2026 Rolex Middle Sea Race: Champions, Challenges and a Glittering Legacy

Few offshore races combine sporting prestige, spectacular scenery and adventure quite like the Rolex Middle Sea Race organised by the Royal Malta Yacht Club (RMYC) and first held in 1968. The 47th edition drew 107 yachts and sailors from more than 50 countries to a 606-nautical-mile course that links Malta's Grand Harbour with the volcanic landscapes of Sicily and the demanding waters of the central Mediterranean.

For owner-driver Giovanni Lombardi Stronati and his mostly Italian team aboard the wallyrocket71 Django 7x, the reward was the overall Rolex Middle Sea Race Trophy, awarded to the best performing yacht under IRC time correction. Django 7x’s achievement followed an enthralling contest with defending champion Balthasar, the Mills 72 with Louis Balcaen at the helm, the two yachts racing close together for much of the course.

“Winning the Rolex Middle Sea Race means a great deal to us,” said Stronati. “Last year we won our class in IRC 2, and this year we have won overall, racing in IRC 1. We are incredibly proud of what we have achieved, and I am especially proud of our crew. We love Malta, we love this race, and we love offshore racing. We will be back next year.”

For Guillermo Parada, a member of Django 7x’s afterguard, the win carried special meaning: his first race was 30 years ago aboard 1996 line honours winner Alexia. “On Django, we started in front. Balthasar passed us the first night, then we caught them during the second afternoon and passed them again on the second night,” he recalled. “As soon as the breeze started to fill in, we were faster.”

Following damage to the yacht’s offshore rig during shipment, the team was forced to adapt the inshore rig. “Our shore team did an amazing job modifying the whole boat to make it offshore ready,” said Parada. As the conditions strengthened, “keeping the boat in one piece was the main objective.”

Standard Variable Conditions

For almost all crews the 2026 Rolex Middle Sea Race was a fast race. An easterly flow dominated the early stages, light at the start, but with more than expected. The passage north from Malta to Sicily and up to Messina was largely uneventful. The faster boats had the best of it on the first night, with smaller yachts encountering squalls and torrential rain, but there was no tempest as in 2024. Between Messina and Stromboli, the winds were light, but the park ups few and short-lived. Most boats were able to keep moving. Few yachts strayed inside the rhumb line to the east and north of Sicily, with the breeze offshore proving more reliable. At the northwest corner of the course a trap lay in wait with a transition zone halting progress for some, while others broke free. Django 7x, Balthasar and Daguet 5 all appeared to benefit from the inequity, speeding off south while a number of other fancied yachts, including Red Bandit, Arkas Blue Moon and Varuna VI were held up.

The greater sting in the tail was the strong southeasterly that stretched between the African coast and Sicily, all the way to Malta. Persisting until day four of the race, it offered the resource needed to power boats home, but against the wind and into a punishing, confused sea. Even the maxis endured a torrid time. On Wednesday morning the wind for the second half of the course rotated to the northwest, lifting the spirits of the smaller, slower boats but too late to impact the overall results. That said, for two of the 2025 backmarkers, Buri and Blue Horizon, the direction and strength enabled both to shave 24 hours off their elapsed times. There is always a silver lining. Only 15 yachts were forced to retire or withdraw from the race, and none with serious injuries or damage.

Champions and Historic Trophies

Remon Vos’ Reichel/Pugh Black Jack 100 used the conditions to claim monohull line honours for the second consecutive year. The time of 51 hours and 51 minutes was more than three hours faster than the yacht’s previous best, set in 2010 as Esimit Europa 2. The team secured the RLR Line Honours Trophy for this achievement as well as the Malta Tourism Authority Trophy as first foreign yacht home. Black Jack 100 also topped the ORC overall classification, winning the Boccale del Mediterraneo Trophy.

Vos had this to say: “Winning line honours in this year’s Rolex Middle Sea Race is fantastic. It’s a unique experience with this boat and the team on board. I always think, why do I do this? I’m not going to ever do this again, but I’ve said this before, and I keep coming back.” Vos went on to indicate the boat might miss next year but would certainly return in 2028.

