard at 23:00 CEST. There they found the forecast southerly breeze and after a few tacks, they were just able to lay a course for Pantelleria, another 70 nautical miles distant and rounded the island at 06:30 CEST this morning.
At that same time, Niklas Zennström’s JV72 Rán (GBR) was rounding the northwest point at San Vito lo Capo and once around, the breeze had increased. |
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Niklas Zennström’s JV72 Rán (GBR) turns the northwest
corner of Sicily, during the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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“After experiencing very little wind during the night in our downwind sailing, we are now back upwind in 16.5 knots of wind and we are sailing at a speed of 13.5 knots,” reported by Rán’s crew.
“If you were driving a car, this would compare to about 25 kilometres per hour approx. Slow you might think? Well, with a carbon floating machine like this one and her heel angle when going upwind, you better hold on and forget about your nice hair-do! Rocky and fast is the description of the experience. Hold on and strap yourself in! Still no rain, instead a beautiful sunrise behind the hilly landscape of Sicily!” |
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Andres Soriano’s Mills 68 Alegre (GBR), passing Favignana, during
the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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Around 10:00 CEST this morning, Andres Soriano’s Mills 68 Alegre (GBR), and Laurent Pellecuer and Oscar Kouyukhov’s 90-foot maxiMed Spirit (FRA) rounded the northwest corner of Sicily. Behind them was the Class 2 leader Matt Hardy’s Swan 82 Nikata (GBR), just south of Isola Ustica along with Pit Finis’ Ker 53 Dralion (MLT) and the Hungarian Reichel Pugh 60 Wild Joe.
“Looking ahead we expect our world to change when we round the western tip of Sicily and enter the southerly winds,” predicted Nikata’s navigator Mike Broughton. “The strength will increase and be more on the nose. At the moment we are peeling between the code zero and headsails, but we will just be using headsails shortly. We’re happy with that; it gives us a chance to extend on Dralion, one of our major competitors. We made a good decision last night to stay north, away from the wind shadows of Sicily and the Aeolian Islands. Dralion did the same and we owe them time unfortunately.” |
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Laurent Pellecuer and Oscar Kouyukhov’s 90-foot maxi Med
Spirit (FRA),
passing Favignana, during the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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After reflecting on the passage north of Sicily, Broughton described what he thought about the conditions that potentially lie ahead.
“We think that Lampedusa could be a problem and another park-up. There is a low tracking over Malta on Tuesday that could bring really light winds, changing the picture all over again and really changing the shape of the race.” |
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Matt Hardy’s Swan 82 Nikata (GBR), during the Rolex Middle Sea Race
2011.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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| The bulk of the fleet, including all of Classes 3 and 4, are fairly closely packed along the rhumbline off the northern coast of Sicily. Abeam of the Aeolian island of Alicudi this morning, skipper Arthur Podesta onboard the Class 3 boat Elusive St. Regis (MTA) said they had a visual sighting of 34 to 35 boats around them. |
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Pit Finis’ Ker 53 Dralion (MLT), during the Rolex Middle Sea Race
2011.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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| “It was a tough night, we rounded Stromboli with good breeze around 23:00,” said Podesta. “Its usual eruptions and a very nice view. About an hour later, the breeze started to die and then it was just a big swell with sails flapping, shock loading the boat. We now are sailing in six knots of wind, making 6.3 knots of boat speed, with the apparent wind just forward of the beam. We anticipate the wind to increase by midday, though forecasts have been mostly inaccurate! Anyway, that’s the name of game. Right now we have bright sunshine some cloud cover.” |
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Arthur Podesta's Class 3 boat Elusive St. Regis (MTA), during the Rolex
Middle Sea Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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In the race amongst the Maltese boats for first boat home, the eight boats are relatively neck in neck, with Lee Satariano’s Artie in front.
With the lead boat Esimit Europa 2 currently 130 nautical miles from the finish at 10:30 this morning, the course record set by George David’s Rambler (USA) is safely intact for at least another year. That record set in 2007 stands at 47 hours, 55 minutes, 3 seconds. To beat this record, Esimit would have needed to finish before 11:30 CEST Monday October 24. |
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The Hungarian Reichel Pugh 60 Wild Joe, during the Rolex Middle Sea Race
2011.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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Many of the race marks’ of the course in the The Rolex Middle Sea are islands. At the northwest corner of Sicily off Trapani, lie the Egadi Islands of Favignana Levanzo and Marettimo. These islands must all be passed left to port except for the island of Marettimo, which must be left to starboard.
The permanent population for the three islands is around 5,000. Although the islands are a popular summer destination for tourists, it is still possible to find secluded coves and walking paths. The islands are rugged and hilly, but offer wonderful beaches for swimming in the cobalt blue sea. |
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Arthur Podesta's Beneteau First 45 Elusive St. Regis (MTA) at sunset on
the second day, 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 on Saturday October 22 and the final prize giving is at 12:00 CEST on Saturday October 29 at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta.
For further information about the Rolex Middle Sea Race, go to: www.rolexmiddlesearace.com. |
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| Outimage and Rolex © 2011 |
