First win for Balthasar maxi – 72 footer secures IRC 1 in Rolex Middle Sea Race
by James Boyd / International Maxi Association 23 Oct 02:40 PDT
23 October 2024
Balthasar sails past Marettimo island in the Aegadians © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo
Maxi racers in this year’s Rolex Middle Sea Race utilized all their sail equipment. Occurring in mid-autumn within the Mediterranean, the race is known for diverse conditions, but 2024’s offering was exceptionally severe.
Competitors faced severe weather on the initial night, enduring a fierce thunderstorm with gusts exceeding 60 knots. A day later, they encountered glassy calm conditions.
The Royal Malta Yacht Club’s season-concluding 606-mile offshore race, opening the International Maxi Association’s 2024-25 Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge, consistently delivered intense moments.
The harsh conditions on the first night had significant repercussions for the fleet, resulting in extensive sail damage and multiple dismastings. To the east, leading maxis experienced winds of 40-45 knots, leading to the loss of two boats, including the defending champion, Andrea Recordati’s Wally 93 Bullitt.
After the tumultuous start in Valletta’s Grand Harbour, leaving Malta in rough seas had already cost Bullitt a spinnaker. As tactician Joca Signorini described, “We encountered a major broach, tearing the kite, damaging the jib, the mainsail, and some stanchions, so we chose to turn back.”
In IRC 2, Luigi Sala’s Vismara 62 Yoru encountered 60+ knots and three tornadoes. “We noticed the storm approaching from the north – we furled all our sails,” Yoru’s mainsail trimmer Claudio Valessi reported. “It impacted many boats, causing numerous retirements. Thankfully everyone aboard our vessel was unharmed.” For two hours, the Italian crew bravely assisted the Scuderia 65 Hagar V after its dismasting. Unfortunately, Yoru suffered a hydraulic failure, necessitating her retirement.
Meanwhile, ahead, the 100-footers – Remon Vos’ Black Jack 100 and Seng Huang Lee’s Scallywag 100 – surged forward. “We recorded 40 knots, sustained at 35, which is significant for a 100-footer,” noted Scallywag skipper David Witt. During this time, their A3 sail was damaged on the furler due to turbulence.
Black Jack, opting to stay west, maintained a clear lead as they entered the Strait of Messina. During the storm, they experienced winds of 42 knots with three reefs and a J4, allowing them to sail downwind at speeds of 30 knots. “It was stunning. At night we faced thunder and storms—Mother Nature made her presence known!” remarked skipper Tristan le Brun. However, in the Strait, against unfavorable currents, the others closed in, including the 72-foot Balthasar.
Emerging from the Strait at 0330 on Sunday, the leading boats resumed race strategies. Black Jack once again took a westward lead, passing Stromboli first at 0700.
Soon after, pain struck as the winds calmed while passing northern Sicily. Bryon Ehrhart’s Lucky (formerly Rambler 88) temporarily took the lead after drifting south, while the four tacked northward seeking breeze. Here, Balthasar fell behind. Tactician Bouwe Bekking commented, “They were two miles clear of us, catching the wind while we remained stuck.” Onboard, they hoisted a crew member aloft to scout for wind.
As dusk settled, the front runners struggled while Balthasar discovered wind, closing the gap. Throughout the night, Scallywag steadily advanced, overtaking Black Jack around challenging headlands west of Palermo, extending the lead over Lucky and Balthasar by 18 miles. Approaching Favignana, Scallywag capitalized on the pressure blowing from the west, sailing south toward Pantelleria, while Black Jack excelled to the east as Lucky and Balthasar, locked in a fierce battle, closed in from behind with favorable winds.
At 0100 on Tuesday, Black Jack maneuvered around Lampedusa, experiencing a turn to the south. Here, differing strategies between the 100-footers determined the race’s fate. Witt recounted, “I anticipated a tack, but Juan [Vila, navigator] insisted ‘we’re heading into that cloud—it appears daunting, but we’ll emerge on the other tack at a 30-degree angle.’ When Juan Vila speaks, you heed his advice. Black Jack, for the first time in 550 miles, let us pass.” True to his word, as they exited the cloud, the wind shifted from northeast to southeast, leaving Scallywag windward and setting a course toward the Comino Channel.
On a starboard reach, Scallywag led through the Comino Channel and upwind to the finish at Valletta’s Marsamxett Harbour entrance. She claimed line honors, finishing at 09:43, followed by Black Jack at 10:01.
“It is a great relief for me, for the owner, and for the team following our misfortunes during the Rolex Sydney Hobart race when we broke the bowsprit twice,” Witt shared. “Coming here for the first time and achieving this result is incredible. This is one of the toughest races I have faced in a 100-footer. I am deeply proud of the team and navigator Juan Vila—without him, we would still be out there…”
Lucky enjoyed the beam reach back from Lampedusa, allowing her to make up ground on the 100s. Owner Bryon Ehrhart stated they ‘paused’ as they approached Pantelleria, recalling their dismasting at that same spot last year. On the first night, they encountered winds of 47 knots and spent an hour sailing with just two reefs. Tactician Brad Butterworth reflected, “It was squally, continually intensifying as the rain poured. It lasted longer than expected…” Subsequently, the wide-bodied Lucky performed well against the slender 100s and Balthasar in the lighter winds.
Balthasar emerged victorious in IRC One and is on track for a top 10 finish in the overall IRC standings. “The first day was challenging, as it was for most boats,” said skipper Louis Balcaen, a veteran of two Volvo Ocean Races. “We faced a significant squall and lost a kite, but otherwise we managed to protect the gear and sail to Messina swiftly at 20 knots.”
In lighter conditions, the role of being the pursuing boat allowed them to monitor the boats ahead. Balthasar excelled with wind speeds between 3-7 knots. “It was quite slippery at that speed. Throughout the stretch across northern Sicily, we remained in touch with the 100s,” Balcaen explained.
In IRC Two, Jean-Pierre Barjon’s 65-foot Spirit of Lorina, the Vismara 80 Luce Guida, and Nacira 69 grappling alongside 50-footers. Spirit of Lorina had previously won her class and finished second overall in the 2022 Rolex Middle Sea Race after securing the IMA Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge title for 2021-22.
Throughout this year’s race, she faced wind speeds of 44 knots on the first night and encountered another gale rounding Lampedusa on the last night. “It was an epic race,” commented a weary Barjon. “However, both the initial and final nights were rough.”
During the race, Spirit of Lorina utilized all her sails except for her A5. They even blew a kite on the first afternoon due to choppy seas. “It was genuinely intriguing because we experienced all types of conditions—strong winds, beautiful weather, and classic Brittany weather!” co-skipper Benjamin Epron remarked.
The 2024-25 IMA Mediterranean Maxi Offshore Challenge will continue next year with La Larga, the offshore race at Palmavela on 26 April.
For more details visit www.rolexmiddlesearace.com
Follow the tracking
