| Keeping your wits. |
| By the Rolex Middle
Sea Race Media Team. |
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Photos by Kurt Arrigo
and Rene Rossignaud for Rolex,
edited By Peter Andrews. |
| 17:00 CEST, October 25, 2011. |
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| Crossing the finish line at 11:10 CEST this morning, Niklas Zennström’s J/V 72 Rán (GBR) was the second boat to complete the 606-mile Rolex Middle Sea Race. With Esimit Europa 2 taking line honours, Rán is dockside in Valletta having beaten Esimit Europa 2 on corrected time. But the crew will have to wait until tomorrow to see how they have fared against the rest of the handicap leaders, when several competitors with the potential to topple them are likely to arrive. |
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Niklas Zennström’s Rán, crossing the finish line at 11:10
CEST, during the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Rene Rossignaud.
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| “We wanted to do well, so we made sure we planned as much as we could,” said owner and helmsman of Rán, Niklas Zennström. “We studied the different weather models that were available to us and really tried to understand the racecourse as well as possible. I think we handled it well. We didn’t make a lot of mistakes, which is what it’s all about in this kind of race. Though it was pretty light conditions, you didn’t have the tough conditions where you really have to handle the boat. It’s a fun race because there are always different corners to go around, different islands; for sure it’s very tactical.” |
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Niklas Zennström’s Rán packing up after crossing the
finish line at 11:10 CEST, during the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Rene Rossignaud.
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| Rán’s tactician Adrian Stead, echoed Zennström’s comments: “It was a pretty challenging race. It was alive the whole way around the course. For us, we sailed a very good race, we sailed a tactical and a fairly risk-free race. We controlled everything we could, so now it’s down to see whether it turns out to be a mini-maxi race or a small boat race. But once again, a great racecourse, you can’t beat it!” |
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Rán’s tactician Adrian Stead, before the start of the Rolex
Middle Sea Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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| “Even at the start, one of our biggest gains on Alegre was out of the harbour and the first two legs,” continued Stead. “We recognised it was quite squirrelly at the time. The breeze was shifting around and everyone was thinking of a relatively light-ish start. As we went down to the turning mark off St Julian’s, the breeze felt well in the right, so we elected to gybe-set and took off doing 15 to 18 knots and that gave us a really good jump on Alegre. There were enough shifts in the first two hours and we probably put two to three miles on them, which was really good, in terms of laying down your marker. The opportunities were there to do it.” |
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Niklas Zennström’s JV72, Rán (GBR) and Andres Soriano’s
Mills 68 Alegre (GBR) sail out of Grand Harbour, during the Rolex Middle
Sea Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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Both Esimit Europa 2 and Rán made the most of the passage through Messina, often touted as the ‘make or break’ point of the course.
“Off Catania we knew we wanted to be in the middle of the bottom of the Strait and if we could get to the right-hand side, we would,” said Stead.
“We were conscious when we went in there that Esimit was going
to go through with favourable current, and that we were probably going to plug
it. We got most of the way down the eastern side in the back eddy and just had
three knots against us when we crossed the entrance and enough breeze to do it,
so we managed to escape in reasonable shape; whereas, a lot of the boats behind
us came through on the next tide. We were relieved to have got through Messina
in the shape we did. And going through there with a three-hour, 30-mile lead
on your archrival was pretty satisfying. But they sailed well, coming back into
us in the light (wind), but there really weren’t very many ways around
us.” |
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Niklas Zennström’s JV72, Rán (GBR) passing through the
Strait of Messina with Capo Peloro lighthouse in the background, during
the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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Intriguingly, this race has not been a case of the rich getting richer, as the weather conditions continued to confound even the race leaders right to the end. It also served as a reminder of what may lie ahead for the rest of the fleet, still racing.
“The last 50 miles into the finish were incredibly tricky,” said Stead. “Originally we were pointing straight at Malta. Then we were slowly headed and effectively faced with a 30-mile beat to the Comino Channel, and coming in to here at midday, the breeze started to get very fickle off the shore, with very big shifts. The last nine miles saw 40 degree shifts and breeze as light as five knots to as much as 11 knots. You had to keep your wits about you the whole way.” |
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Andres Soriano’s Mills 68 Alegre (GBR) clearing the Strait of Messina,
during the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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At 17.16 this evening, Andres Soriano’s Mills 68 Alegre crossed the finish line. Twelve nautical miles behind them was Laurent Pellecuer and Oscar Kouyukhov’s 90-footer Med Sprit (FRA), approaching the South Comino Channel.
Between Gozo and Lampedusa, there are a half dozen boats close reaching in a light 5 to 10 knot easterly. While further up the track between Lampedusa and Pantelleria, the bulk of the fleet, close to 40 boats, are beating into a headwind and hoping for a Wednesday finish. |
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Andres Soriano’s Mills 68 Alegre (GBR) aproaching the finish line,
during the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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At midday today, Chris Opielok’s Corby 36 AOC Rockall (GER), was currently leading Class 4 and in contention for overall handicap as well. According to crewmember John Brinkers, it was a bit of a challenge getting around the northwest tip of Sicily overnight.
“We are on the way to Lampedusa, having had a very interesting night getting through a big hole off San Vito lo Capo,” said Brinkers. “We chose the ‘go out to sea’ option, and it initially looked great. But then the breeze filled in from the land, so we lost a little bit. But hey ho, thems the breaks.” |
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Andres Soriano’s Mills 68 Alegre (GBR) aproaching the finish line,
during the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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Typical in big races like the Rolex Middle Sea Race, there are always mini-races and challenges, not only within the various classes but also between other individual and similar boats. As with the case of AOC Rockall, the local Maltese boat, Lee Satariano’s J/122 Artie is the competition.
“We are now sailing upwind in 10 to 12 knots with our main opposition six miles ahead,” continued Brinkers. “We realise a 40 minute lead on corrected is nice, but it can be taken away in a heartbeat in the massively variable and sometimes illogical conditions found out here. The battle continues.” |
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Christopher Opielok's Corby 36 AOC Rockall (GER) was first out
of Grand Harbour and currently leading Class 4, during the Rolex Middle
Sea Race 2011.
Photo © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.
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From the Maltese entry, Sandro Musu’s Grand Soleil 40 Aziza, Musu and his crew are enjoying everything that this race has offered, as well as looking forward to the finish back in Valletta.
“Three days in and all is well on Aziza. We’ve enjoyed every wind condition from zero to thirty-two knots, from every direction, rain and now sunshine. Spirits are high on board. We’re eating well and keeping hydrated in the warm wind. As I write this, we are passing Pantelleria. We are looking forward to sitting in the Royal Malta Yacht Club with our rivals in a few days to recount the many funny and exciting stories from the arena of competition.” |
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Lee Satariano’s J/122 Artie, during the 2010 Rolex Middle
Sea Race.
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 only two boats have retired; the Class 40 Pogo 1 (GER) and Comanche Raider II (MLT). The course record set in 2007 by George David’s 90-foot Rambler (USA),
stands at 47 hours, 55 minutes, 3 seconds. 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 |
