Rolex Middle Sea Race

The Rolex Middle Sea Race is a 606 nautical mile long, anti-clockwise course originally started by a healthy dose of rivalry between members of the Royal Ocean Racing Club and the Royal Malta Yacht Club in 1968.

Set during the autumn months, the unpredictable weather demands that each sailor brings some serious commitment and tenacity with them to the start line. Previous years have seen gentle light winds setting out, only to be ending in thunderstorms, or having massive squalls wiping out half the competition. You just never know what you’re going to get.

The race itself starts from the Grand Harbour, beneath the Saluting Battery in Valletta, before heading north along the eastern coasts of Sicily. The infamous Mount Etna is usually visible on the fleets’ port side, then up towards the challenging Straits of Messina. From there it’s north to the Aeolian Islands and the second active volcano of the course, Stromboli, where the yachts turn west along the northern coast of Sicily, to the Egadi Islands. From here, it’s south towards the island of Lampedusa, then northeast on the final leg towards the South Comino Channel and the finish at Marsamxett Harbour.

Included in the price will be up to 4 days of pre-race training and prep and also the Coastal Race that starts bright and early in the morning on Wednesday.

Plan

*SUBJECT TO CHANGE*
Day 1 - 13th Oct 2025: Arrival and Training
12:00 – Safety briefing, familiarisation and boat prep. Before setting off, everyone will also take part in cleaning and organising the boat to ensure she is ready for the journey ahead.

Day 2 - 14th Oct 2025: Training Day
Training and prep for the Middle Sea Race

Day 3 - 15th Oct 2025: Coastal Race
10:00 – This gives the crew a good opportunity to familiarise themselves with the Maltese waters. There are a number of courses that the Coastal Race might follow around the islands of Malta, Filfla, Comino and Gozo, and all will give a great taste of what’s to come.
In the evening at 19:30hrs, the Prize Giving Ceremony and the Owner’s Reception is held.

Day 4 - 16th Oct 2025: Crew Party
20:00 – the Crew Party is the perfect place to relax and let your hair down before all the hard work starts. A place to renew friendships and make new ones. Plus, a great way to check out the competition!

Day 5 - 17th Oct 2025: Briefings
18:00 – The Weather Briefing followed by the Skipper’s Briefing.

Day 6-12 - 18th - 24th Oct 2025: The Rolex Middle Sea Race begins
09:00 – 13:00 – starting gun

Day 13 - 25th Oct 2025: Prize Giving Ceremony
With all the boats safely back, the Prize Giving commences from 12:00hrs.

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Other information

All crew members are welcome, even if they do not know the language spoken on board (english)

Full joining instructions will be provided once booked, however, please feel free to ask any questions you may have.

Price includes: Race Entry, Yacht Charter, Accommodation on board (shared cabins), Meals at sea (self service), Certified Professional Skipper, Basic Training, Consumables for the yacht (diesel, fuel and water), Mooring Fees, Insurance for the yacht, Lifejacket, Personal locating beacon

PRICE DOESN'T INCLUDE: Airfares, Meals offboard, Transfers airport-marina-airport, Shore based accommodation, Wet gear, Personal insurance (we recommend Topsail). please see our website

Next dates

4.5 · 3 reviews

European Mile Builder Leg 6: Malta to Gibraltar

Exceptional, complete, hard and demanding. A challenge that requires the capacity for suffering, the navigation is continuous without respites or stops, guard changes every 4 hours, warm bed. IT IS AN EXPERIENCE TO REPEAT after recovery

Reply from Germaine

Thank you for your kind words, we really appreciate having you on board and the skipper Will speaks very highly of you.

All the best
Germaine

European Mile Builder - Leg 3: A Coruna to Gibraltar