Rolex Middle Sea Race: Final of the classic race against a volcanic backdrop
Tatjana Pokorny
· 22.10.2025
The line honours have already been awarded in the Rolex Middle Sea Race, but the bulk of the fleet was still sailing four days after the start. Light winds have slowed the field considerably in this 46th edition. The monohull race record set by the 100-foot yacht "Comanche" in 2021 with 40 hours, 17 minutes and 50 seconds could only be dreamed of this year.
"Black Jack 100" takes line honours in the Rolex Middle Sea Race
Although the line-honours favourite "Black Jack 100" was the first boat to cross the course relatively quickly, it still took 2 days, 17 hours and 44 minutes and 7 seconds to complete the 606 nautical mile course from Malta around Sicily and back. Owner Remon Vos could hardly have been happier and said. "Winning the Rolex Middle Sea Race is very special. It's a great race and a significant achievement for the team and for the boat."
Skipper Tristan Le Brun was also satisfied with the performance and his team's successful realisation of their role as favourites: "Winning the Rolex Middle Sea Race is always a great achievement in a sailor's career. For all of us as a team, it is the first time with the 'Black Jack' and we are very proud of it." With no other maxi yacht of similar size or performance at the start, the battle for line honours was less fierce this year than in previous years.
After several modifications, the Reichel/Pugh 30 Custom "Black Jack 100" has nevertheless demanded quick learning and a great deal of flexibility from her crew. Tristan Le Brun said: "This boat is very complex and it is a triumph to complete the course with one hundred per cent success. This year's edition of the Rolex Middle Sea Race has brought no disappointments. It was convincing in every respect."
Rolex Middle Sea Race: light winds, tough tasks
The Line Honours winner's view of the weather: "The wind was challenging at times, there was a lot of rain on the first night, difficult wind conditions north of Sicily and light winds on the way south. We sailed for several hours with someone up the mast to find the wind so we could stay ahead of 'Balthasar', who performed fantastically and finished not too far behind us."
The Maxi 72 Mills "Balthasar", which is around nine metres shorter and crewed by skipper Louis Balcean and Ocean Race veteran and tactician Bouwe Bekking, put the team on "Black Jack 100" under pressure from the start. After the starting signal, the blue maxi flew straight towards the Grand Harbour exit like an arrow from a crossbow. With a series of headsails, including an impressive "BRO" (Red.: Blast Reaching Zero) from North Sails, this was a moment in the public spotlight that belonged entirely to the Balcaen crew.
In the intermediate classification of the ongoing race, "Balthasar" even led the calculated IRC overall standings on Wednesday afternoon after a sailed time of 2 days, 22 hours and 33 seconds. This resulted in an IRC time of 4 days, 17 hours, 20 minutes and 41 seconds. This means that "Balthasar" clearly beat the IRC time of "Black Jack 100" (5 days, 7 hours, 11 minutes, 52 minutes).
"Balthasar" with consistency to overall IRC victory?
"Our consistency was the key to success," said Bouwe Bekking. "The crew of the 'Balthasar' have been together for a long time. Many of the team have already sailed around the world, so we know each other very well. We make our decisions early on, adapt quickly and trust each other completely."
This is how they coped with the extremely uncomfortable start. Bouwe Bekking said: "The first twelve hours were brutal - torrential rain, poor visibility and a lot of trimming in wet equipment - but we stuck together, kept the boat moving and remained patient." Louis Balcaen also praised the crew's quick and precise decisions.
The trained Belgian helmsman and multiple circumnavigator said: "When we left the harbour, we made the tactical decision early on to stay north of the rhumb line. This decision helped us to avoid a heavy storm that caught a large part of the fleet. The conditions were difficult - lots of rain, endless wind shifts and plenty of stress. It may have looked easier from the outside, but mentally it was tough. You couldn't let your concentration slip for a second."
"Red bandits" stumbled, but did not fall
Louis Balcaen continued: "The contrast towards the end of the Rolex Middle Sea Race was extraordinary. Earlier, in the transition zone north of Pantelleria, we got a call from the Tunisian coastguard wanting to know what we were doing so close to their coast! On the way back from Lampedusa we had 14-15 knots of crosswind and from there it was a fast, exciting ride home."
The "Red Bandits" on the borrowed "Black Pearl - Red Bandit" had made it a little more difficult for themselves. They got stuck in a transition phase right at the start of the race on the way to Messina. "Most of the good boats got out earlier or sailed round it," reported Moriz Forster. His conclusion: "It was a lot of fun, but we had quite a race to catch up."
In the end, the bot 56 "Black Pearl - Red Bandit", borrowed from Stefan Jentzsch, finished in ninth place with a sailed time of 3 days, 14 hours, 22 minutes and 15 seconds. The value of this for the overall IRC ranking was still open. They were initially in ninth place, and seventh in the IRC 2 class. Moriz Forster and the crew around skipper Carl-Peter Forster experienced the strengths and weaknesses of the Botin even more clearly on the water than they had already suspected before the start.
"Varuna VI" fastest German boat
Moriz Forster said: "The boat finds it very difficult to cross under ten knots of wind. At over ten knots, it really gets going. In the end, we were able to catch up well." The company's own TP52 "Red Bandit", which lost its mast at the Admiral's Cup in the summer, is expected to be ready for action again in the spring with a new mast.
The "Red Bandits" have set their sights on taking part in the ORC World Championship in the Italian region of Sorrento near Naples for the coming season. They are still looking for a partner for the Sardinia Cup.
Even before "Black Pearl - Red Bandit", Jens Kellinghusen's "Varuna VI" had crossed the finish line of the Rolex Middle Sea Race as the strong sixth and fastest German boat. They had completed the great Sicily Round after 3 days, 12 hours, 4 minutes and 32 seconds. On Wednesday afternoon, the Kellinghusen team was initially in eleventh place in the ever-changing IRC overall list with a calculated time of 5 days, 7 hours, 37 minutes and 36 seconds. In their IRC 2 class, this was worth fourth place for the Ker 56 for the time being.
Click here to see the results, which appear either as a "Line Honours" list or calculated according to IRC. The results of the other German participants can also be found here.
