Malta welcomes a world-class fleet for the 2025 Yachting Malta Coastal Race
by Rolex Middle Sea Race Media 13 Oct 21:41 AEDT
15 October 2025
Yachting Malta Coastal Race © Alex Turnbull / RMYC
The 2025 Yachting Malta Coastal Race sets sail from Marsamxett Harbour on Wednesday 15 October, marking the traditional warm-up for the Rolex Middle Sea Race, which follows on Saturday 18 October.
Generously supported by Yachting Malta, this short but competitive coastal race offers teams the chance to fine-tune both boat and crew before the main event.
This year's edition has attracted a stellar international line-up of 47 teams representing 15 nations from Malta to Australia and the USA, and throughout Europe. The fleet captures the true spirit of offshore racing: the power and precision of professional grand-prix teams alongside the passion and Corinthian determination of club racers. The Yachting Malta Coastal Race has established itself as a showcase of international talent and a fitting prologue to the Rolex Middle Sea Race, one of the world's greatest 600-mile classics.
The Yachting Malta Coastal Race fleet will compete in six IRC classes plus an overall winner after time correction. The exact course is to be confirmed.
The fleet: From Maxis to Minis
At the top end of the spectrum, the largest yachts are the Vismara 80 Luce Guida (Jean-Michel Caye, France) and the Baltic 78 Lupa of the Sea (Fabio Cannavale, Italy). At the opposite extreme, Maltese duo Seb Ripard and Dan Calascione will skipper the nimble Farr 30 Calypso, the smallest yacht in this year's fleet.
Among the frontrunners for overall honours, Louis Balcaen's Mills 72 Balthazar (Belgium), runner-up in 2024, returns as a strong contender, while the Volvo 70 Ocean Breeze (Johannes Schwarz, Austria) can be considered among the contenders for line honours.
Legends and Classics in IRC 3 & 4
The legendary 74ft ketch Stormvogel, skippered by Malta's Tommy Ripard, returns to Maltese waters. Designed by Van de Stadt, Stormvogel famously took Middle Sea Race line honours in 1968 and 1969. She'll line up alongside another classic, the Swan 65 Lunz am Meer (Malta), a veteran of 11 Middle Sea Races.
In IRC 4, diversity reigns. From Sean Borg's Cape 31 Jubatus, Malta's high-performance flyer, to Jonathan Gambin's Dufour 44 Ton Ton La Ferla, a proven veteran who missed class victory by just seven seconds last year.
Defending Class champions Christoph, Aaron & Maya Podesta return with their Maltese First 45 Elusive 2 to face stiff international opposition, including Taavet Hinrikus' MAT 1220 Nola (Estonia), Michael O'Donnell's J/121 Darkwood (Ireland), Sam Hall's J/125 Jackknife (Wales), and Caner Dinlenc's xP44 Gazelle (USA).
Rising talent and Corinthian spirit
In IRC 5, Ripard & Calascione's Calypso will again represent Malta's proven generation of offshore talent, taking on a cosmopolitan mix that includes Marko Budisa's J/111 Mr.J (Croatia), Jeremi Jablonski's Hanse 430 Avanti (USA), Malcolm Roe's Swan 48 Grace of Sydney (Australia), Maks Vrecko's Karpo Elan 450 (Slovenia), and Jan-Patrick Lehmann's x-482 Fly (Germany).
The largest class this year is IRC 6, featuring 14 entries and the youngest all-Maltese crews from the Jarhead Young Sailors Foundation racing their twin J/109s Jarhead and JYS Jan. Other local entries include Andrew Agius Delicata's Reflex 38 Vivace, Mario Sant's Elan 350 Time Out, Matthew Scicluna & Zach Cassar Torreggiani's Sun Fast 3600 Mistral Racing MT on Bora Fast, and Kevin Pisani Zammit's First 45 Noah Dimm Racing Team. Enrico Calvi's pintsize Dufour 34 Duffy returns as the lowest-rated yacht in the entire fleet.
Yachting Malta: Supporting the spirit of the sea
Launched in 2015, Yachting Malta is a public-private partnership between the Government of Malta and the Royal Malta Yacht Club, dedicated to attracting and supporting world-class sailing events to the Maltese Islands.
"Yachting Malta is proud to continue its long-standing support of the Yachting Malta Coastal Race, now in its ninth successive edition. We look forward to welcoming another exceptional fleet to the start line. This race has become the perfect prelude to the Rolex Middle Sea Race — an event that brings more than a thousand visitors to Malta and highlights both our outstanding sailing conditions and our Maltese hospitality.
Malta's reputation as a premier yachting destination grows stronger every year, reflected in the many returning crews as well as newcomers discovering the magic of racing here. We wish everyone fair winds and safe sailing." — Michael Mifsud, CEO, Yachting Malta
For the fourth consecutive year, Yachting Malta will also support the live streaming of the Rolex Middle Sea Race start, further showcasing Malta's role as the beating heart of Mediterranean sailing.
For more information: yachtingmalta.org