Around 80 Maltese sailors will participate in the 47th Rolex Middle Sea Race, which gets underway from Grand Harbour on Saturday, October 17, with 108 yachts competing in the prestigious 606-nautical-mile offshore event around Sicily.

Eleven yachts are officially registered as Maltese entries, while several local sailors will compete aboard international boats alongside crews representing more than 50 countries.

The Maltese contingent includes former overall winners, experienced campaigners and promising young sailors hoping to make their mark in one of the world’s most demanding offshore races.

Among the leading local contenders is Vivace, skippered by Andrew Agius Delicata and Matthew Gabriele, which returns to defend the Arthur Podesta Trophy awarded to the first Maltese yacht on IRC corrected time.

The Reflex 38 crew claimed the honour in 2025 and has continued refining the yacht in preparation for another competitive campaign.

Another strong Maltese challenge will come from Lee Satariano’s HH42 Artie III, which includes four-time overall winner Christian Ripard, preparing for a record 36th participation.

Satariano is himself a two-time overall winner, and the experienced crew will once again be hoping to challenge for the race’s major honours.

“If you don’t learn every time you go out sailing, whether it’s a race or not, you’re doing something wrong,” Ripard said.

“Every 50 to 60 miles in the Rolex Middle Sea Race you turn a corner and you have different conditions. There’s no rest at all.”

Also returning are siblings Maya, Aaron and Christoph Podesta aboard Elusive 2, winners of the overall Rolex Middle Sea Race Trophy in consecutive years in 2019 and 2020.

The Podesta family’s association with the event stretches back to the inaugural edition in 1968, when their father Arthur was part of the victorious Josian crew. He subsequently competed in 35 editions of the race.

This year’s event will also carry special significance for the Ripard family following the death during the summer of race co-founder John Ripard Sr, who skippered the winning yacht in the inaugural edition.

Five of his grandchildren – Sebastian and Thomas Ripard, Daniel and Marc Calascione, and Luke Scicluna – will compete together aboard the Farr 30 Calypso, alongside Saul Vassallo and Kris Borg Nicholas.

At 9.44 metres, Calypso is the smallest monohull in this year’s fleet.

“This will be a special year for us,” Sebastian Ripard said. “This year the race is very closely linked to the collective memory of our grandfather.”

Experienced campaigners return

Several other Maltese sailors will be seeking success after years of competing in the event.

Jonathan Gambin returns aboard the Dufour 44 Ton Ton Laferla for his 19th consecutive participation, having won his IRC class last year.

Kevin Pisani Zammit will race his recently acquired Farr 36 Amuni, while Luis Azzopardi returns for his third participation with an all-Maltese crew aboard Kixx Me.

Stefan Debattista will make his 19th appearance and third as skipper of Geisha MeDirect, following improvements to the yacht’s instrumentation and performance systems.

Noel Grech’s Gozo Dream will also participate, with Melanie Handschin joining the Gozitan crew as its first female sailor.

Royal Malta Yacht Club Rear Commodore Mario Debono will compete aboard Seven, a Grand Soleil 46 replacing his long-serving Janissah.

Debono emphasised that completing the demanding course remains a major achievement regardless of the final classification.

“You don’t necessarily need a million euro campaign,” he said.

“Sail 606 miles around Sicily with your friends, face everything the race throws at you, and then cross that finish line back in Malta and tell me you don’t feel as though you’ve won something.”

Young sailors embrace offshore challenge

The Jarhead Young Sailors Foundation will once again provide an opportunity for the next generation of Maltese sailors to gain valuable offshore racing experience aboard the J/109 JYS Jan.

Gary Mercieca will skipper the yacht in his fifth Rolex Middle Sea Race, alongside Jake Mallia, who is preparing for his fourth appearance.

The crew includes several young sailors, with the youngest aged just 15.

“This year we have a fresh team of young sailors, with the youngest being 15,” Mercieca said.

“Although young, our crew makes up for its low average age by spending a lot of time together on the water, gaining experience before taking on this challenging race.”

The foundation, which received the Italian Ambassador’s Trophy for Sportsmanship in 2024, continues to place strong emphasis on safety, seamanship and teamwork.

For the Maltese competitors, the race represents more than an opportunity to win trophies, with the challenge of sailing around Sicily and returning to Grand Harbour holding particular significance.

Ripard, who has completed 35 editions, believes that finishing in Malta remains one of the most memorable aspects of the competition.

“You do feel a sense of pride – that you’ve done the race and you’re finishing back home, and you have all your family and friends watching,” he said.

“Home is always home.”