Rolex Middle Sea Race
Valletta (Grand Harbour) · Malta → Italy
2026 · Overall · IRC
- 2BalthasarLouis Balcaen
- 1Django 7XVasco Vascotto & Giovanni Lombardi Stronati
- 3Daguet 5FRA
- Type
- Offshore · 606 nm
- Boats
- Rated yachts
- Usually
- October
- Next
- Oct 2027 (usual month; dates not announced)
- Organiser
- Royal Malta Yacht Club (with RORC)
- Waters
- Central Med
- First held
- 1968 · 58 years ago
- Course record
- 1d 16:17:50Comanche (Mitch Booth), 2021 · monohull
- Multihull record
- 1d 09:29:28Argo (Jason Carroll), 2021
The course
Round course · 606 nm · as sailed in 2026
- SGrand Harbour, Valletta (Saluting Battery – Fort St Angelo)Start
- 1Capo PasseroMark · 55 nm leg
- 2Strait of Messina (exit at Punta del Faro)Mark · 98 nm leg
- 3Stromboli / StrombolicchioMark · leave to port · 35 nm leg
- 4Favignana (Egadi Islands except Marettimo left to port)Mark · leave to port · 150 nm leg
- 5PantelleriaMark · leave to port · 74 nm leg
- 6LampedusaMark · 90 nm leg
- 7South Comino Channel (Comino)Mark · 94 nm leg
- FMarsamxett Harbour entranceFinish · 10 nm leg
Organiser's course Straight lines between the marks, not the track boats sail. Named marks sit at the named island or cape, not on the exact rounding line. For planning and interest; the sailing instructions decide.
Start in Grand Harbour, finish off Marsamxett Harbour; course is the same each year.
| Year | Winner (handicap, corrected) | Line honours (first home, elapsed) | Boats | Wind and sea | Toughness | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 202617 Oct 2026 – 23 Oct 2026 | Django 7XOverall · IRCVasco Vascotto & Giovanni Lombardi Stronati | Black Jack 1002d 03:51:00 | 107 | N 4.6 kn, gusts 19.2waves up to 0.92 m | 51 | Official |
| 202518 Oct 2025 – 25 Oct 2025 | BalthasarOverall · IRCLouis Balcaen | Black Jack 1002d 17:44:07 | 117 | W 7 kn, gusts 30.1waves up to 1.34 m | 60 | Official |
| 202419 Oct 2024 | Red BanditOverall · IRC4d 18:55:17Carl-Peter Forster | Scallywag 1002d 21:33:29 | 112 | W 7.4 kn, gusts 30.9waves up to 2.7 m | 57 | Official |
| 202321 Oct 2023 – 28 Oct 2023 | BullittOverall · IRCAndrea Recordati | Leopard 32d 12:50:56 | 110 | W 9.8 kn, gusts 32.5waves up to 1.94 m | 67 | Official |
| 202222 Oct 2022 – 29 Oct 2022 | Teasing MachineOverall · IRC | Leopard 370h 34m 08s | 118 | NW 5.8 kn, gusts 19.2waves up to 0.84 m | 52 | Official |
| 202123 Oct 2021 – 30 Oct 2021 | ComancheOverall · IRC3d 06:30:20Mitch Booth | Comanche40h 17m 50s | 114 | E 14.9 kn, gusts 34.4waves up to 3.08 m | 79 | Official |
Line honours go to the first boat home, on elapsed time. Overall winner is the best on handicap (IRC or ORC corrected time), so they are often different boats. Wind is the daily mean at the start venue over the racing days; gusts and waves are the highest of those days. Open-Meteo historical weather (ERA5) and marine APIs, CC BY 4.0; venue point only, not the full course.
Won it most
- Elusive 22023 · 2024 · 20263yrs
- Balthasar2024 · 20252yrs
- Black Jack 1002025 · 20262yrs
- Leopard 32022 · 20232yrs
- Zephyr2024 · 20252yrs
Boats that won here (overall, line honours or a class) in two years or more.
