Rolex Middle Sea Race begins with 107 yachts from Malta

The 47th Rolex Middle Sea Race has commenced from Malta’s Grand Harbour, featuring 107 yachts and 945 sailors representing 55 different nations. The fleet is set to navigate a 606-nautical-mile course around Sicily.

Despite light winds during the initial stages, the event saw seven distinct starts. In the IRC 6 category, Red Ruby, Callisto, and Munjek made strong early moves. The IRC 5 start saw Courrier Pogo among the fastest departures, while the Class40 division featured intense competition between vessels such as Optimus Prime, Stella Nova, and Flamingo Rosso.

Local Maltese entries were well-represented, including Luis Azzopardi’s Kixx Me, which carried three sailors under the age of 18. In the final starts, the larger yachts faced tactical challenges, including a contest between the defending champion Balthasar, Black Jack 100, and Django 7X.