A Thrilling Tale of the 46th Rolex Middle Sea Race: Athletic Offshore Adventurers Tackle Historic Voyage

The iconic regatta set off from Valletta, the capital of the enchanting island of Malta, navigating the scenic 606-nautical mile course encompassing Sicily and two live volcanoes. The prestigious Rolex Middle Sea Trophy awaits the overall victor on corrected time. Over the years, a diverse array of yachts and crews has clinched this coveted title with the quickest vessels aiming for line honors. As it stands, the current monohull course record is a rapid-fire 40 hours, 17 minutes, and 50 seconds, set in 2021.

In 2025, the grandest yacht to traverse the ocean blue is the Black Jack 100, a 100-ft Maxi tipped as the front runner for monohull line honors. On the other end of the scale, the smallest yet equally fierce competitor is the 30.93m Farr 30 Calypso, skippered by Sebastian Ripard and Daniel Calascione.

The 5th day of the race brought its fair share of drama. With only 15 yachts securely moored, a staggering 85 out of the remaining 96 still battling the waves vie for the tournament’s chief trophy. The Balthasar, who crossed the finish line early Tuesday morning, held a tight grip on the lead. Despite having survived a couple of nail-biting moments, the seasoned crew, led by Louis Balcaen, knows the competition is far from over.

Each new day offers fresh challenges and unpredictable weather patterns, but one thing is certain: these sailors won’t give up the chase until it becomes mathematically impossible to clinch the top spot.