Podiums and class winners
2026 · 20 results
ProvisionalSources: myrmyc.rolexmiddlesearace.com, giornaledellavela.com, rolexmiddlesearace.comAs published by the organiser; we copy places, not scores.
- LHBlack Jack 100 · Tristan Le Brunel. 2d 03:51:00
- LHCalamity · Kimmo Nordstrom
- 1.Django 7X · Vasco Vascotto & Giovanni Lombardi Stronati · ITA
- 2.Balthasar · Louis Balcaen
- 3.Daguet 5 · FRA
2025 · 14 results
ProvisionalSources: giornaledellavela.com, rolexmiddlesearace.comAs published by the organiser; we copy places, not scores.
- LHBlack Jack 100 · Tristan Le Brunel. 2d 17:44:07
- 1.Balthasar · Louis Balcaen
- 2.Django Deer · ITA
- 3.Daguet 5 · FRAprovisional
- 1.Django Deer · Giovanni Lombardi Stronati · ITA
- 1.Chenapan IV · Gilles Caminade · FRA
- 2.Artie III · Lee Satariano · MLTprovisional
- 3.Soleag · Jean Yves Thomas · FRAprovisional
- 1.Ton Ton Laferla · Jonathan Gambin · MLT
- 2.Nola · Taavet Hinrikus · ESTprovisional
- 3.Ars Una · Giulio Cafaro · ITAprovisional
- 1.Noisy Oyster · Nikki Henderson · GBR
- 1.Zephyr · Simon Toms · GBR
2024 · 19 results
ProvisionalSources: yacht.de, rorc.org, rolexmiddlesearace.comAs published by the organiser; we copy places, not scores.
- LHScallywag 100 · David Witt · HKGel. 2d 21:33:29
- 1.Red Bandit · Carl-Peter Forster · GERel. 3d 12:22:37 · corr. 4d 18:55:17
- 2.Teasing Machine · FRA
- 3.Kuka 3 · SUI
- 1.Balthasar · Louis Balcaenprovisional
- 2.Luckyprovisional
- 3.Scallywag 100provisional
- 1.Red Bandit · Carl-Peter Forster · GERprovisional
- 2.Teasing Machineprovisional
- 3.Kuka 3provisional
- 1.Long Courrier · Géry Trentesaux · FRAprovisional
- 2.BeWildprovisional
- 3.X-Dayprovisional
- 1.Elusive 2 · Aaron, Christoph & Maya Podesta · MLTprovisional
- 2.Yagiza · Nikki Hendersonprovisional
- 3.Dajenu · Marco and Isacco Cohen · FRAprovisional
- 1.Calypso · Seb Ripard & Dan Calascione · MLTprovisional
- 1.Zephyr · Simon Toms · GBR
- 1.Lucenteprovisional
2023 · 18 results
FinalSource: rolexmiddlesearace.comAs published by the organiser; we copy places, not scores.
- LHLeopard 3 · Chris Sherlock · MONel. 2d 12:50:56
- LHLimosa · Alexia Barrier · FRAel. 2d 02:10:42
- 1.Bullitt · Andrea Recordati · ITA
- 2.Red Ruby · Christina & Justin Wolfe · USA
- 1.Red Ruby · Christina & Justin Wolfe · USA
- 1.Bullitt · Andrea Recordati · ITA
- 1.Daguet 3 · Frédéric Puzin · FRA
- 1.Elusive 2 · Aaron, Christoph & Maya Podesta · MLT
- 1.Karpo · Maks Vrecko · SLO
- 1.Red Ruby · Christina & Justin Wolfe · USA
- 1.Red Ruby · Christina & Justin Wolfe · USA
- 1.Limosa · Alexia Barrier · FRA
- 1.Chocolate 3 · François Bopp · SUI
- 1.Daguet 3 · Frédéric Puzin · FRA
- 1.Bewild · Renzo Grottesi · ITA
- 1.Red Ruby · Christina & Justin Wolfe · USA
2022 · 16 results
FinalSources: sail-world.com, rolexmiddlesearace.comAs published by the organiser; we copy places, not scores.
