The Royal Malta Yacht Club will be hosting an event to celebrate the 50th Anniversary since the first edition of this epic offshore race took place in 1968.
The Rolex Middle Sea Race is a highly rated offshore classic, often mentioned in the same breath as the Rolex Fastnet, The Rolex Sydney - Hobart and Newport-Bermuda as a "must do" race which has welcomed so many professional and Corinthian sailors looking forward to testing their wits and will.
High profile boats from the world's top designers take part, most in pursuit of line honours and the record - competing yachts include the extreme Open 60, Riviera di Rimini; the maxis, Mistress Quickly, Zephyrus IV, Sagamore, Leopard of London and Rambler; and the pocket rockets such as the 41-foot J-125 Strait Dealer. In recent years multihulls such as Phaedo3, Maserati and Paradox have taken part and made history.
From South Africa to the United States, from Chile to New Zealand, the appeal of the Rolex Middle Sea Race is unquestionably broad, with over 30 countries represented in 2017.
The Rolex Middle Sea Race course record has only been broken on five occasions since the inaugural edition in 1968. The current record was established in 2007 and stands at 47 hours 55 minutes.