A total of 53 yachts including three maxis, Alfa Romeo, Black Dragon and Damiani Our Dream, have entered the 25th edition of the Rolex Middle Sea Race which starts today.

The racing commences this morning with the first of two coastal races – a 36-mile race out and back to Fifla to the south of Malta. Thursday’s race will be slightly shorter covering 27 miles to the island of Comino situated in the channel between Malta and Gozo.

The 607nm Rolex Middle Sea Race starts at 1100 on Saturday and takes the fleet on a course anticlockwise around Sicilly before returning to the finish at the Royal Malta YC in Valletta.