In terms of class victories, Django 7x won IRC 1, ahead of the Balthasar and Black Jack 100; Balthasar also finished second overall under IRC, with Frédéric Puzin’s Carkeek 54 Daguet 5 third overall for the second year running, but this time the French entry was winner of IRC 2 ahead of James Neville’s Botin 65 Artemis Bleu, with Dean Barker in the afterguard and recent class winners at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, and in third the R/P 60 Wild Joe, skippered by Marton Josza from Hungary.

“We won our class three years ago, but with this boat it’s the first time,” smiled Daguet’s Puzin. “We are very happy because last year we finished second by a just few minutes.”

Lee Satariano’s Maltese HH42 Artie III, co-skippered by Christian Ripard, won IRC 3 and the Transport Malta Trophy for the first Maltese yacht to finish the race. The class podium was completed by a pair of ClubSwan 42s, Aboat Time from Bulgaria skippered by Petar Dimitrov and Jakob Balada’s Daring Sisters from Czechia. Aboat Time also secured the Swan Mediterranean Challenge Trophy as best placed Swan yacht under IRC, while Daring Sisters won ORC 3.

For Christian Ripard, co-skipper on Artie, competing in a record 36th Rolex Middle Sea Race, the result was particularly satisfying. “It means a lot to me because the crew really worked hard,” said Ripard. “This race is just full-on all the time. You never really get to sit down or go below for long without something changing.” Ripard’s connection with the event runs particularly deep. His father Paul and uncle John were two of the race founders, along with Jimmy White and Alan Green. “I first did the race in 1976 aged 15. I just love offshore racing. I love the interaction with the crew, the competition and the difficult parts of it,” he said. “I feel this especially when I get back to the dock and everybody’s fine and everybody’s safe. To know that you went out and gave it all you had is particularly satisfying.”

The Podesta family’s First 45 Elusive 2 won IRC 4 and ORC 4, as well as the trophy dedicated to their late father, the Arthur Podesta Trophy for best Maltese yacht under IRC and Teddy Borg Trophy for best Maltese boat under ORC. Until last year, Arthur Podesta had held the record for the most participations with 35, achieved consecutively from 1968. On their way to class wins, the Elusive 2 crew had to overcome a large crate fouling the keel up around Stromboli and then needed to put in a relentless final push. “This was one of the toughest races mentally,” said Aaron Podesta. “Pushing all the way from Lampedusa to the finish and managing to clinch first position in class is massively rewarding.” Andrew and Sam Hall’s J/125 Jackknife took second in IRC 4, with Seven by Malta Sotheby’s International Realty, the Grand Soleil 46 skippered by RMYC Rear Commodore Mario Debono in third.

In IRC 5, Géry Trentesaux from France won with his new Courrier Pogo, followed by another French team, Ludovic Gerard’s double-handed entry JPK 1050 Solenn for Pure Ocean, which also won ORC 5. For Gerard this was some form of redemption having been dismasted a few miles from Malta on delivery ahead of the 2025 race. Another double-handed entry, Marco Paolucci’s JPK1180 Libertine from Italy, completed the podium. The French veteran Trentesaux enjoyed a fast final leg and joked about retirement: “I always say it’s the last race, so probably I will come back.”

Massimo Juris and Pietro Luciani aboard the JPK 1080 Colombre claimed IRC 6, the Double Handed Class under IRC and the FIV Trophy for the best-placed Italian yacht under ORC. The Venetian duo also won ORC 6 and placed second overall under ORC: a remarkable return for a partnership built on years of sailing together. American entry Red Ruby, the Sun Fast 3300 co-skippered by Christina and Justin Wolfe, followed Colombre in IRC 6 and ORC 6; Solenn For Pure Ocean and Libertine completed the two-handed IRC podium.

The Class40 Division delivered repeated lead changes before Louis Torreilles’ Manuard-designed Stella Nova from Switzerland took first place. Torreilles was full of praise for the Rolex Middle Sea Race, and the feeder course from Cannes to Malta in which he also participated:

“The Cannes Malta Race was a great course, and I do not understand why more boats do not take part. Perhaps next year. And, the Rolex Middle Sea Race is perfect for Class40s, the changes in course and wind mean constantly learning to adapt, sharpening of skills and perfecting manoeuvres.”

