Rolex Middle Sea mirrors the Fastnet
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Article Date: 2007-10-22
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This year's Rolex Middle Sea Race is following the pattern of the Rolex Fastnet, as crew after crew is forced to retire, while Rambler, the race leader draws further and further out in front.
After a trouble-free start in Malta, problems started to set in when the fleet reached the coast of Sicily, and by Sunday afternoon some 22 yachts had retired, including four of the race's major players - Titan 12, Valkyrie, Whisper and British challengers, Ourdream.
Thirty-five teams are still racing, but Rambler, skippered by Ken Read, has pulled away into what seems to be an unchallengeable lead and looks set to break the course record of 64 hours 49 minutes and 57 seconds, set by Robert McNeill's Zephyrus IV in 2000.
While Rambler seems to be eating up the rough conditions, they proved to be too much for some - Sonke Stein, owner of the Ker 11.3 Kerisma, which retired in the early hours of Sunday morning, said: "Basically we were not having fun anymore. We looked at each other and said let's head for port."
He added: "We're a very light boat and even though the winds were about 25-knots it was the confused seas and rain that really hurt us.
"The seas were very difficult and heavier boats were probably at an advantage. Big waves from nowhere would stop us completely."
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