We had local honors at the Rolex Middle Sea Race this year as Maltese boat Elusive 2 took the overall leadership in what was a very challenging 2019 edition. The overall winners crossed the line at 16:45 on Thursday 24th October to win the 40th edition of the Rolex Middle Sea Race.

It had been five years since we last saw a Maltese winner, as this notoriously competitive race has been dominated by winners coming from overseas. The crew of 10 was skippered by family members Aaron, Christoph, and Maya Podesta, with David Anastasi, Gareth Grech, Ben Pace Lehner, Andrea Crocella, Tom Zammit Tabona, Adrian Stone, Magnus Everskog complementing them.

The Podesta family has been an ever-present force in the race, with Arthur Podesta, somewhat of a local race legend, taking part in the very first edition back in 1968, and in fact was crowned winner together with 6 other sailors when they placed first with sailing yacht Josian. Arthur Podesta went on to win another 2 races, on board Tikka in 1970 and in 1983 with Saudade.

George David’s Rambler managed a fifth successive line honor, and this year’s largest competitor continues to hunt down the 2007 race record set by David himself, that of 47 hours and 55 minutes and three seconds… which stands for at least another year!

The start of the Rolex Middle Sea race seen from Senglea, as the medium-sized vessels navigated through tricky, near dead winds heading out of the Grand Harbour.

Sailing for Christmas

Where sailing is usually pictured in summer, under the blue skies and beating sun, the Christmas period can get you prepared for an amazing 2020. We’ve got a host of courses available for booking for 2020, and we think it might make the perfect Christmas present!

We often catch ourselves thinking “What am I going to buy him for Christmas… he’s got everything”.

The solution is to start a new hobby or fulfill a long-term ambition and give them the gift of sailing! Our Transport Malta Nautical Licence course is a firm favorite amongst our clients, but we offer plenty more.

If you feel your friend lacks experience, we can get him or her started from scratch with these courses

  • Start Yachting – Two days
  • Start Motor Cruising – One day
  • The Competent Crew sailing course lasts five fun-filled days

These short courses will ignite a fire in their belly and make them fall in love with life at sea but if you feel they already earned their sea legs then we have optimal courses for people who just need more experience out at sea.

  • The Day Skipper Practical Sail also lasts five days

The Day Skipper course is held on board a Beneteau Oceanis 411 and the skillset learned is phenomenal over the five days.

Sharpen your pilotage, navigation, seamanship and boat handling skills to a competent level on the vessel you prefer, a sailing boat or a motor cruiser. The minimum age of certification is 16 years old and group work will be required, so you will also be able to know how to deal with other people on board your vessel – an underated but vital skill!

Give them the gift of the wind this season.

Of course, we have a choice of several courses to pick from, depending on experience and requirement so it would be pleasure to talk to you about your requirements. Our Chief Instructor Rob is full of good ideas and is an excellent course teacher and sailor. We can take you or your loved one all the way from Start Yachting to RYA Yachtmaster level using the trusted RYA syllabus. More than 250,000 people use our accreditation system worldwide on a yearly basis, with tailor-made courses allowing you to grow into the sport at your own pace and budget.

If you are unsure about how your friend would fare out at sea then you can easily book us in for a charter, which can serve as the ultimate pre-course teaser, whetting their appetite for more days out at sea – and who knows, they can follow the great example of the Podesta family and end up taking part in Malta’s most spectacular racing event, the Rolex Middle Sea Race.

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