Spirit of Malta – Champions, Challengers and a New Generation

With around 80 Maltese sailors competing in the 47th Rolex Middle Sea Race, the home fleet brings former overall winners, ambitious challengers and generations of sailing heritage to one of the world's great offshore races.

When the cannons fire across Malta's magnificent Grand Harbour on Saturday 17 October, Maltese sailors will be among the 108-boat fleet setting out on the 606-nautical-mile Rolex Middle Sea Race. Eleven yachts form the officially registered Maltese contingent, while several local sailors are participating in the wider international entries alongside crew from over 50 countries.

Maltese sailors have tasted victory since the first edition in 1968, and the Rolex Middle Sea Race is woven into the island state’s sporting heritage. The ambitions of this year’s draft extend well beyond celebrating that history. Among the home entries are multiple overall winners, last year's leading Maltese yacht on corrected time, experienced campaigners with new boats and young sailors determined to fulfill their childhood dreams.

Maltese Champions Target Another Victory

The crew of Vivace, led by Andrew Agius Delicata and Matthew Gabriele, returns with a clear objective: defending the Arthur Podesta Trophy, awarded to the first Maltese yacht on IRC corrected time. Victory in 2025 was the result of sustained preparation, and the Reflex 38 team continues to refine the boat for another competitive campaign.

Competition, as always, will be formidable, not least from two Maltese campaigns that have previously reached the pinnacle of winning the Rolex Middle Sea Race Trophy.

Lee Satariano, himself a two-time overall winner will race his HH42 Artie III, carrying the experience of four-time overall winner Christian Ripard for his record 36th participation. Ripard and Satariano won overall together and the team continues to analyse each edition to identify improvements.

"If you don't learn every time you go out sailing, whether it's a race or not, you're doing something wrong," says Ripard, recognising the extraordinary demands of a course where changing winds and tactical decisions can transform the standings. "Every 50 to 60 miles in the Rolex Middle Sea Race you turn a corner and you have different conditions," he explains. "There's no rest at all. You don't just sit on the rail, and you are just as likely to hoist your biggest spinnaker as your storm sail."

Another formidable Maltese contender is Elusive 2, sailed by siblings Maya, Aaron and Christoph Podesta, who achieved consecutive overall victories in 2019 and 2020. Their success was built on years of sustained training, close teamwork and detailed preparation. Maya recounts how the family have optimised the boat and themselves for offshore racing, learning to extract performance in widely varying weather conditions. For 2026, the team returns with much of its established crew.

The Podestas' achievements are inseparable from their family history. Their father Arthur competed in 35 editions, beginning with the inaugural race in 1968 which he won as part of the Josian crew, and introduced his children to sailing from an early age.

"Looking back, I think my dad always had this vision in his head that he wanted to keep us together," says Maya Podesta. "He set the foundation for us to sail together, and that means that we have so much in common. It keeps us in touch, it keeps us working together, and it keeps us united."

The 2026 edition carries particular significance for the Ripard family following the death this summer of race co-founder John Ripard Sr, winning skipper of the inaugural race. Five of his grandchildren—Sebastian and Thomas Ripard, Daniel and Marc Calascione, and Luke Scicluna—will race together aboard the Farr 30 Calypso, alongside Saul Vassallo and Kris Borg Nicholas.

At 9.44 metres, Calypso is the smallest monohull in the fleet. Her crew faces an exceptionally demanding challenge, but this is a race with a powerful family connection.

"This will be a special year for us," says Sebastian Ripard, a winning crew member himself on more than one occasion, "This year the race is very closely linked to the collective memory of our grandfather."

Experience and New Ambitions

Jonathan Gambin returns aboard the Dufour 44 Ton Ton Laferla for his 19th consecutive Rolex Middle Sea Race, having won his IRC class in 2025.

"You can prepare well, sail well and make good decisions, but the weather—and a little luck—will still have the final say," he says.

For other Maltese competitors, 2026 brings the excitement of racing different yachts. Kevin Pisani Zammit has acquired the Farr 36 Amuni, moving on from his previous campaign aboard Dimm. Purchased only months before the race, the boat has required intensive preparation involving a mix of regular crew and experienced sailors that are new to the campaign.

"She's an old-school boat, but we like old-school boats," says Pisani Zammit. "She should be a bit faster."

Luis Azzopardi returns for his third participation, this time with an all-Maltese crew aboard Kixx Me, making the yacht's Rolex Middle Sea Race debut. Stefan Debattista prepares for his 19th race and third as skipper of Geisha MeDirect. Following upgrades to the yacht's instrumentation, the team is focusing more closely on technical sailing, calibration and performance data.

Meanwhile, Noel Grech's Gozo Dream welcomes Melanie Handschin as its first female crew member, adding another dimension to the familiar Gozitan campaign.

The Corinthian Heart of the Race

Royal Malta Yacht Club Rear Commodore Mario Debono returns with Seven, a Grand Soleil 46 replacing his long-serving Janissah. His international crew represents the Corinthian spirit that has always been central to the race.

"You don't necessarily need a million euro campaign," says Debono. "Sail 606 miles around Sicily with your friends, face everything the race throws at you, and then cross that finish line back in Malta and tell me you don't feel as though you've won something."

For Debono and many other competitors, finishing the Rolex Middle Sea Race is an achievement in itself, irrespective of the results.

JYS Jan – The Next Generation

Among the most inspiring Maltese entries is the Jarhead Young Sailors Foundation's J/109 JYS Jan, providing young sailors with an opportunity 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 out through the JYS programme, 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 recognised 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.

The Meaning of Racing at Home

From former champions chasing another victory to newcomers tackling the race for the first time, Malta's contingent represents the remarkable breadth of local offshore sailing. The Grand Harbour start is a spectacle and atmosphere shared with the international fleet, but returning to Malta carries a particularly powerful meaning for the home crews.

Even after 35 completed editions, Christian Ripard describes that feeling simply.
"You do feel a sense of pride—that you've done the race and you're finishing back home, and you have all your family and friends watching," he says. "Home is always home."