With confirmation that the Mills 72 Balthasar is the overall winner of the 46th Rolex Middle Sea Race, interest is now focuses on the class podiums, particularly under IRC time correction. Wednesday afternoon brought a change in fortune to the yachts around Lampedusa, and since midnight some 52 more yachts have finished by 1600 CEST, leaving 37 still racing, with five retirements. Class podiums across the IRC category have begun to fill, some with more certainty than others, although with boats home in all groups. Of great importance for the homegrown sailing community, the first Maltese boats have crossed the finish with some excellent results.

Provisional class winners under IRC time correction are as follows:

IRC 1 Balthasar

IRC 2 Django Deer (ITA)

IRC 3 Chenapan IV (FRA)

IRC 4 Ton Ton Laferla (MLT)

IRC 5 Noisy Oyster (GBR)

IRC 6 Zephyr (GBR)

Lee Satariano’s HH42 Artie III, co-skippered by Christian Ripard on his 35th race, claimed the honour of being first Maltese home, finishing at 0203 CEST. An impressive performance by Vivace, finishing 11th overall, has put Andrew Agius Delicata and Matthew Gabriele’s Reflex 38 in pole position for the local win under IRC.

DAY 6 IRC FORM REPORTS @ 1600 CEST               

With IRC 1 and IRC 2 covered in previous reports, this one looks principally at IRC classes 3 to 6, and the double-handed class.

IRC 3

Gilles Caminade’s French Ker 40 Chenapan IV came out on top after a terrific battle for much of the course with Artie III. The two teams were ranked first and second for the entire race. In third is Jean Yves Thomas’s French ICE 53 Soleag from Marseille, which finished with a strong push, only securing a podium ranking after Lampedusa.

Caminade’s love affair with the race dates back four successive editions. While the French team has previously tasted success in class, finishing third in 2022 and 2023, last year Chenapan was one those dismasted on the first night. This year’s class win is not just a step up in results, but a poignant reward for perseverance.

“This was a very special year for us. It’s our fifth participation, and it feels like redemption,” commented Caminade.  “Last year, we broke our mast barely an hour after the start. This time we came back determined to finish what we’d started. The boat was perfectly prepared, and the team was stronger and more focused than ever. To win our class after so many attempts is deeply satisfying.”

Artie III ended up second on corrected time after losing touch with Chenapan at Lampedusa. Despite that disappointment, the team were very satisfied with their result and performance. “We had no breakages on the boat whatsoever, the crew chemistry was really good, and we really enjoyed it,” said Ripard. “We never actually stopped during this race, but we did go slow, and it was very tactical and on this we did not do too badly at all.”

“70… 80 percent of the crew have been together for several years now. Along with Christian, we have Timmy Camilleri who has done the race 31 times. Between all of us we have 127 races. That is some experience,” said Satariano. “However, in building the crew, we look at more than the sailing capability. It is the personalities that make the crew so special. If you want to see results you need the right mix of skill and attitude, and this year worked very well.”

IRC 4

Jonathan Gambin’s Maltese Dufour 44 Ton Ton Laferla is the winner after a dramatic few hours. Just after 0800 this morning, Giulio Cafaro’s Italian Adria 49 Ars Una took class line honours, and the time correction win looked possible too. Less than nine minutes later, Taavet Hinrikus’ Estonian MAT 1220 Nola moved into lead. Ton Ton Laferla was still racing, just about to enter the South Comino Channel. According to the tracker, victory was within their grasp, but they needed to cross the line to seal the result. Doing so just after 1100, Ton Ton Laferla secured victory by a mere two minutes and 25 seconds from Nola.

Royal Malta Yacht Club member and veteran of the race, Gambin made his debut in 2008. While the previous class win in 2020 was noteworthy, this one was against red hot competition.

“This was one of the hardest races we’ve ever sailed,” commented Gambin. “From the start, we knew it would be a test of patience and persistence. We had our share of problems which cost us a lot of ground. This victory belongs to my crew, who never stopped fighting.”

IRC 5

Nikki Henderson’s British  J/122 Noisy Oyster is the winner of IRC 5, eight boats in the class are still racing, but none can beat her. Ranked in second is Gianrocco Catalano with his Italian First 40 Mon Ile. Matic & Maks Vrecko’s Slovenian Elan 450 Karpo is third, edging out Leonardo Servi’s Italian Comet 38 Scricca by just three minutes. The international Noisy Oyster crew came from USA, Ireland, Spain, Australia and Qatar.

“This race was unpredictable from start to finish — the kind where you think you’ve lost it ten times before you realise you might actually win,” commented Henderson.  “At dusk last night, the entire fleet parked up off Lampedusa. You could see every boat around you, motionless, and it all came down to who would catch the first puff of breeze. It felt almost cruel, watching the lead come and go, but that’s the Rolex Middle Sea Race — you have to stay mentally strong and believe it’s never over.”

IRC 6

Just three boats have finished. Simon Toms’ British Sun Fast 3300 Zephyr is the clear winner as none of the 15 still racing can better her corrected time. Currently ranked second, and the highest ranking Maltese boat in the overall standings, is Andrew Agius Delicata and Matthew Gabriele’s Reflex 38 Vivace. Michele Puggioni’s Italian JPK 1030 Diavolina is ranked third. This was Toms’ second Rolex Middle Sea Race with Zephyr, and the team have won back-to-back class titles.

“This year’s race was a complete mix of emotions — from exhilaration to utter frustration,” commented Toms. “We got off to a solid start, had a clean passage through Messina, and for a while it all felt in sync. North of Sicily, the wind disappeared and we spent what felt like an eternity staring at Lampedusa on the horizon, going nowhere. That’s when you really have to keep your nerve. The key to the win was the crew. We’ve sailed together a long time and that makes a huge difference in a race like this.”

IRC Double-Handed

In the Double-Handed division, Marco Paolucci’s Italian JPK 1180 Libertine, racing with Niccolò Bertola, was the first team to finish, followed three and a half hours later by Ivica Kostelić’s Croatian Figaro 3 Amelicor, racing with Filip Miroić. Guido Baroni’s Italian Sun Fast 3600 Lunatika, co-skippered by Alessandro Miglietti, finished at 1540, and is provisionally leading the class on time correction.

Four teams are still on the course, and the fight for podium places remains wide open. Jeremi Jablonski’s American Hanse 430 Avante, racing with Marek Mirota is 12 miles from the finish. Eric Muller’s Polish J/99 K’Mena, is 30 miles from Malta. Patrick and Vincent Harris’ British classic Mowgli of Portsmouth and the Taiwanese pair of Filippo Moroni and Latiri Mondher racing the J/99 Calypso, have both just rounded Lampedusa, and remain in contention.