To say that the Rolex Middle Sea race completely screwed the pooch in this edition of the race would be alarmingly accurate, figuratively speaking.  Read this article which we published yesterday for the story. Below is what Sunrise navigator Tom Cheyney had to say… It is our understanding that  Sunrise received a three-minute standing ovation at the prizegiving last night. There was a cringeworthy speech from a Rolex representative about the integrity of the race and you could have cut the tension in the room with a knife. 

69 boats finished the full racecourse. 23 were still racing when the course was shortened. Approximately 24 hours after we finished a notice was issued stating that an alternative finish was to be used. The sailing instructions do have a section describing how the race might be shortened at Camino (the strait between Malta and Gozo) 13 miles before the finish and without rounding the final mark of the course. The PRO acknowledged that he’d never intended to use 11.3 after a boat had finished.

SI 11.3 doesn’t amend the RRS on how to shorten the course (see RRS 86). The RRS is pretty clear that you can’t shorten the course after a boat has finished (RRS 32). I completely understand the safety aspect of this but I’m a pretty strong believer in the decision to race, and the weather was never that severe.

My issue is the timing and that I don’t believe the SIs allow them to shorten the course after a boat has finished…

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What sporting event changes the rules after a large proportion of the competitors have finished? Well, apparently one that does is the Rolex Middle Sea Race.

I read about the actions of the Royal Malta Yacht Club the Organising Authority of the Rolex Middle Sea Race backed up by an International Jury with more than a small element of disbelief. The facts of the case as I have read them are that after 69 boats had correctly started, sailed the course and finished the Royal Malta Yacht Club decided to shorten the course.

RRS Rule 32.1 lists a number of reasons a Race Committee can do this. Foul weather, lack of wind making it unlikely any boat will finish, a missing mark or any other reason directly affecting the safety or fairness of the race.

Make no mistake, there is nothing in RRS 32 that allows shortening after a boat has finished and nothing in the SI’s that states 2.2 is changed’ The fact that 69 of the fleet finished with Comanche setting an incredible course record proves beyond any shadow of a doubt that NONE of the conditions listed in RRS32.1 (a-d) were satisfied.

In addition, RRS 32.2 states “The shortened course SHALL (note the use of the imperative) be signalled BEFORE the first boat crosses the finish line. In this case 69 boats had crossed the finish line when the course was shortened (by some 13 miles I understand)(It only needs one to satisfy RRS 32.2)

The action of the Race Committee affected, I understand, 6 of the top 10 finishers including Rolex Fastnet Race winner Sunrise which was on for the ‘double’.

The Race committee’s erroneous action was taken more than 24 hours before the published time limit although long after several boats had started, sailed the course and finished as per the RRS definitions. If it was that gnarly in the harbor approaches those poor unfortunates could have stood off, hove to until the conditions moderated as many boats in past races elsewhere have had to – but no!

Although RRS 32 is a rule which RRS 86.1 (b) allows to be changed, a ‘key word’ search for ‘shorten’ in The Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions, and Appendixes produced no results.

With reference to any alternative finish line the only mention is in SI 11.3 which, quite specifically allows for such a variation if severe weather prevents boats from entering the Malta harbor to finish. SI’s 11.3 however it DOES NOT state this changes RRS 32.2 therefore the race, the competitors AND the Race Committee were all still bound by RRS 32

Naturally, boats affected by this cavalier action protested (actually probably through an application for redress).

The International Jury (I wonder how they reached their decision) found that the actions of the Race Committee did not break any rules. Perhaps there was not a question on the wording of RRS 32.2 in their IJ exam. It is rather surprising as the Jury drawn from GBR, USA, CAN, GER all had over a decade of experience although the 5th member was not an IJ

SI’s 11.3 shortened the course by around 13 miles so they could have done so before Comanche arrived back in Malta – after that, sorry the combination of the RRS & SI’s meant that option was no longer legitimately open to the Race Committee, clearly no one like Clouds Badham on the RC who could have perhaps forecast such a possibility

So then RRS32.2 still stands that a course SHALL be shortened before the first boat crosses the finishing line. No reason for the exception is quoted in the rule so there are no exceptions.

I would suggest that ANY boat of the 69 that finished the full course and had their position detrimentally affected by this retroactive decision by the Royal Malta Yacht Club, most particularly Sunrise which, according to the rules achieved the ‘double’ of the Fastnet and Middle Sea would be particularly ‘miffed’.

And what about poor Comanche? Of course, they won but next year there will be another winner and they just become one on the list while their outstanding race record time would doubtless have stood for many years to come….

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This morning, Monday 25 October, the racing maxi, Comanche (CAY), skippered by Mitch Booth, crossed the finish line of the 2021 Rolex Middle Sea Race to take Monohull Line Honours in record time…

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One of our Anarchists made the statement that this was “The worst sailboat ad of all time.” We call total bullshit on that. First, the boat is a cool little thing. Second, they are targeting a market segment that they think might like one of these. So we can all agree that this isn’t the worst sailboat ad ever (see what I did there?)  So if this isn’t, what is? Jump in the thread.

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The New York Yacht Club appear to have had enough of the ‘will they won’t they’ manouvers by Emirates Team New Zealand as they search for a venue for the 37th America’s Cup…

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An exciting final day in Palermo, Italy, saw medals awarded in all four categories at the 2021 Hansa World Championships…

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Daniela Moroz USA leads after winning all three of her flight races Britain’s Katie Dabson is in third place First day of the Formula Kite Worlds at the Marina di Torre Grande in the Gulf of Oristano, was delayed by a postponement due to the absence of favourable wind, only the women were able to…

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