The Rolex Middle Sea Race, which marks its 44th edition in 2023, is one of the world’s premier classic yacht races.

With the next Vendée Globe taking place next year, so the IMOCA turn-out for this year’s special 50th edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race featured an impressive 29 boats, including much new hardware.

A total of 130 boats were invited to the 16th Monaco Classic Week-La Belle Classe, a biennial launched in 1994 including around 40 classic sailing yachts, a dozen motor-yachts, 60+ vintage motorboats and 20 of the 12’ Dinghy class.

Having been so dramatically pipped at the post by Maxi Groupe Edmond de Rothschild in the last breath of the 2019 race, François Gabart and his team, this time racing the giant 32m long flying trimaran SVR Lazartigue, rectified this wrong by being first home in the 50th anniversary Rolex Fastnet Race, winning the Ultim class.

Final races of the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, run by the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda in conjunction with the International Maxi Association, started but couldn’t finish due to a lack of wind. At 1300 the fleet was sent back to Porto Cervo by PRO Peter Craig.

With a record-breaking fleet of 430 yachts, the celebratory 50th edition of the Rolex Fastnet Race presented a stirring sight as it got underway off Cowes, England.

With conditions off the Costa Smeralda that started at 10 knots from the north and built to more than 20, the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda’s Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, organised in conjunction with the International Maxi Association, got off to the best possible start yesterday.

50th Edition - Saturday 22nd July 2023 - Cowes to Cherbourg-en-Cotentin via the Fastnet Rock.

The 2023 edition of the Rolex TP52 World Championship brought together 10 teams from seven nations and four continents in Barcelona, Spain, to compete for the one of the most sought after prizes in sailing.

Thanks to its famous Meltemi, the third edition of the Aegean 600 this week galvanised its reputation as one of the windiest of the world’s 600 mile offshore races.

One of the most important events on the international yachting calendar, the annual Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup is synonymous with excellence.

With the help of a solid Meltemi wind throughout the race area, and reaching and running angles in the first few legs of the course, the fleet of yesterday’s 44 starters has had a fast start to the first half of the AEGEAN 600.

The Rolex TP52 World Championship represents the highest echelon of monohull grand prix competition. It is also the pinnacle event of the annual 52 SUPER SERIES. Rolex has been the Title Sponsor of the championship and Official Timepiece of the series since 2017.

The third edition of the Aegean 600 offshore yacht race will set sail tomorrow Sunday, 9 July at 1400 from Sounion, Greece.

The overnight steady stream of finishers into Cherbourg-en-Cotentin at the end of the Rolex Fastnet Race slowed over the course of today as the wind has gone light over the western English Channel.

Major alternative energies meeting kicks off tomorrow.