22 July was not a good day for the young "Red Bandit" crew. As the best German team at the Admiral's Cup, the juniors had to abandon the sails after their mast broke. They had two things in mind afterwards: To still make it to the starting line of the Rolex Middle Sea Race, which they won last year. And to aim for another Admiral's Cup participation in the long term, which would then lead to the end. They will realise both goals.
With "Black Pearl - Red Bandit" into the Rolex Middle Sea Race
After the mast broke in southern English waters in July, it quickly became clear that it would not be possible to take part in the Rolex Middle Sea Race with their own boat this year, so the "Red Bandits" looked into charter options while still in England. The owner of the "Black Pearl", Stefan Jentzsch, who has since become a good friend, agreed to a very favourable and supportive agreement directly on site.
Now the young "Red Bandit" crew will be competing in the Rolex Middle Sea Race this weekend with the Botin 56 "Black Pearl - Red Bandit". Moriz Forster and the team have been in Malta's Grand Harbour since the middle of the week, getting to know the offshore rocket that they will be sailing from Saturday. Only the South African navigator Marc Lagesse will be joining them from the "Black Pearl" regular crew.
"We had our first day of training yesterday and came straight into a huge dark black thundercloud with 35 knots of wind. We left the jib and mainsail up and sailed at 35 knots of wind. We were all impressed by how well the boat could cope," says Project Manager Moriz Forster.
Why winning will be so difficult this time
The "Red Bandits" - Honoured with the German Offshore Award in 2023 - know that it will be more than difficult to defend the title they won last year in the Rolex Middle Sea Race. "You have to be realistic. It's almost impossible to win. To win a race like this, you have to be at an incredibly good level yourself and be familiar with the boat. And on top of that, you have to have a bit of luck - then you might win the race. Without these building blocks, it's actually impossible in a field like this," explains Moriz Forster.
Due to the limited training time and the lack of knowledge about how the borrowed boat works in detail, Moriz Forster says there is little chance of victory. "Of course, we are still here to fight for victory. That's how you have to go into a race: expect nothing, but give everything," says Moriz Forster, emphasising the motto. And this too: "The 'Black Pearl' needs slightly different conditions than you typically have here in the Mediterranean. It's not the perfect platform because it needs a bit of pressure. But it's really cool to be on a boat that is seriously suitable for offshore sailing and was built for it."
The crew enjoys "really dry sailing", but also has to overcome challenges when getting to know each other. Moriz Forster reports: "Of course, it's a bit more difficult with all the hydraulic systems on the boat. You have to be careful. Many people on the boat have no experience with hydraulics. You have to be careful. Virtually every system is hydraulically controlled. That requires different communication and a bit more understanding of how much load you can put on where."
Slow-motion racing at the 46th edition?
'Black Pearl - Red Bandit' is built more for powerful offshore racing and less for flat Mediterranean conditions. While the wind forecasts for the Rolex Middle Sea Race at the beginning of the week still promised a crisp race, they have now largely collapsed. A rather slow race was expected for the start on Sunday.
For the "Red Bandits", the most important thing is to maximise their learning for the future. While a new mast is being built for their "Red Bandit", the crew is already planning for the medium and long term. "We would like to sail the Sardinia Cup next year and are looking for a team partner. Then the Admiral's Cup in two years' time. That is absolutely certain. We don't want to take the risk of not competing properly again. It's a very exciting task to really have two years now to prepare for a regatta," says Moriz Forster, giving an outlook.
The Admiral's Cup 2027 is our North Star." Moriz Forster
Jens Kellinghusen's Ker 56 "Varuna VI" is also at the start of the Rolex Middle Sea Race. "A very interesting boat. It's right next to us. It's an absolutely radical boat. With a canting keel, definitely not the right one for the Mediterranean, but equipped with everything you need for a Sydney-Hobart or a Transat. But a boat like this is always highly competitive. I believe that ten to fifteen boats can snatch the overall title here. I would say it's one of the best years in terms of opponents," says Moriz Forster.
Many favourites in the battle for overall victory
Forster mentions boats such as the J/V-TP52 "Final Final", the Django team with its Botin 52, the TP52 "Arkas Blue Moon", the Maxi 72 "Balthasar", Niklas Zennström's Carkeek CF 520 "Rán" and other contenders in the battle for overall victory in the Rolex Middle Sea Race. "The harbour is full of top-performing offshore boats. Whoever wins this year: respect! Hats off!" says Moriz Forster.
The Rolex Middle Sea Race 2025 starts on 18 October (Saturday) at 11 am. In the Grand Harbour of Valletta, 119 participating crews from all over the world are preparing for the race. The starting line is between the Saluting Battery and Fort St Angelo. Spectators on site can enjoy stunning views from the historic fortifications. Elsewhere in the world, fans can Track the fleet by satellite. For smart devices, the YB Races app can be downloaded from the App Store.
