News From GC – Neil Sargeant

BEWARE – VOLVO DRIVERS
Our club members are involved in such a wide range of sailing activities from racing to cruising, in a variety of craft from off the beach dinghies and foils to large keel boats. Now that travel is possible, many are venturing overseas whether for serious competition, delivery trips, or leisurely exploring. Let me to tell you about an upcoming adventure that several members of our club are soon to embark on.
First a question…What does sailing in the Mediterranean, Royal Malta YC, RBYC and Volvos all have in common?
Welcome to this years 606NM Rolex Middle Sea Race hosted by Royal Malta YC.
Mainly from RBYC we have approx 10 sailors signed up as part of 24 crew on board “Hypr”, a Volvo 70 that travels the world taking part in major Ocean races in the Northern hemisphere.
This newsletter item is the “anticipation” picture. After the race in October I look forward to providing the “reality” update 😉
Luckily we have 4 professional sailors as part of our 24 crew – so the rest of us are there purely for a relaxing trip around the Med.
Actually that’s not quite what the brochure says. Instead it stresses the importance of appropriate insurance and having completed a Sea Survival Safety Course!
The idea hatched over 2 years ago when some of us planned to charter an X46 to compete in the race on our own terms. Then Covid happened allowing us time to reflect and assess other options.
As most of you know a Volvo 70 is a serious machine capable of speeds in excess of 30knots. The boat supplies crew with PFDs and tethers, but I think I might sneak on board my own tether, PLB and MOB AIS as well.
Common knowledge is that the Med can really throw up (bad choice of words) some extreme weather conditions, then again it could be champagne sailing all the way – we can but wish 🙂
The sign up process was relatively simple just needing to provide a resume of your sailing experience and a 50% deposit. I was surprised there were no “doctors certificates” or physical ability requirements. All that was stated was “the ability to move around the boat”. No doubt you will see a number of us frequenting the gym more often in coming weeks to shed the kilos and improve fitness.
When we arrive we are up for 2 days of “training” and a short costal race. At the end of the training I am told there is a possibility that some crew may assessed as not suitable – ouch!
Luckily the crew party for all crews is scheduled a full two days before the race start.
The race itself starts 11am local time Sat 21/10/23 with about 120 starters ranging from 110ft maxis, several super fast multies down to some smaller keelboats. Current race record stands at just under two days.
The race track is basically a giant circle starting under the cannons of the historic Grand Harbour in Valetta then heading up through the straits between Italy and Scilly, past a couple of live volcanic islands before finishing back in Valetta.
The pic below was taken in 2021 off the island of Stromboli just north of Scilly
For those interested you can track our progress via https://www.rolexmiddlesearace.com