On Tuesday 24 October, the Farr designed 30.78 metre/100 foot maxi, Leopard 3 (MON), skippered by Chris Sherlock, crossed the finish line of the 2023 Rolex Middle Sea Race at 01:20:56 CEST to take Monohull Line Honours in an elapsed time of 2 days, 12 hours 50 minutes 56 seconds.
This is the fourth time Leopard 3 has participated in the Rolex Middle Sea Race and the third time it has been first monohull home, winning the RLR Trophy. The previous occasion was in 2022. Leopard’s elapsed time is some 20 hours outside the monohull race record of 40 hours 17 minutes 50 seconds established in 2021 by Comanche.
Leopard 3 glided into Marsamxett Harbour first on a cloudy, but moonlit night. The waterline length of the older, but revitalised, Monegasque-flagged maxi proved decisive once through the Egadi Islands, off northwest Sicily, converting a 30-minute lead into a more comfortable one hour, 50 minutes. Bullitt at least has the consolation of winning IRC 1 on time correction.
“We are really pleased to have won line honours in the Rolex Middle Sea Race for a second time,” said Sherlock, who has been with boat since its launch in 2007 and oversaw a comprehensive refit following the 2022 race. “It’s been a difficult 12 months getting the boat up and ready after the last win. So, to do it again against such esteemed competition like Lucky and Bullitt is really pleasing.” Leopard’s owner was also celebrating a second win in a row with the boat. “It is a great feeling because this is a magnificent location and course,” he said. “We did not have a lot of problems, so all credit to the team because we have worked very hard on the boat since last year.”
Back out on the course, the battle is still raging. All other class prizes are still up for grabs, and most importantly the overall prize has yet to be decided.
Edwards Lowell, as an Official Rolex Retailer, are the only retailers allowed to sell Rolex watches. With the necessary skills and technical know-how, we will help you make the choice that will last a lifetime.
Discover the Rolex collection.
Press Release: The Royal Malta Yacht Club.
📸 Rolex|Kurt Arrigo