Sail Sport Talk President/Host, Karen Lile, was on location in Malta for the Royal Malta Yacht Club Rolex Middle Sea Race. A series of interviews will be broadcast on Sail Sport Talk during the next couple of weeks from this race. In Europe, those with the Tune In Radio app can listen to Sports Byline USA on their app on the Sports Byline USA channel, or by website browser at http://www.sportsbyline.com for the live broadcast on Tuesdays at 5:37pm in Malta time (9:37am San Francisco Time). This Tuesday Oct 29 we will begin earlier at 5:22pm Malta time (9:22am San Francisco Time), as we are doing a live interview of Christoph, Aaron and Maya and at will feature an interview of Aaron Stone (USA team member of Elusive 2). 700 radio stations will also carry the live broadcast internationally.
ABOUT THE RACE
The Rolex Middle Sea Race is one of the world’s most compelling and challenging offshore races. Supported by title sponsor Rolex since 2002, this year’s exploits by some of the event’s most emblematic characters will ensure the 40th edition will retain a distinct place in the annals of the race.
Maltese yacht Elusive 2, skippered by the Podesta family, and the American Maxi Rambler, owned by the record-breaking George David, took the main plaudits in a race that required steadfast persistence and patience in conditions that veered from the mentally sapping benign to the physically punishing malign. Organised by the Royal Malta Yacht Club (RMYC), the Rolex Middle Sea Race is a captivating platform which demonstrates the appeal and demands of offshore sailing, a discipline with which Rolex has been proud to be associated throughout the past five decades.
AN ELUSIVE TRIUMPH
The Podesta family have been part of the fabric of the race since its beginnings in 1968. Arthur Podesta was one of seven sailors on Josian, winner of the very first edition. As a crew, Podesta would again experience success in 1970 with Tikka and in 1983 with Saudade, before becoming Commodore of the RMYC in the 1990s. When he passed away in 2015, Podesta had competed in all 35 races held to that point.
Embarking on race campaigns as skipper of his own yacht from 2002, he made the point of including his then teenage children – Maya, Aaron and Christoph – in the crew. All three have inherited their father’s passion and maintain the tradition of a Podesta always being on the start line of the Rolex Middle Sea Race. The trio have honed their skills and experiences year on year, frequently winning their class, often claiming top ten finishes, but never quite reaching the top … until this year.
“Preparations for next year always start immediately after the present race has finished,” admits Christoph who, despite the crew’s detailed and rigorous preparation, was pessimistic ahead of this year’s race. “The first half was going to be downwind and light which doesn’t suit us. Our goal was to keep ourselves in the right position until we rounded Favignana.” This they did with aplomb. Once the wind strength intensified at the northwest corner of Sicily, Elusive 2 made the most of the upwind sailing to the finish, prevailing in the face of a seriously testing and uncomfortable sea state.
Confirmation that the Podestas and their crew fully deserved their success is evident throughout, but perhaps the need to beat defending champion Courrier Recommandé, which finished second overall, is the clearest affirmation. “The name Elusive has been associated with the race for 18 years and it is an unbelievable achievement to win against the best,” remarked Aaron Podesta.
The 606-nautical mile race is the focus of the all-Corinthian, predominantly Maltese crew’s annual yacht racing calendar. The victory was born of intricate knowledge of a complex racecourse, built over many years. It also reflects the legacy of their father, who introduced them to the sport and passed on his enthusiasm. “Deep down it means a lot more than we may ever realise,” said Maya. “What we have done is thanks to him.”
For more https://www.rolexmiddlesearace.com/news/5db47bf8aff61b00000767b0?year=2019&month=October
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Sail Sport Talk with Karen Lile is aired inside the Rick Tittle Show every Tuesday morning at 9:37 hours, San Francisco time, sometimes beginning earlier with additional interviews. Rebroadcast happens 6 hours later and a Podcast is added on iheart radio a week after the show. There are over 700 radio stations that carry the show as part of their programming. But, for those mobile devices or on the internet in Europe, Tune In Radio carries the live broadcast under the Sports Byline USA channel. Or you can just listen to by clicking on live streaming on the http://www.sportsbyline.com website. Tune in to Sail Sport Talk with Karen Lile during live experience.