Altogether there were 83 boats taking part in the Middle Sea Race. Not all were there for the competition, some may have just joined in for the fun of it. There were different categories for the boats according to size and sail (and who knows what else). The boats were started off in groups at 10 minute intervals at the firing of a cannon firing from the Saluting Battery below the Upper Barracca.
While watching, this lady who was next to me decided she had enough standing up and resting her arms on the stone hedge along the ramparts of Valletta and so she decided to get up and sit on it. Thought it would be fun to include her lower legs in the picture to give some overall dimensions. This was the third group that started their adventure. I missed the remaining starts because my camera battery went flat immediately after this shot and an extra battery I had was flat too.
The start was last Saturday and by early morning of Wednesday, the first boat that made it to port was the Slovenian Esimit Europa 2 which, at 100 feet long, was the largest and fastest in the fleet. This, however, does not mean it was the overall winner, although the winner of its category.
Many thanks for looking and for your lovely comments. Tomorrow I will continue with my picture narrative of our vacation because I had promised myself that I would see it to the very end.
