The 87 skippers of the Mini Transat Eurochef, the classic of ocean sailing with the Mini 6.50, left today from the Canaries. There is the second stage to run, 4,000 miles and routes from Santa Cruz de la Palma (Canary Islands) to Saint Francois (Guadeloupe). Beautiful regatta. Only that along the way we have lost something. The ranking has been revised at the table, after the controversy over the weather alert, and something does not add up.
Ah, the Rolex Middle Sea Race, the classic of the high ground in the Mediterranean, is also officially over. The regatta is celebrated in two phases, one counting the arrivals in real time, the other those in compensated time (formula that allows different boats to compete). In real, Argo in multihulls and Comanche in monohulls have won, with records. And in plywood? Complicated. There were some announcements of virtual victories, then withdrawn because given the very harsh weather conditions, the course of the regatta was shortened during the race – never mind who had arrived -, so as to force the race committee to review the times. Sunrise, who had won, found herself the loser without doing anything. And on board they chew bitter.
There are two cases of “correct” sailing. The man on the ground shuffled the cards that were played in the water, in the face of the weather and the risk. Yes, but in this way everything seems to move away from reality.
Acrobatic Building by Alberto Riva (V. Olivaud)
The fake Mini?
It had happened during the first stage that the organization had given a weather alert. “Watch out for 50 knots”. The fleet had stopped, except for a few, who had continued. In particular, the case was opened on the young German Melwin Fink, who had felt he could do it and had continued to sail. He was attacked, accused of being clever: the fleet had agreed to stop. Then they left again, even a little haphazardly, but in the meantime Fink had won the first stage in the Serie A.
The organizers, who if nothing else have lost control of the regatta, have remedied with a questionable patch, after having rejected the request for cancellation of the stage advanced by the skippers. In practice, they gave a 24-hour bonus to all those who had stopped, to be subtracted from the arrival time (it is important: you win the Mini Transat by accumulating the times of the two stages); bonuses which they then revised for some. In short, not exactly linear. Fink still won, but with a lead of only 1 hour 52 minutes over Hugo Dhallenne, who was “promoted” to second. Further back, the Italian Alberto Riva, who was first in the race at the time of the weather alert and who after finishing in 12th place moved to 11th.
“The procedures were not correct. There was no hearing from the race management, nor the opportunity to speak to anyone. Once it was admitted that there was an error on the part of the management, as far as I’m concerned the stage had to be canceled ”says Alberto Riva, who runs on EdiliziAcrobatica.
Oh well, in the meantime they left today. In the proto Thomas Grandin is ahead, the Italian Matteo Sericano is 15th. In the series, in front of Leo Debiesse, with second the Italian Giovanni Mengucci. Staying on the tricolor, Giammarco Sardi is 14th, Massimo Vetteroni 20th, Riva 35th, Francesco Renella 44th, Luca Del Zozzo 53rd. For the record, Fink is 33rd.
Comanche (K. Arrigo)
The shorter Middle
For the first time in 53 years of history, the Rolex Middle Sea Race course has been changed, shortened by 12 miles due to weather conditions that made entry into Marsamxett Harbor, where the finish line had been pulled, dangerous . Thus, the regatta management decided on an alternative finish line at the entrance to the Comino Channel.
Mocked the JPK 11.80 Sunrise of Brit Thomas Kneen, who at his arrival on Tuesday 26 October was the winner in compensation, then on the morning of Wednesday 27 the picture changed. While 19 boats were still in the race (and others had taken refuge in safe havens, in view of the Medicane), onshore the times of all boats were revised using the alternative finish line. Ergo, Comanche’s compensated time, winner in real time and at the alternate finish in three days six hours 30 minutes and 20 seconds, determined that this incredible boat was just over an hour faster than the runner-up and nearly four hours ahead of Daguet 3 – Corum in third position.
“First of all, the RMYC must consider the safety and well-being of those participants who are still at sea. The rule was written specifically in anticipation of severe forecasts from the north-east, which would have made entry to the port of Marsamxett extremely dangerous. For this reason we made the call, which was announced to all competitors, both finished and in the race, in compliance with the rules ”, explains Peter Dimech, Principal Race Officer of the Royal Malta Yacht Club.
Of course they are not happy aboard Sunrise. “The international jury refused to reopen our hearing. The problem could have been solved by maintaining the finish line where 69 boats arrived and compensated the 19 boats that arrived on the alternative line with a bonus on times”.
This will not affect the race records set by Comanche and Argo, which remain. They are valid because they are recorded on the 606 miles of the original route and on real time.