Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1178700
maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 23 OCTOBER 2019 20 SAILING SPORTS AS the 40th Rolex Middle Sea Race entered its fourth day, the south-easterly breeze that filled the western half of the course started to play a part in determining the outcome of the 606nm offshore classic. Yesterday morning at 8.13am CEST, George David's Ameri- can 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 unsur- passed in the 50-year history of the race. Further back on the track, the gates opened late on Monday 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 thos with aspira- tions 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 uncomfort- able 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 con- secutive line honours wins in any offshore contest is a seri- ous 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, ded- ication 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 cor- rected 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 mono- hull had yet passed Favignana. It has been 12 years since Da- vid last won this race overall. In 2007, with the 90ft former- Rambler, David achieved a treasured treble of line hon- ours, overall victory and the race record. Having set the bar for the remaining 97 boats rac- ing under IRC at the 2019 race, all David can do now is sit back and wait. "That's the win for line hon- ours, but we still have competi- tors on the racecourse. For the overall, we have a shot at it, but we will have to wait and see," commented the experienced David. "The closest boats are 180 miles behind us now; it all depends on the weather. Too often we have seen the wind build from behind and the smaller boats sail into us with stronger breeze." 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 win- ter. "Rambler is much improved since a year ago," said David. "We have a new mast and a new keel: the boat is a tonne and a half lighter, which is a huge difference. That has im- proved our light wind perfor- mance substantially, if not dra- matically." "This is a great race with great scenery and challenging condi- tions," continued David. "It was tough because it was so easy to park up. It was challenging to keep it all together. We take huge satisfaction in taking line honours for the fifth consecu- tive time, and also protecting the record that we set in 2007." The four-time America's Cup winner and tactician on Ram- bler, Brad Butterworth, spoke about the strategy during the 2019 Rolex Middle Sea Race. "From a tactical point of view this race is hard because there are a lot of parts to it," he com- mented. "As the highest-rated boat in a light airs race, every time we stop it is very costly. Getting into the coast on the east of Sicily was hard this year and the exit from the Strait of Messina was also very impor- tant." With TSS (marine Traffic Separation Schemes), affect- ing in the strait, boats need to plan carefully their approach to the narrow passage. "We chose the mainland side at Messina, which was good for us," explained Butterworth. "The boat was going really well in the light air, and we made it out of the strait just as the cur- rent turned against us." The passage to Stromboli has been historically difficult ac- cording to Butterworth, who was delighted that this year the boat did stop. "After Strom- boli, we did a really nice job staying offshore and kept in the breeze," he went on. "By the second morning, we had made it to Trapani. We needed to put in a couple of gybes just to stay in pressure during the transition into the new breeze. Our navigator, Andrea Visin- tini, did a really great job at this crucial time." Speaking of the crew and the Rambler programme, But- terworth expressed his appre- ciation. "The crew on this boat have been together for a long time, we love this boat. George is fantastic and he sails the boat very well," said the New Zea- lander. "It is great to have the opportunity, nothing is left out. This boat is fully optimised and is a potent weapon. If we have won the race overall, it will be a big thing for everybody on the boat. This is a nice race to win line honours, but to win overall would be the icing on the cake." Rolex Middle Sea Race Rambler 88 takes line honours Rambler 88 (Photo: Rolex/ Kurt Arrigo)