Black Jack 100 claims another victory in the Rolex Middle Sea Race

Black Jack 100 claimed another victory, taking Line Honours in the monohull category of the Rolex Middle Sea Race. The Maxi owned by Remon Vos and skippered by Tristan Le Brun, both Yacht Club de Monaco members, crossed the finish line in Malta at 15:51 on Monday, after 2 days 3 hours 51 minutes of racing. They led the fleet for much of the 606 nautical mile course around Sicily. Not far behind was another YCM member, Giovanni Lombardi Stronati (Django 7X), who claimed 2nd place in elapsed time. A double success for the Monaco club with two of its representatives topping the leaderboard at this legendary event.

Black Jack 100 claims another victory

Having set off from Valletta on Saturday with a hundred other competitors, Black Jack 100 wasted no time forging into the lead. The first 24 hours demanded patience. In the Strait of Messina and later around Stromboli, light unstable winds threw up a variety of tactical options that saw the rankings change hands several times. The 30.48 metre Maxi gradually extended its lead and by Sunday afternoon was already 25 nautical miles ahead of its closest rivals, Balthasar and Django 7X, the latter skippered by Giovanni Lombardi Stronati.

The rest of the race was more complex. A particularly tortuous stretch was between Lampedusa and the South Comino Channel that was dead upwind in choppy seas. Black Jack 100 maintained its pace all the way to Malta to cross the finish on Monday at 15:51, after 51 hours and 51 minutes of racing, beating its own record since racing under its current flag by three hours.

“Winning Line Honours in the Rolex Middle Sea Race is fantastic. It’s a unique experience with this boat and the team on board,” said Remon Vos on arrival. For the owner, this edition also marked 20 years since the boat first took part in the event.

Django 7X claims 2nd place in real time

Behind the leader, the battle was much tighter. Giovanni Lombardi Stronati’s Wallyrocket 71 Django 7X was neck and neck with the Mills 72 Balthasar, the reigning IRC champion.

The two boats battled side by side almost from the start. In the Strait of Messina, Django 7X held onto some wind, only to lose several miles when they hit a calm patch that their opponent had managed to skirt around. After passing Stromboli, the gap narrowed again as they continued their duel along the coast of Sicily. In the end, Giovanni Lombardi Stronati and his crew clinched 2^nd place after 2 days 9 hours 2 minutes of sailing.

For Remon Vos and Tristan Le Brun the big reward is that the Maxi won the event in elapsed time in the monohull category while also posting its best time on this course. Black Jack 100 claims another victory to add to a track record that continues to grow with every race.