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A yachtsman's dream

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The inaugural Rolex Middle Sea Race 2012 took place on 20 October. The 606-nautical-mile Mediterranean regatta, first launched in 1968, begins in Valletta, Malta. Then the fleet passes through the Straits of Messina past the erupting volcano Stromboli, then between the islands of Marettimo and then around the island of Sicily. After reaching the island of Lampedusa, the crews return back to Malta.

From the outset, the race has attracted big names in the yachting world. They include Eric Tabarley, winner of the circumnavigation and transatlantic races, Sir Francis Chichester, who made the first ever solo circumnavigation with a single port call, and Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, winner of the famous Race of the Century, the first non-stop solo circumnavigation of the globe.

"It has to be the most beautiful race course in the world. Where else do they display an active volcano as a sign?" - That's what Ted Turner, head and founder of CNN, said of the regatta.

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