Rolex Middle Sea Race: Mediterranean classic starts, "Black Jack" in the lead
Tatjana Pokorny
· 18.10.2025
The 46th edition of the Rolex Middle Sea Race has begun off Malta. 118 boats from 31 countries have started the 606 nautical mile Mediterranean classic. Among them are six German boats. Jens Kellinghusen's "Varuna VI" was in the top three in its IRC Class 1 in the evening.
The 46th edition of the Mediterranean classic is underway. This year, the Rolex Middle Sea Race will take more than 1000 sailors from 53 countries from Malta around Sicily and back to the Grand Harbour of Valletta. The fleet of 117 boats from 31 nations was led on the evening of the start day by the fast Reichel/Pugh 30 Custom "Black Jack 100".
Rolex Middle Sea Race: "Black Jack 100" in front
Led by co-skippers Tristan Le Brun and Jelmer Van Beek, the powerful 100-foot favourite in the battle for line honours in the monohull yachts lived up to her role at the start. In the multihull bullets, the Swiss "Allegra" with skipper Paul Larsen was initially in the lead.
The fleet initially made slow progress in light winds. This also applied to the two best of the six German-flagged boats that started. On Saturday evening, Jens Kellinghusen's "Varuna VI" (Norddeutscher Regatta Verein) held on to a place in the top three in its IRC Class 1 after a strong start in light winds. Only the Maxi 72 "Balthasar" with skipper Louis Balcaen and Ocean Race veteran Bouwe Bekking and the Judel/Vrolijk 62 "Whisper" were ahead of the Hamburg Ker 56.
At the same time, the "Red Bandits" on the borrowed Botin 56 "Black Pearl - Red Bandit" fought their way up to tenth place in their IRC 2 class. As their own boat is not yet fit for use again after the mast broke at the Admiral's Cup, the young crew borrowed the Botin 56 from their friend and inspirational Stefan Jentzsch, gave her a double name and is the defending champion with Carl-Peter Forster as skipper. The positions changed frequently on Saturday evening. There was much discussion before and at the start about the weather forecast.
Will the North African low hit the fleet on Sunday?
It was not yet clear on Saturday what the threat from an area of low pressure expected to leave the North African coast and move towards the course for the Rolex Middle Sea Race might be. The models were not in agreement. So it was still unclear on Saturday evening whether the gloomy picture of stormy winds and heavy rain on Sunday that had been painted the previous evening would have a direct impact on the racing yachts.
Adventure, endurance and camaraderie could then be high on the agenda. The organisers had these three values in mind back in 1968 when they launched the Middle Sea Race - since 2002 with title partner Rolex - in Malta. They also wanted to promote sailing in their home country. There are no fewer than 13 Maltese teams in the current fleet.
For these sailors, taking part is as much about performing well as it is about the pride of being part of the home game. Accordingly, the hosts let it be known: "Every finish adds a new page to the nation's seafaring heritage." Click here for the live tracker for the Rolex Middle Sea Race.
Guardians of tradition: the Royal Malta Yacht Club
The roots of the organising Royal Malta Yacht Club (RMYC) are much older than the race itself, dating back to the 1830s. The RMYC is the heart of the local sailing sport. Paul Ripard, John Ripard, Jimmy White and Alan Green were the visionaries behind the original idea of organising a regatta around Sicily, laying the foundations for the Mediterranean long-distance race that is known around the world today. The starting thunder of the Saluting Battery not only opened the regatta this Saturday, but also added another exclamation mark to Malta's honouring of its maritime heritage.
