Filip Balcaen's Mills 72 Balthasar put a lively Maltese breeze to good use, winning the Yachting Malta Coastal Race outright three days before the start of the 47th Rolex Middle Sea Race. The 30-nautical-mile tune-up, run from Marsamxett Harbour around Comino and back, saw wind speeds touch 25 knots and delivered some genuinely spectacular sailing.
With Bouwe Bekking calling tactics, Balthasar took both line honours and the overall IRC win, surging upwind at over 10 knots and hitting 20 knots downwind.
"We had a great shakedown today," Bekking said. "Everything and everybody is in full working order, which gives us a really good feeling ahead of the start on Saturday. The boat is performing well, the crew is working together brilliantly, and we're looking forward to getting out there for the Rolex Middle Sea Race."
James Neville's Botin 65 Artemis Bleu was second overall, 8 minutes 55 seconds back on corrected time. Bernard Arkas's TP52 Arkas Blue Moon, skippered by Serhat Altay, rounded out the podium, a further 2 minutes 13 seconds back. Elusive 2, the First 45 raced by Christoph, Aaron and Maya Podesta, finished fourth overall and was the top Maltese boat on IRC. Sean Borg's Cape 31 Jubatus was just 40 seconds further back in fifth.
Balthasar, Artemis Bleu and Arkas Blue Moon also took the top three places in IRC Class 2/3. Michal Krysta's Class40 Moonpalace was the sole entrant in IRC Class 3, finishing the course in 4 hours 2 minutes 58 seconds.
Maya Podesta steered Elusive 2 to victory in IRC Class 4 and the honour of top Maltese boat overall. Sean Borg's Jubatus took second in class, just 40 seconds behind on corrected time, with Jonathan Gambin's Dufour 44 Ton Ton Laferla completing the podium.
"It was a really enjoyable day out on the water aboard Elusive," said Aaron Podesta. "The crew worked well together, and the sailing conditions were excellent. It was a great shakedown sail ahead of Saturday's big race, giving us the opportunity to get into rhythm as a team and fine-tune a few things. We are looking forward to the big start on Saturday morning!"
In IRC Class 5, the Maltese Farr 30 Calypso, sailed by Sebastian Ripard and Daniel Calascione, won by 7 minutes 26 seconds on corrected time from Maks Vrečko's Slovenian Elan 450 Karpo. Lasse Tim Seeger's German Sun Fast 3600 Löwe Von Bremen completed the podium, just 26 seconds further back.
"We've raced together as a crew this year, but it was great to get Calypso out in some good breeze today and really put her through her paces," said Sebastian Ripard. "The boat is in much the same configuration as last year, so it was a good shakedown before the big race."
Ripard's brother Tommy joins the Calypso crew this year for his 14th Rolex Middle Sea Race, and four grandchildren of John Ripard Snr, co-founder and first winner of the race, who died this past summer, are aboard too, adding another chapter to the family's long association with the event.
Andrew Agius Delicata and Matthew Gabriele's Reflex 38 Vivace won IRC Class 6 by 2 minutes 41 seconds from Christina Wolfe's Sun Fast 3300 Red Ruby, with Ruaridh Plummer's UK-flagged Pronavia 38 Bongani, racing with LSS Ocean Racing, third some 23 minutes 17 seconds further back.
"What a fun, fast coastal race," said Agius Delicata. "The crew pushed hard from start to finish, keeping Vivace flying and getting every tactical call spot-on. The atmosphere on board was fantastic, the teamwork was flawless, and we were battling all the way to the finish line. Finishing ahead of Red Ruby made the result especially rewarding."
Just 2 minutes 16 seconds off that podium was the Maltese youth team aboard the J/109 JYS Jan, representing the Jarhead Young Sailors Foundation, skippered by Gary Mercieca and finishing fourth in a 12-boat class. "I'm really looking forward to this year's Rolex Middle Sea Race, as I do every year," Mercieca said. "This time we have a fresh team of young sailors, with the youngest just 14 years old. Although we're a young crew, we make up for our lack of experience by spending as much time as possible together on the water. That preparation is incredibly important, giving the younger sailors the experience and confidence they need to take on such a challenging race."
Attention now turns to the 47th Rolex Middle Sea Race itself, starting at 1100 on Saturday 17 October from Malta's Grand Harbour. The 606-nautical-mile race around Sicily takes the fleet through the Strait of Messina, past the volcanic island of Stromboli, and out into Sicily's exposed western and southern approaches before the fleet returns to Malta.
Wednesday's breeze made for a good test, but the Middle Sea Race itself is another matter altogether. Crews have a few days left to finish their preparations, pore over the weather forecasts, and work through the tactical calls that lie ahead. For some, the coastal race will have provided reassurance; for others, valuable lessons. On Saturday, the real race begins.
