Elusive 2, skippered by Aaron, Christoph and Maya Podesta is the winner of the 41st edition of the Rolex Middle Sea Race.
The Maltese First 45 Elusive 2 becomes the first boat to win back to back races since Nita IV, which won three times between 1978 and 1980.
After a 12 hours wait, at 15:00 CEST Thursday, the Royal Malta Yacht Club were satisfied no one out on the course could surpass Elusive 2. They had thus achieved something no boat had managed since 1980 – winning back to back races.
The Podesta family chapter in the legend of the race, began by father Arthur back in 1968, continues to grow.
As well as being first overall in the IRC fleet, Elusive secured the veritable ‘cherry on the cake’ according to Aaron, by being first Maltese boat home on the water.
Something they really had not expected at all, but being fiercely proud of their national heritage, a scalp that is valued highly.
IRC Class leading results:
IRC 1 – In first place it was the Dutch Marten 72, Aragon. The largest boat in the monohull fleet, Andries Verder and Arco van Nieuwland’s crew were led by Wouter Roos.
IRC 2 – In first place, fourth overall, and winner of the Swan Mediterranean Challenge Trophy, was the ClubSwan 50 Balthasar, entered by ocean-racing sailor, Louis Balcaen from Belgium.
IRC 3 – French entry Tonnerre de Glen, skippered by Dominique Tian, which won in class for the third year in a row and came second overall in the IRC standings.
IRC 4 – In first place and overall winner of the 2020 Rolex Middle Sea Race trophy, a Rolex Chronometer and a plethora of other prizes including the Transport Malta Trophy for being first Maltese boat home was Elusive 2,
IRC 5 – Jonathan Gambin, skipper of the Dufour 44R Ton Ton Laferla, was delighted to have won the class and finished the race in third overall.
IRC 6 – Class winner was Timofey Zhbankov with the JPK1080 Rossko from Russia, again just reward, in this case for undertaking an epic adventure just to get to the start.
The Double Handed Class prizes went to Zenhea Takesha (ITA) for finishing first on the water (Andrea Vattani Trophy) while Gerald Boess and Jonathan Bordas’ J/109 Jubilee took home the John Illingworth Trophy for first on corrected time.
MOCRA (Multihulls) – Riccardo Pavoncelli’s MOD70 Mana, skippered by Brian Thompson, was first overall.
Entrants in the 2020 Rolex Middle Sea Race were also able to race under ORC – Elusive 2 won Class 4 and the Boccale Del Mediterraneo Trophy for first overall.
Other class winners were: Freccia Rossa (ORC1), Katsu (ORC2), Maksim Nemchenko’s Favorit Plus (RUS/ORC3), Rossko (ORC5) and Jarhead (MLT/ORC6) entered by Jarhead Foundation and skippered by Lloyd Hamilton.
