The Rolex Middle Sea Race – one of the Mediterranean’s most prestigious offshore sailing challenges – is currently underway, bringing together sailors from around the world for an endurance test that begins and ends in Malta.

First established in 1968 through the friendly sporting rivalry between two British yachtsmen living in Malta, Alan Green and Jimmy White, and two Maltese sailors, Paul and John Ripard, the race is renowned for its demanding 606-nautical-mile (1,125km) course and unpredictable weather conditions.

Starting from Grand Harbour, between Valletta’s Saluting Battery and Fort St Angelo in Birgu, competitors head north towards Sicily’s Capo Passero, through the narrow Strait of Messina, and around the active volcano Mount Etna – one of the most technically challenging stretches of the course.

Among those taking part this year are Maltese siblings Andrea and Angele Vella, who are sailing together onboard Lunz Am Meer, a 1984 Swan 651.

Mr Vella, who has been sailing for over a decade, said this year marks his fifth Middle Sea Race, and his second time aboard Lunz Am Meer. “I started on dinghies at Vikings Sailing Club and began racing on keelboats about six years ago,” he tells WhosWho.mt. “We are racing with a mixed crew where a majority of the crew are Maltese, Italian, Canadian, Austrian and Spanish, totalling 15 onboard.”

He explains that the crew includes the boat’s owner, his son, and several friends, “along with well-seasoned Maltese sailors and a couple of young enthusiastic sailors for whom this will be their first Middle Sea Race.”

This edition is particularly meaningful for Mr Vella, as it marks the first time he is racing alongside his younger sister. “Sailing is a sport where you truly experience mother nature’s full might,” he said. “Be it painfully slow nights or vicious gale-force winds which truly put the crew and boat into survival mode. It’s all down to the crew to adjust for the varying conditions to keep the boat and themselves safe.”


Andrea Vella (fourth person from the left) and Angele Vella (far right) with the crew. 

Mr Vella describes these moments as “an adrenaline-fuelled ride which I and all the other sailing junkies can’t get enough of.” However, he acknowledges that it’s not an easy sport to pursue.

“One of the biggest challenges of the sport is funding as it’s a very expensive sport to be competitive at, especially for youngsters and up-and-coming sailors. The other problem is that it’s very time-consuming both on and off the water between training, races and maintenance,” he adds.

Looking ahead, he says he is aiming for a better result this year, while acknowledging the challenges of a new crew dynamic. “As this was a boat I was already familiar with, I was and still am looking for a better result than the previous year, but with a very new crew to the boat and even to each other, this was definitely going to be something to overcome.”

For Ms Vella, this marks her third Middle Sea Race, and she expressed excitement about the diverse experience and teamwork on board. “I was very ecstatic to join a crew where each member brought such a variety of sailing experience with them to the table, as it was a sure thing that it would be a learning experience, and a definite test of endurance,” she said.

“The opportunity to combine all of our sailing knowledge and put the boat and ourselves to the test was certainly too enticing to resist for all of the crew,” she continues.

Their crew includes Riccardo and Leonardo Genghini, Lorenzo Perego, Pol Oses Talamas, Giovanni De Lazzari, Steve Carter, Andrea and Angele Vella, Ramon Sant Hill, Nicky Vassallo, Luke Rausi, Andre and Daniel Fenech, Jason Saunderson, and David Isaac.

As the race continues, the Vella siblings’ shared passion for sailing and teamwork reflect the enduring spirit of camaraderie and adventure that has defined the Rolex Middle Sea Race for over half a century.

Main Image:

RMYC / Karl Miggiani

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Written By

Nicole Zammit

When she’s not writing articles at work or poetry at home, you’ll find her taking long walks in the countryside, pumping iron at the gym, caring for her farm animals, or spending quality time with family and friends. In short, she’s always on the go, drawing inspiration from the little things around her, and constantly striving to make the ordinary extraordinary.