Rolex Middle Sea Race Report - October 2009

Rolex Middle Sea Race Race Report - October 2009

I was lucky enough to be invited to sail in this year's addition of the Rolex Middle Sea Race sailing on an X-Yacht 612, named "Nix".  The race started in the heart of the Mediterranean Sea in the capital of Malta, Valetta.  From there the course was to race around Sicily out to Stromboli, round Favignana, Pantelleria and Lampedusa before returning to Valetta, a course of about 606 nautical miles.

The Race is described by the event web site: "The Rolex Middle Sea Race is a highly rated offshore classic, often mentioned in the same breath as the Rolex Fastnet, The Rolex Sydney - Hobart and Newport-Bermuda as a "must do" race."..."The race is a true challenge to skippers and crews who have to be at their very best to cope with the often changeable and demanding conditions. Equally, the race is blessed with unsurpassed scenery with its course, taking competitors close to a number of islands, which form marks of the course. Ted Turner described the MSR as "the most beautiful race course in the world".

I arrived with the other crew members - we would be sailing sixteen up - mainly Americans but also two other Brits from the RYS on Wednesday 14th October.  It was a very experienced crew with everyone having completed ocean passages, Trans Pacs and numerous other Rolex races World Record holders and the Vendee Globe - we had Brian Thompson on board who is a friend of the charterers, Bugs Baer and Bill Dunn.

We set about turning Nix from a cruising yacht to a racing yacht.  We estimate we removed about three tons of weight over the next two days, anchor chains, crockery, spare sails, bedding, wine supplies (c. 60 bottles) - we would have a dry boat etc.  After which we estimated Nix was c. 3-4 inches higher in the water.

The Middle Sea Race is notorious for either very light winds or very heavy air. The Race started on Saturday Oct 17th in glorious sunshine and a light breeze.  Nix was in class 2 and would be the third start following classes 4 and 3 with a start time of 11:20.  The wind at the start was very light and we searched out each zephyr of wind.  We had a good start and we third out of the harbour following Tonnerre (Ker 46) and Calypso (Cookson 50) with a two and a half mile beat along the coast before bearing away and heading for Sicily.

As we bore away the wind freed and we soon found ourselves the leeward boat our navigator Brian Thompson predicting that the wind would swing round and was happy with our position. I was on the first watch and we had some glorious sailing conditions with the spinnaker up as the wind filled in and the sun shone.  At 16:00, I retired to my bunk to get some sleep for the coming night where the wind was forecast to be stronger and I knew I would need to my energy.

I awoke to a din from the deck.  The wind was up to 45 knots as we hit a squall and one of the five spinnakers had just gone bang!  Nix was a very sea kindly boat and I felt very comfortable below deck....back on watch the we were now on a fetch with the number three up and were making 12-13 knots in the dark.  We were happy as we were taking large chunks out of the rest of the fleet.  Tonnerre had sailed into a two hour lead - the hunt was on. 

Back off watch and the new watch had decided to hoist the asymmetric - and I was called on deck to help out and found we had a man up the mast and as the wind had built up the asymmetric went bang.  We were down to three spinnakers!

Back on watch around dawn and the wind had died in the straits of Messina.  The forecast had the wind to fill in as we exited the straits and headed up to Stromboli but for now we were searching out the wind.  We had good news as we found ourselves alongside Tonnerre.  We sent the bowman aloft to look for the wind - soon out of the straits and back to 25 knots on the nose, we reefed and had the number three up.

The next twelve hours were very rough 30-35 knots off wind and very wet on the deck.  It was too rough to cook below so we had broke out the freeze dried food to sustain the crew - supplied by Brian who talked positively  about them from his days on the Vendee.  These pouches provided 850 calories and very few complained and some were delighted with the flavours, texture and taste.

Throughout the night running repairs were made to the number three to repair tears along the leech.

Dawn day 2 saw us approaching the end of Sicily and beginning to bear away for Pantelleria.  The wind eased and we were making good progress with not much to report.  During the night the wind shut off and we were sailing in 2-3 knot of wind.  The Middle Sea Race was providing a mix of all conditions.  We maintained focus to sail through the high.

Dawn day 4 and we were round Pantelleria  and heading for Lampedusa - due there at dusk.  As I lay in my bunk, the youngest member of the team, Rambo, was reported to the owner that there was a problem with the head.  Nico informed him that it was due to a blockage and Rambo immediately volunteered to fix the problem.  Much merriment was had by the crew listening to the groans and complaints about the smell from Rambo - most, it must be said, were smiling that it was not them that had found the problem.  People would have shaken Rambo by the hand after he had completed the task but most thought better of it.

The wind filled in throughout the day and we were forecast with 25-30 knots for the final night beat to the finish.  Sure enough this is what we had and we had an excellent sail through the night making good speed.

Class two had three boats ahead of us - an 82' Swan, Nikata, Calyso the Cookson 50 and Tonnerre.  We were now aiming to hold on to 4th and spent the last twenty four hours of the race holding off the challenge from the Lantini  52, Shambala - whose handicap was worse than ours so we knew that they owed us time - however, we were ahead of them on the water and wanted to stay ahead of them.

Not much changed through the night and we were sailing through Gozo and Malta at dawn.  The wind was dying and we sailed along the north of Malta.  As we entered the harbour the wind died completely. It took what seemed like ages to reach the finish in the last half a mile.

We finished at 08:19 delighted to complete the course in less than four days.  We soon started to hear about all of the yachts that had retired.  Most notably were the two STP 65s, Rosebud, dismasted and Bella Mente, missing their tuff luff and boom.  Thirty seven boats out of the sixty nine that started did not complete the course.

We soon set about (after a mandatory glass of champagne) of restoring Nix to her former cruising status and did so over the next two days.  The evenings were spent enjoying nights in Malta and some excellent restaurants and shared many laughs with Team Nix.

The prize giving was excellent. It was held in the Spirit of Malta building for around four hours before crews made their way to the Black Pearl (next to RMYC) where the party continued into the evening.  Overall winners, the UK yacht Alegre and line honours to Mike Slade's Leopard 3, which finished twenty four minutes outside the course record.

Thanks to the owners of Nix (Lotte and Nico) for providing an excellent yacht to sail on and allowing us to break quite a lot of it without complaining, the crew of Nix for some excellent fun and great sailing and especially to the charterers Bugs Baer and Bill Dunn for inviting me to join them.

There is talk of other races to come for Team Nix...but that is for another day.

Course Map: http://www.rolexmiddlesearace.com/race/course_map.cfm

Event Home Page: http://www.rolexmiddlesearace.com/index.cfm

Our race boat "Nix" http://www.regattacharter.nl/

Thomas Brennan

Captain of Racing