Competition Articles
The 2026 Chemical Riders event highlighted an exciting era for Eastern Mediterranean windsurfing, and is surfacing as a definitive turning point for the sport. Hosted in Haifa’s raw, industrialised ‘Tails’ beach, the event boasted what many describe as the best competition conditions ever recorded in the region. These included powerful 4-metre wave faces coupled with 30-knot winds that created a challenging yet highly entertaining showdown of skills.
The event was masterfully orchestrated by Moran Tapiro and Arnon Dagan. Their efforts showcased the rare power and consistency of Mediterranean conditions, further hinting that Haifa could potentially rise to a 4-Star Challenger World Cup status by 2027.
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.
