45th Rolex Middle Sea Race – Teamwork Triumphs Over Challenges
by Quinag 26 Oct 09:00 PDT
26 October 2024
Skipper Carl-Peter Forster and the crew of Red Bandit, overall champion of the Rolex Middle Sea Race © Rolex / Kurt Arrigo
Offshore racing represents sailing’s toughest discipline. It’s demanding, uncertain, and puts enormous pressure on competing teams.
During the thrilling 45th edition of the 606-nautical mile (1,122 kilometers) Rolex Middle Sea Race, the virtues of perseverance, flexibility, and commitment were evident as the 112-boat fleet faced the unpredictable nature of both the weather and the competition. Achieving success in one of the world’s premier 600-nautical mile races requires the utmost effort from every individual and every crew as a unit. Since 2002, Rolex has partnered with the Rolex Middle Sea Race and its organizers, the Royal Malta Yacht Club (RMYC).
The narrative behind the winners of the main awards, Red Bandit and Scallywag 100, achieving overall success on handicap and line honors respectively, highlights crews collaborating to overcome difficulties. Red Bandit, a German-registered TP52, is manned by a crew led by skipper Carl-Peter Forster, consisting of two professionals and 11 gifted young sailors who have diligently participated in Forster’s charitable initiative aimed at nurturing the offshore sailors of tomorrow. For Forster, success was a testament to the effort poured into this program:
“It feels surreal to win the Rolex Middle Sea Race; it will take time to fully grasp it. When the crew began this project, they had minimal knowledge of offshore or large-boat sailing. We’ve achieved considerable progress over the last three years, and everyone has learned to operate this sensitive vessel. A TP52 is incredibly challenging to maneuver in both strong and light winds; you must continuously monitor the instruments.”
The crew endured a brutal first night at sea. Along the east coast of Sicily, from Capo Passero to the Messina Strait, the fleet was subjected to a fierce thunderstorm, illuminated by the powerful Mount Etna. A year ago, Red Bandit encountered misfortune, forced to retire early due to equipment failure. This time, the boat held up better, and as navigator Joshua Weber describes, the race was a relentless challenge:
“There are numerous decisions to make and problems to solve. The race consists of many segments, with critical lengths in between that need to be executed correctly. It comes down to the entire team’s ability to not only position the boat correctly but also maintain speed. It takes a significant, collective endeavor.”
Over the course of its 22-year collaboration with Rolex, the race has seen substantial growth in both the quantity and quality of participants. The front of the monohull fleet featured two formidable 100-foot (30.48 meter) Maxis – Scallywag 100 (HKG) and Black Jack 100 (MON) – along with the 88-ft (27m) Lucky (USA), which previously competed as Rambler 88 and won line honors five times.
The anticipated fierce competition unfolded as expected, with Scallywag 100 and Black Jack 100 frequently swapping the lead. A pivotal moment arose when Scallywag 100’s renowned Spanish navigator Juan Vila made a brilliant tactical decision while rounding Lampedusa, one of the race’s final major turning points. Instead of tacking, he chose to head into a cloud for a more favorable angle, a calculated risk that enabled the boat to pull ahead. Scallywag 100 returned to Malta with a winning elapsed time of two days, 21 hours, 33 minutes, and 29 seconds.
Seng Huang Lee, the owner of Scallywag 100, has invested considerable time and energy into the team’s campaign, with all crew members fully focused on achieving success and optimizing the boat’s performance. The victory in line honors elicited great pride for skipper David Witt and the crew, particularly after their disappointing retirement in last year’s Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race due to a broken bowsprit:
“This is a highly esteemed Rolex race, serving as a test of whether we made the right choices. That was one of the most challenging races I’ve participated in with a 100-footer. It required a tremendous team effort. I’m incredibly proud of the team – we made no errors. Starting and finishing in Malta is exceptional, and we hope to do it again.”
Although Black Jack 100 did not secure line honors, skipper Tristan Le Brun commended their unwavering determination and commitment to push through to the finish: “Ultimately, this is a team sport, and that’s the most crucial aspect. We were a solid team before the race, during, and even now after crossing the finish line, despite not achieving our desired outcome.”
Winning at the Rolex Middle Sea Race is not solely about trophies. Completing the course is never guaranteed. Most crews faced a minimum of five nights at sea, with constant risks of boat damage. Every sail hoist, navigational decision, and tactical choice carries significant weight.
This is especially true for those sailing double-handed, such as Czech sailors Milan Kolácek and Milan Tomek on the 36-ft (10.97m) Marina 21. After contemplating retirement from the race, they pushed through to claim victory in their class during their first offshore race together. Their story of resilience exemplifies the prevailing team spirit:
“The race tested our limits. At one point, we considered retiring due to exhaustion and a broken mainsail. We thought about returning to Valletta, but chose to continue towards Sicily, repair the sail, and then reassess our ranking. We are not ones to give up.”
Conquering challenges and achieving success collectively epitomizes all of the 600-nautical mile offshore classics backed by Rolex. The 2024 Rolex Middle Sea Race has clearly illustrated that an adventurous human spirit is a defining trait of offshore racing and is a cornerstone of Rolex’s enduring support for this timeless yachting discipline.
