J/Teams Set for 2026 Rolex Middle Sea Race Around Sicily
(Gzira, Malta)- Hosted by the Royal Malta Yacht Club, the 47th Rolex Middle Sea Race starts on Saturday, October 17th. Set against the extraordinary backdrop of Malta’s Grand Harbour, the fleet will set sail beneath Valletta’s towering limestone bastions.
For most racers, the Rolex Middle Sea Race needs little introduction. The race starts and ends in Malta, with an offshore course that circumnavigates the spectacular volcanic island of Sicily, Italy. The 606.0nm journey starts at the Grand Harbor in Valletta, Malta, beneath Fort St Angelo and the Saluting Battery, then the fleet heads northeast along the coast of Sicily toward the Straits of Messina. You can usually spot Mount Etna and hear the volcano rumble, or so they say.
The course heads north from the Straits toward Stromboli, another active volcano, where the yachts then turn west toward the Egadi Islands. After reaching Favignana, the fleet heads south towards the island of Lampedusa with the island of Pantelleria on their port side. Once they pass Lampedusa, the fleet heads home toward Malta and finishes at Marsamxett Harbor.
The Rolex Middle Sea Race challenges both skippers and crews. Everyone has to be on their A-Game to cope with the demanding and often changeable conditions on the 606.0nm course. Amongst this year’s 94 entries are a half-dozen J/Teams spread over three divisions.
IRC 4 Division
This fourteen-boat fleet includes Sam Hall’s J/125 JACKKNIFE from Great Britain and the Croatian team on the J/111 MR J (Luka Novakovic and Marko Budisa).
IRC 5 Division
As the largest division in the race, the twenty-two-boat fleet will face a past podium finisher in the Middle Sea Race. Time will tell if Olivier Parchet’s J/122 NOISY OYSTER (sailed by Wiktor Kobryn & Artur Skrzyszowski) will follow in the great French sailor tradition and surprise everyone with a strong offshore performance.
IRC 6 Division
The second-largest division, with twenty boats, will see many veterans of the race hoping for their crack at the podium. Among the most inspiring Maltese entries is the Jarhead Young Sailors Foundation’s J/109 JYS JAN, giving young sailors a chance to tackle one of offshore racing’s great challenges.
Gary Mercieca will skipper the yacht in his fifth Rolex Middle Sea Race, with Jake Mallia, an experienced crew member, lining up for his fourth. This will be their third race together. Both started through the JYS program, and this year they are introducing a new group of younger sailors to the experience.
“I’m really looking forward to this year’s Rolex Middle Sea Race, as I do every year,” says Mercieca. “This year we have a fresh team of young sailors, with the youngest being 15. Although young, our crew makes up for its low average age by spending a lot of time together on the water, gaining experience before taking on this challenging race.”
The Foundation places particular emphasis on preparation, safety, seamanship and teamwork, with the race providing a demanding test of skills developed through extensive training. The team was recognized with the Italian Ambassador’s Trophy for Sportsmanship in 2024.
While results matter, the greater ambition is to give young Maltese sailors the confidence and experience to build a future in offshore racing.
Sailing photo credits: ROLEX/ Kurt Arrigo
For more ROLEX Middle Sea Race sailing information
https://www.rolexmiddlesearace.com/