Rolex Middle Sea Race 2024 in Malta

The Rolex Middle Sea Race is held every year in October. This classic race starts from Malta’s spectacular Grand Harbour at the capital city of Valletta. It attracts around 100 participating yachts. The start of the race is breathtaking and can be watched from any of Valletta’s bastions. The Rolex Middle Sea Race attracts some of the world’s most high profile crews and boats to the island.

Race Route

The start line spans along Grand Harbour, from Saluting Battery to Fort St. Angel. After leaving the Grand Harbour in Malta, boats head to Sicily, towards the Strait of Messina, one of the hardest parts of the route due to wind conditions. The yachts then continue on to the Aeolian Islands, to Stromboli, then pass through the Egadi Islands, Islands of Pantelleria and Lampedusa, and return to Malta to the Marsamxett Harbour, located to the north of Grand Harbour. This circular route is around 606 nautical miles )1,125km) in length, and the shortest time to cross it is almost two full days, with the outright record being 33 hours and 29 minutes.

Landmarks Along the Course

The participants pass by two volcanoes on their way to the finish line. One of them is visible near the Strait of Messina—the active volcano Mount Etna, located on the east coast of Sicily. The second volcano, Stromboli, is also active and is situated on the north coast of Sicily, visible during the second part of the course. The Comino island at the end of the route offers breathtaking views of its Blue Lagoon and golden beaches.

Race Program

While the main race is set to take place on October 19 at 11 am, there are several events prior to that. The Yachting Malta Coastal Race takes place on October 16 at 10 am and is a perfect opportunity for those sailing to explore the waters and weather before the main event. The route spans along the eastern coast of Malta and begins and finishes at the Marsamxett Harbour. On October 17, yacht and regatta crews have a chance to unwind and interact at the Rolex Middle Sea Race Crew Party at 8 pm. After the main race on October 19, participants are invited to the Prize Giving Ceremony at Xara Lodge on October 26 at 12 pm.

Ways to Watch the Race

The entire race is annually live-streamed on the event's social media, including YouTube and Facebook, with organizers releasing press releases leading up to the race and once per day during the race. If you're in Sicily or Valetta, Malta, you have a chance to witness the start of the competition from Grand Harbour or any other points on the route.

Participant Feedback

Rove.me reached out to several participants and spectators of the Rolex Middle Sea race to ask about their experience. We wanted to find out what they thought about the organization of the course, the track's difficulty, and their overall impressions of the event. We specifically asked if they would recommend the Rolex Middle Sea Race to others.

Lyuben Todorov from Bulgaria, who participated in both 2022 and 2023 editions of the Rolex Middle Sea Race as the bowman of the 52-foot boat Chocolate 3, owned by François Bopp, said, "The Rolex Middle Sea race is an amazing course, incredibly beautiful, from the boats to the landscape with the islands and volcanoes. Every year, there is a different challenge." He mentioned that his team is mainly composed of young Bulgarians. Last year, they had a great opportunity to sail with and learn from Bouwe Bekking and Steve Hayles, veterans of Volvo Ocean Races.

Lyuben shared some challenges posed by the course to the participants, "In 2022, it was not an easy race for us as we broke two sails, causing a massive delay in key moments between the wind transitions. The wind overall was quite light, but when it wasn't, it caused us a lot of damage. In 2023, we had a very strong start and were moving quite nicely along the course, but after Lampedusa, the wind died, and we couldn't get into the next transitions. This cost us the first place in the IRC (International Rating Certificate) overall."