Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1163844
30 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 8 SEPTEMBER 2019 SPORTS SAILING AS this year's entry reaches three-figures yet again, the island state is more than pre- pared for the annual 'invasion' that accompanies the Rolex Middle Sea Race. 2019 marks the 40th edition of this Medi- terranean classic and the or- ganiser, the Royal Malta Yacht Club, is excited by the depth and breadth of the 102 boat fleet committed so far. It is typical for the 606nm offshore race to receive a rush of entries in the final weeks before clos- ing the list, this year on 27 Sep- tember, and hopes are high for another bumper entry. And, with the race start on Saturday, 19 October, there are 50 days left for crews to be fully ready. Looking at the current list, some 24 nations will be repre- sented on the start line. There is the distinct prospect of more come October, with 29 countries present among the record 130 boat fleet of 2018. So far, British yachts lead the way with 19 entries, includ- ing Tala, David Collin's IRC 52 and Sam Matson's Cookson 50, Riff Raff – both sitting in one of the favoured size brackets from the past 10 years. Next, the Italians and French have 15 boats apiece, including some inspiring names: Géry Trente- saux and the crew of Courrier Recommandé (FRA) will look to repeat their magnificent Rolex Middle Sea Race victory of 2018; and Marco Paolucci, a past winner of the Rolex Gira- glia, is racing Libertine (ITA). The headline entries both rep- resent the United States: Da- vid and Peter Askew's Wizard, fresh from overall victory at the 2019 Rolex Fastnet Race, and George David's 27-metre (88-foot) Rambler, odds-on fa- vourite to add a fifth successive line honours title to her envi- able record. With 11 entries, Maltese rep- resentation may not be the largest in the history of the race, but it is definitely stronger than in recent years. This week, Ramon Sant Hill's experienced Comanche Raider III became the event's 100th entry. All eyes will be on Lee Satariano's formidable Artie III, the all- carbon Judel/Vrolijk designed HH42 expected to light up the racecourse. The Artie team has won the race twice, in 2011 and 2014, with local-legend, Chris- tian Ripard as co-skipper. Sa- tariano's crew will not be the only Maltese entry with their sights the highest honour. The Podesta family's Elusive 2 is a perennial threat. Jointly skip- pered by three siblings –Chris- toph, Aaron and Maya – the team's best finish was third overall when racing under the stewardship of the late, great Arthur Podesta. Before his un- timely passing in 2015, Arthur had competed in some 36 edi- tions of the race and has suc- cessfully passed on his passion and his competitive edge. "This will be my 19th race, with our best result coming in 2007," comments Maya. "It's a love af- fair with what, essentially, is a great race. You can't not keep coming back! And for us, it's no longer just doing the race, we've taken it to the next level to try to keep up with the ever- increasing competition." Timmy Camilleri is another name to look out for. Em- barking on his 26th race, this time as co-skipper with Josef Schultheis of Xp-Act, whose best finish was second overall in 2014, Camilleri has experi- ence of winning the Rolex Mid- dle Sea Race as crew on four occasions. Ton Ton Laferla Insurance entered by Jonathan Gambin may be more of an outside tip for victory. Rolex Middle Sea Race sets sail in 50 days