In the multihulls, ORC 50 Calamity sailed by Kimmo Nordström, took multihull line honours and topped MOCRA, winning the Captain Morgan Trophy, ahead of Marcello Bellacicca’s Italian Farrier 9AX Turbolenta and Lucas Komierowski’s Polish Outremer 5X, Luke Seawalker, participating for a second time. Among the other special honours, Martin Buck & Yves De Block’s Neo 430 Roma Mia Gioia from Germany received the Alessandro Vattani Trophy for double-handed line honours, while the Yachting Malta Nations Trophy went to Great Britain through Django 7x, Artemis Bleu and Johnny Vincent’s VO70 Pace.

More Than a Race
Racing alongside the glitterati of offshore teams were many Corinthian crews, families, two-handed partnerships and blue water cruisers. The 27-metre Oyster 885GT Babiana, entered by Anthony Ward and fresh from a circumnavigation, exemplified how long-distance adventure and competitive sailing can co-exist. The Jarhead Young Sailors Foundation’s J/109 JYS Jan led by alumni Gary Mercieca and Jake Mallia on their fifth and fourth races respectively, gave young Maltese sailors an opportunity to experience international offshore competition, develop seamanship and share the course with some of the world’s most accomplished sailors. Unfortunately forced to retire at Pantelleria with sail damage, the lessons learnt will be invaluable. Former foundation sailors could be found throughout this year’s fleet, proving such opportunities really can benefit the future of this event, the wider sport and the skill development of the young sailors involved, for whom the Rolex Middle Sea Race is a journey beyond sailing.

The Commodore’s Perspective

The Rolex Middle Sea Race Prize-Giving was held in the traditional historic and inspiring setting of the Mediterranean Conference Centre, the former Sacra Infermeria built by the Knights of St John in the late 1500s. Addressing the assembled audience that included H.E. Myriam Spiteri Debono, the President of Malta; Dr Robert Abela, Prime Minister of Malta; Dr Byron Camilleri, Minister for Education and Sport; Alex Borg, Leader of the Opposition, and a number of ambassadors and other dignitaries, as well as RMYC members, race participants and their friends and families, Commodore Mark Napier described the race as a source of pride for both the Club and Malta.

“The Rolex Middle Sea Race is much more than a sporting competition. It brings international sailors to Malta, strengthens friendships across national boundaries and showcases our islands to the world,” he said.

He also emphasised the importance of investing in the sport’s future, particularly through youth sailing, improved facilities and environmental responsibility. “We have a particular responsibility towards young sailors,” he remarked. Napier concluded by congratulating the prize-winners and all participating crews, recognising the seamanship, teamwork and determination required to take on one of the world’s great offshore challenges.

Meanwhile, in her address, President Myriam Spiteri Debono highlighted Malta’s unique reputation as a maritime nation, steeped in its history as a crossroads of civilizations and a bridge between continents. Her Excellency praised the participants for their values of resilience, intuition and respect, and the organisers for their preparation, and in raising the profile of the Rolex Middle Sea Race and making it an event which serves as a source of pride for Malta, which showcases the island’s natural beauty, maritime heritage, commitment to sporting excellence and its ability to welcome the world to Malta’s shores.

Looking Ahead – 2027 and then the Diamond Anniversary
The Rolex Middle Sea Race continues to build on a remarkable legacy stretching back to its inaugural edition in 1968. The 48th edition will start from Malta's spectacular Grand Harbour on 16 October 2027, offering another opportunity for sailors from around the world to take on one of offshore racing's most celebrated challenges.

The following year promises to be particularly special, with the 60th Anniversary Rolex Middle Sea Race starting on 21 October 2028. The Diamond Anniversary edition will be a landmark occasion for the Royal Malta Yacht Club and the international offshore sailing community, celebrating six decades of extraordinary competition, adventure and friendship while inspiring a new generation of sailors to become part of the race's history and its great adventure.