A really windy start yesterday for the first coastal race of the Rolex Middle Sea Regatta. The release says the competitors felt ‘assaulted’ by winds of 45 knots.

Just look at the crewman on this boat clinging on to the guardwires and,below, one of the fleet two reefs down and still on her ear.

Great photos by Carlo Borlenghi. And what with all those superb images the Fastnet Race and the Maxi Worlds, hasn’t Carlo done a fantastic job this year.