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Cercle Nautique de la
Commission Européenne asbl
(Sailing Club of the EU Institutions)
Participation of a CNCE crew in the 2015 Rolex Middle Sea Race
Dates: 14 October – 24 October 2015
This is an opportunity to take part in the Rolex Middle Sea Race, one of the most
prestigious offshore races alongside the Rolex Giraglia, Rolex Fastnet and the
Rolex Sydney Hobart. We will charter and crew a fully equipped racing yacht in
Malta with a professional skipper and co-skipper.
PROGRAMME:
Wed 14.10
Thurs 15.10
Fri 16.10
Sat 17.10
Wed 21.10 or Thurs 22.10
Sat 24 .10
Travel to Malta
Boat preparation, race briefing and
training.
Evening: RMYC crew party
Race and weather briefing, crew
meeting and dinner
Race start from Valletta (11h00)
Race finish in Valletta
Prize Giving and crew party
Afternoon: Return to Brussels
THE RACE COURSE (608MILES):
The Rolex Middle Sea Race takes off from the historic harbour of Valletta heading
northeast towards southern Sicily. The fleet sails up the east coast of Sicily
towards the Straits of Messina, rounds the volcanic island of Stromboli and turns
west towards Palermo, on the western side of Sicily. Past the Egadi islands,
yachts will head south towards Pantelleria, before leaving the island of
Lampedusa to port and sail the last leg approaching Malta from the west. The
course is 608 miles long and will take 4 to 5 days to complete, depending on
weather conditions.
Course Map:
MORE INFO:
Rolex Middle Sea Race website
YouTube: Rolex Middle Sea Race 2014 (6:34)
YouTube: Rolex Middle Sea Race 2014 (24:07)
THE BOAT:
Dufour 44 Performance
Year of build: 2008
LOA: 13.35m
Category: IRC Class 4
TCC: 1.091
Owner: Malta Charters
MINIMUM SAILING EXPERIENCE:
Moderate
Mandatory requirements: team-spirit, positive character, stamina
-
You don’t need to be an expert sailor, but applicants should be fairly
experienced. (Applications will be evaluated and approved on a case-bycase basis).
Sailors will work in a team under the skippers’ guidance. Ensuring boat
and crew safety, besides efficient racing, will require crew to obey orders
from the skipper.
The race will last 4 to 5 days with NO possibility of going ashore unless
we have to retire from the race (i.e. due to adverse weather)
We will also be racing at night-time, so a sailing schedule will be
organized around mandatory shifts, ensuring all crew get a fair amount of
sleep.
Competitive offshore racing is a unique experience and great fun but it
requires stamina. Make sure you have what it takes before you sign up for
this!
PARTICIPATION COST:
EUR1800 per participant
Included
Chartered yacht (race-ready and expertly tuned before the race) complete with
full wardrobe of racing sails (Mainsail, Jibs Nos 1, 2, 3, 4, Code 0, light, medium
and heavy gennakers, storm sails)
Offshore safety and navigation equipment
Full yacht insurance (does not include personal insurance crew members may
wish to take out)
Crew training, briefing and preparation
All food and water during the race
Onshore storage of personal items during race
Royal Malta Yacht Club race participation fees (gives access to crew party,
commemorative T-shirt etc)
Excluded
Flights and accommodation before and after the race. There are direct flights
from Brussels (Zaventem) to Malta. Cheap accommodation can easily be found
close to the Royal Malta Yacht Club and boat berthing spot.
MAXIMUM NUMBER OF CNCE PARTICIPANTS:
9 (not including skipper & co-skipper)
PERSONAL ITEMS TO BRING:
Light clothing & warm clothing for night sailing (layers)
Foul weather gear
Sunscreen, sunglasses, and hat
Seasickness pills
CAN CREW SLEEP ON BOARD WHILE THE BOAT IS ASHORE?
No. We will need to find alternative accommodation while on shore, before and
after the race. Unlike cruising yachts, racing boats are very Spartan on the inside
to save on weight and the boat will not be equipped to host the crew unless
during the race (No pots and pans, forks and knives and not enough beds, and
with lots of sails taking the space). Living on board will make the last-minute
boat tuning and preparations, including mandatory inspections by race
scrutineers, next to impossible.
WEATHER:
Unpredictable
The Rolex Middle Sea Race takes place at a time when the weather system in the
central Mediterranean is difficult to predict. It would still be warm in October,
with temperatures sometimes still well into the 30s. But a fall in pressure during
the race may quickly bring stormy conditions clocking up to 45kts of wind! This
is what happened in 2014 when two-thirds of the fleet retired due to extreme
weather. Similar conditions that occurred in 2007 are described here in detail by
US veteran skipper Ken Reed. In other years, however, the fleet had mild
conditions with light winds playing a big part in determining winners and losers.
Rounding Stromboli island (northern Sicily), in a light breeze
DEADLINE FOR ENROLLING:
30 June 2015
The club needs a firm commitment from at least 7 participants by this date. If
this minimum is not reached, the trip may be cancelled.
INFO AND REGISTRATION:
Massimo Farrugia
massimo.farrugia@ep.europa.eu
0476570318