At 15.00 local time (13.00 UTC), around 3 hours after the start, Maserati Multi 70 passed Capo Passero, and is leading the fleet with less than a mile of advantage over Mana.
The two MOD 70s sailed neck-and-neck from the starting line to Sicily, where the Italian trimaran took the lead. Soldini and his crew are going at 18.6 knots, while Mana is following at 18.1 knots. From now on, until the Strait of Messina, the wind will start getting lighter: with such a short distance between the two competitors, it’s going to be a challenging leg.