Royal Malta Yacht Club crews compete in 47th Rolex Middle Sea Race

The 47th Rolex Middle Sea Race concluded following a 606-nautical-mile course around Sicily, featuring 107 yachts that departed from Grand Harbour on 17 October. Ten entries represented the Royal Malta Yacht Club, showcasing a range of experience from veteran sailors to teenagers and professional campaigns.

Lee Satariano secured class honours in IRC 3 aboard Artie III, marking the first Maltese boat to finish the race. Satariano, competing in his 17th edition, was joined by co-skipper Christian Ripard, who reached a record 36th race participation.

In another notable performance, the Podesta siblings—Aaron, Christoph, and Maya—won the Arthur Podesta Trophy aboard Elusive 2. They secured victory on IRC corrected time by six minutes after a close battle with Jonathan Gambin’s Ton Ton Laferla. Despite Ton Ton Laferla crossing the finish line first, sail damage caused by winds exceeding 30 knots impacted their final standing.