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56 THE start of the Rolex Middle Sea Race is one of the most col- ourful and iconic moments in world sailing. THE Grand Harbour in Vallet- ta is akin to a stadium offering numerous vantage points both high and low and, of course, on the water. As the cannons of the Saluting Battery high up on the Sts Peter & Paul Bastion signalled each class start, thou- sands of spectators revelled in brilliant sunshine and the light breeze funnelling through the harbour. Organized by the Royal Malta Yacht Club, 107 yachts are competing in the 37th edition of the 608 nautical mile Rolex Mid- dle Sea Race. The first start, comprising the smallest and slowest yachts, showed the way for the rest. The boats starting close under the walls of the recently restored Fort St. Angelo quickly en- tered good breeze. The Italian M37, DHL-Adelasia di Torres, with Caterina Nitto at the helm grabbed an early advantage and led the f leet into open water fol- lowing a brave and confident piece of sailing to secure the fa- voured end of the line. The sec- ond start included Lee Satari- ano's Maltese J/122 Artie, which has won the race on two previ- ous occasions. However, Jamie Sammut's Solaris 42 Unica sail- ing double-handed grabbed lo- cal bragging rights as first Mal- tese boat to pass the breakwater at the mouth of the harbour. The most daring start of the day was pulled off by American skipper Clarke Murphy racing the Carbon Ocean 82 Aegir. A bold reaching start by the team at the pin end had the Maxi powering towards the f leet al- most at right angles. With right of way and perfect timing, Aegir crossed the line as cannon smoke billowed into the sky. Tacking into clear air, the powerful yacht stretched her legs and led the big boat f leet, including the line honours favourite, Rambler 88, out of Grand Harbour. The final start of the day was reserved for the three multi- hulls. With the monohull f leet clear of the starting area, Lloyd Thornburg's MOD70 Phaedo3 took the opportunity to prowl around the historic surround- ings prior to the start. It was like something from the movies as the futuristic multihull glided beneath the 16th century battle- ments. Of the three, Phaedo3 made the best start; Giovanni Soldini's MOD70 Maserati and Thierry Bouchard 's Multi50 Ciela Vil- lage, appearing more conserva- tive in their approach. At 16.00 CEST, five hours into the race, George David 's Ram- bler 88 leads the monohull f leet, and is just shy of Capo Passero at the south east corner of Sic- ily. Rambler 88 is slowing from her early pace, but her enormous masthead Code Zero with a staysail and full main has so far proved a ballistic combination. The American Maxi will now be concentrating on finding suffi- cient breeze to get them through the wind shadow of Mount Etna. Already past Capo Passero, Phaedo3 continues to lead the multihull f leet having blasted the passage between Malta and Sicily nudging 30 knots at times. With a f lat sea and a perfect wind angle, Lloyd Thornburg's team enjoyed ideal conditions for the first leg. The next stage along the eastern shore of Sic- ily towards the entrance to the Strait of Messina will prove more challenging with the wind expected to shut down over- night. For more information includ- ing blogs from competitors, f leet tracking, pictures and videos go to: www.rolexmiddlesearace. com maltatoday, SUNDAY, 23 OCTOBER 2016 Sport SAILING PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHRIS MANGION 2016 Rolex Middle Sea Race is underway