2026 Rolex Middle Sea Race Newsflash: Monohull Line Honours

Remon Vos’ Black Jack 100, skippered by Tristan Le Brun, crossed the finish line of the 47th Rolex Middle Sea Race at 15:51:00 CEST on Monday 19 October to take Monohull Line Honours in an elapsed time of 51 hours 51 minutes. This was the sleek black maxi’s third race around the 606nm course under her current ownership, and the posted time is the best yet.

Out and out favourite for line honours, with no other comparable craft in the 2026 Rolex Middle Sea Race fleet, the crew’s accomplishment should not be under-estimated. It takes skill and meticulous preparation to be able to push a 30.48 metre racing machine for 52 hours maintaining the highest level of performance. Meeting the prevailing conditions of this edition of the race, the Black Jack 100 crew once again demonstrated the exceptional cohesion and trust that underpins the team. While the race was relatively straight-forward for Black Jack 100, with the north of Sicily proving less tricky than expected, the penultimate leg from Lampedusa to the South Comino Channel was dead upwind and a tortuous passage in a confused seaway.

“Winning line honours in the Rolex Middle Sea Race is fantastic. It’s a unique experience with this boat and the team on board,” said Remon Vos. “Sometimes I ask myself why I do this, and tell myself I’m never going to do it again, but I keep coming back. You’re completely disconnected, surrounded by the wind and water, the moon and stars, and sharing it all with an extraordinary group of people. That’s what makes it so special.”

This year marks 20 years and the yacht’s eighth appearance at the Rolex Middle Sea Race since her debut in 2006 as Alfa Romeo, under Neville Crichton’s ownership. Four more participations followed under the name Esimit Europa 2 (2010 –12 and 2014) and the ownership of Igor Simcic. The version racing today has been considerably modified and upgraded since her launch in 2005, ensuring she remains fully optimised and a weapon in the right hands. Notably this was the yacht’s fastest ever passage around the course, beating the previous best by three hours. The wind across the race course always plays a significant part in determining the eventual elapsed time and you can only deal with is in front of you. This edition has definitely given the Reichel/Pugh design an opportunity to strike a powerful chord.

Elsewhere battles continue to rage across the course. Next boats expected in are Django 7X and Balthasar. At 18:00 CEST, the pair were continuing their tight tussle just off Comino beating into a 20 knot east-southeasterly, with 25nm to go. Some 70nm further back, Daguet 5 is putting in a barnstorming performance at the front of her class on corrected time and indeed on the water, where the larger Artemis Bleu is the only IRC 2 yacht ahead of her. Aragon in third on the water has just rounded Lampedusa.

Maltese entry Artie III continues to set the pace on the water and under corrected time in IRC 3. The HH42 led by Lee Satariano and Christian Ripard endured a difficult passage across the top of Sicily and only passed the Favignana transit at 14.45 this afternoon, after reaching Stromboli just before midday yesterday. On the water she is being pursued by Zephyr and Mia Gioia, 25nm in arrears. Artie III’s handicap lead at the northwest transit was 3.5 hours.

The story of the race in IRC 4 is the outstanding demolition of the course so far by Jonathan Gambin’s Ton Ton Laferla. On his 19th race, Gambin has put in the effort of his offshore career over the first 340nm of the course. Given that the strong winds persist south of Sicily, he and his crew face a completely different test over the second half of the race. Keeping the boat in one piece and the crew working together in the confused sea state and higher winds with darkness fast approaching will be an examination of both resolve and leadership. Nearly two decades of experience will surely pay dividends. Elusive 2 lies two miles behind on the water, abreast of Jackknife. Both crews possess the required skills to push Ton Ton hard and pounce on any errors.

Scricca is the current standout boat in IRC 5. This class is relatively tightly packed. Selma Racing – Noisy Oyster, tucked in tight to San Vito lo Capo on the northern shore of Sicily, leads on the water, but this class is filled with talent. Calypso, Courrier Pogo, Geisha-Medirect with her youth contingent, Solenn for Pure Ocean, Ponce and Karpo are just some of those that held aspirations of a class win ahead of the race and have certainly not given up just yet.

In IRC 6, Colombre has the lead both on the water and provisional handicap according to the tracker. Diavolina, Red Ruby, Sakifo and Munjek RS are her closest rivals on elapsed and corrected time. The class spreads over some 80nm, with Buri the back marker. Colombre also has the honour of leading the estimated double-handed standings. In the Class40s racing boat for boat, Stella Nova holds a small lead over Optimus Prime as the pair negotiate the Egadi Islands. Three of the four multihulls are at San Vito lo Capo, with Calamity leading on the water. Turbolenta, some 45nm behind leads under MOCRA handicap.