TOM CHENEY ON THE ROLEX MIDDLE SEA RACE
This year marks the 44th edition of the Rolex Middle Sea Race, which has now earned its place alongside the Fastnet and Sydney Hobart as one of the classic 600mile offshore races. The 606-nautical mile course, starting and finishing in Malta, takes you on a breathtaking journey around Sicily and through the stunning islands of the eastern Mediterranean.
Navigating what might appear as a straightforward circumnavigation of the largest island in the Mediterranean is, in reality, a challenge. Imposing coastal terrain (including erupting volcanoes), unpredictable currents, fast changing autumnal weather – that can typically vary from zephyr light to strong winds over 24 hours – are a few of the hurdles you’ll need to overcome. Here we walk the course for the Rolex Middle Sea Race:
START TO STRAIT OF MESSINA
The race begins in Valletta, Malta, with a spectacular start in the Grand Harbour. Cannons marking the start are fired from high medieval battlements that would look quite at home in an episode of Game of Thrones. As well as being a breathtaking sight, this grand scenery plays havoc with the wind, often meaning the initial leg out of the harbour is in very tricky, shifty conditions. Luckily it’s not far to get out into the cleaner breeze outside the harbour.
Gradient wind in the Malta Channel, between Malta and Sicily, tends to be from either the east or west, blowing up or down the Mediterranean between Europe and Africa. This means that the first leg up to the southern tip of Sicily is usually a fetch or a reach. This is a good opportunity to use your Code 0s, flying headsails and staysails if you have them!
The next section of this leg, up the eastern coast of Sicily, is quite often a true beat. Again, the wind tends to wrap around the coast. By the time you make landfall it will probably be early evening, so you also need to look out for tricky land breezes. Mount Etna, which is 3,300m high, also leaves a huge wind shadow – the rule of thumb is to stay at least 18 miles offshore.
MESSINA TO AEOLIAN ISLANDS
The Strait of Messina is definitely one of the most challenging stages of the race. The narrowing terrain produces funnelling wind and currents. Currents in the narrowest part of the Strait, which is less than two miles wide, can be as strong as 5 knots. There are tidal charts available, including a cheap smartphone app, although I’ve found these to be fairly unreliable. If you find yourself fighting current then look for eddies close