- LHLeopard 3 · Chris Sherlock · NEDel. 70h 34m 08s
- LHMana · ITAel. 61h 32m 38s
- 1.Teasing Machine · FRA
- 2.Spirit of Lorina
- 3.Wild Joe · Márton Józsa
- 1.Wild Joe · HUN
- 1.Spirit of Lorina · FRA
- 1.Teasing Machine · FRA
- 1.Ino XXX · GBR
- 1.Albator · FRA
- 1.Tevere Remo Mon Ile · ITA
- 1.Mana · ITA
- 1.Wild Joe · HUN
- 1.Freya · IRL
- 1.Tevere Remo Mon Ile · ITA
2021 · 6 results
FinalSource: nautica.newsAs published by the organiser; we copy places, not scores.
- LHComanche · Mitch Booth · CAYel. 40h 17m 50s
- LHArgo · USAel. 33h 29m 28s
- 1.Comanche · Mitch Booth · CAYcorr. 3d 06:30:20
- 2.Sunrise · GBR
- 3.Daguet 3 – Corum · FRA
- 1.Argo · USA
Race metrics
Toughness
Compare all races- Wind 9.8/308.2 kn mean
- Gusts 9.2/1527.7 kn
- Sea 9/201.8 m waves
- Distance 24.5/25606 nm
- Duration 10/108 days
How the score works
Our own index, not an official rating. Five inputs, each scaled to its share of 100: mean wind (up to 25 kn → 30 points), strongest gust (45 kn → 15), highest waves (4 m → 20), course length on a log scale (700 nm → 25) and days of racing (7 days → 10). Wind and waves are ERA5 reanalysis at Valletta (Grand Harbour) (Open-Meteo) on the race days, so an offshore course can see more than the venue does. A missing input counts as zero and is marked. Roughest edition we hold: 2021 (79).
Weather calendar · Valletta (Grand Harbour)
Month by month at the venue, 2021–2026 (ERA5 and marine reanalysis). Race months in orange.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mean windkn | 11.3 | 10.3 | 11.3 | 11.0 | 9.1 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 7.8 | 8.4 | 9.5 | 10.5 |
| Windy days% ≥ 20 kn | 24 | 18 | 19 | 23 | 10 | 2 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 13 | 19 |
| Wavesm, daily max | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.2 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.9 | 1.1 | 1.4 | 1.6 |
| From | W | W | W | N | NW | NW | NW | NW | W | NW | W | NW |
Typical wind at Valletta (Grand Harbour)
Mean knots by month, 2021–2025. Race months in full colour.
Where the wind comes from
Share of days by direction in Oct.
Fact sheet
For press, partners and sponsors: the race in a dozen lines, from published sources. Copy it whole; please keep the source line.
- Race
- Rolex Middle Sea Race
- Kind
- offshore sailing race from Valletta (Grand Harbour), Malta
- First held
- 1968
- Editions on record
- 6 since 2021
- Typical fleet
- 113 boats (107 in the latest edition)
- Nations in the results
- 15
- Course
- 606 nautical miles
- Course record
- 1d 16:17:50, Comanche (Mitch Booth), 2021
- Latest overall winner
- Django 7X (2026)
- Organiser
- Royal Malta Yacht Club (with RORC)
- Next edition
- usually Oct 2027
- Official site
- https://www.rolexmiddlesearace.com
Results as published by the organiser Weather: Open-Meteo, CC BY 4.0 Dates as announced
Sources
- rolexmiddlesearace.com — official site: registration open for 2026, 47th edition, start Sat 17 Oct 2026
- class40.com — 2026 Notice of Race (Class40 copy)