George David’s American Maxi Rambler takes Monohull Line Honours

As the 40th Rolex Middle Sea Race entered its fourth day, the southeasterly breeze that has filled the western half of the course has started to play a part in determining the outcome of the 606nm offshore classic. This morning at 08:13 CEST, George David’s American Maxi Rambler was first to cross the finish line. Rambler 88, as she is often referred to, has now taken Line Honours in the Rolex Middle Sea Race five years in a row, a feat unsurpassed in the 50year history of the race.

Further back on the track, the gates opened late last night for the portion of the fleet previously held up to the east of Palermo; those yachts on the fast track towards Lampedusa, at the southernmost corner of the course. For the remainder, over half of the 113 boats that set off last Saturday from Grand Harbour, the situation north of Sicily is improving slowly, but light winds persist. With Rambler tied up on the dock, the clock is ticking for those with aspirations for the overall win, but the race is far from over.

Yachts now in the south-easterly will be pushing hard all the way to the finish. With the wind expected to increase over the next 24 hours, the yachts will be in for an uncomfortable ride. Once they turn left at Lampedusa, onto the return leg to Malta, they will no longer be on the wind, but the reach home will be a wild one.

Once firmly ashore, this morning, the Rambler crew celebrated in style at the Royal Malta Yacht Club, and with good reason. Securing five consecutive line honours wins in any offshore contest is a serious achievement. Sailing a Maxi yacht hard in race conditions puts everything under immense pressure, from the equipment to the crew, both those that are racing and those on shore. Getting around the racetrack in one piece in each of the past five years is a mark of the commitment, dedication and skill encased within the Rambler programme.

Rambler’s victory in the race to be first home has been so comprehensive this year, that David has a fighting chance of lifting the Rolex Middle Sea Race Trophy for the best corrected time under IRC. As Rambler eased around the northwest corner of the course yesterday morning, everyone else was at a virtual standstill. By the time Rambler rounded Lampedusa, no other monohull had yet passed Favignana. It has been 12 years since David last won this race overall. In 2007, with the 90ft former-Rambler, David achieved a treasured treble of line honours, overall victory and the race record. Having set the bar for the remaining 97 boats racing under IRC at the 2019 race, all David can do now is sit back and wait.

This year’s race was another largely light wind affair for the American crew. The need to do well in such conditions had been addressed over the winter.

The four-time America's Cup winner and tactician on Rambler, Brad Butterworth, spoke about the strategy during the 2019 Rolex Middle Sea Race.

With TSS (marine Traffic Separation Schemes), affecting in the strait, boats need to plan carefully their approach to the narrow passage.

The passage to Stromboli has been historically difficult according to Butterworth, who was delighted that this year the boat did stop. Speaking of the crew and the Rambler programme, Butterworth expressed his appreciation.

Maltese Focus

All eleven Maltese boats racing have passed Stromboli, the most northerly point. Leading on the water, Lee Satariano's HH42 Artie

III is over 40 miles ahead of their nearest Maltese competitor. Artie III is one of the fastest Maltese boats ever to take part in the race and it will be a wild, wet ride on the carbon-fibre flyer racing upwind. Expected to round Lampedusa at around midnight, Artie will then crack sheets onto a screaming reach towards the finish.

Behind Artie, two close battles are raging. The Podesta family racing the First 45 Elusive II are revelling in the upwind conditions and now lead the pack chasing Artie. Elusive is in close company. Sean Borg's Xp44 Xpresso is less than a mile behind, while another Xp44, Xp-act, is a further mile back. The 14-year-old Richard Schultheis is undoubtedly receiving some valuable lessons on his race debut from co-skipper, the highly experienced Timmy Camilleri.

Jamie Sammut's Solaris 42 Unica has also rounded Favigana. Twice in the last three years, Sammut has been forced to retire at this point on the course. Unica is currently nine miles behind Jonathan Gambin's Dufour 44 Ton Ton Laferla Insurance which, in turn, is having a great battle with Ramon Sant Hill & Melle Boersma's Farr 45 Comanche Raider III.

The Gabriella Mifsud skippered J/109, JYS Jan, leads a second flotilla of local boats still battling away on the northern Sicilian coast. In the last 24 hours, the allwomen team has pulled out a 14mile lead over their immediate rivals, J/109 JYS Jarhead. Jonathan Camilleri Bowman's First 40.7 Maltese Falcon II is well-positioned close to the rhumb-line and hoping to beat the two J/109s to Favignana. Impressively, Andrew Agius Delicata & Matthew Gabriele, racing the Reflex 38 Vivace, double-handed are keeping up with their fully crewed Maltese rivals.