The pre-race favourite Alfa Romeo may well have seized the lead soon after the start of the Rolex Middle Sea Race, but Neville Crichton spent the first night locked in a close battle with two other canting-keeled SuperMaxis, Morning Glory and Thuraya Maximus.

After a day of good wind, which sped the 68-boat fleet away from Malta towards Sicily at record-breaking pace, the breeze became a good deal more fitful as the fleet edged its way up the eastern coast of Sicily.

Alfa Romeo rounded Stromboli, the active volcano which marks the most northerly point of the 608-mile course, just after 11am yesterday, with Morning Glory around 15 miles astern with Thuraya Maximus another 5 miles back.

Lying in 4th place was Volvo Open 70 ABN AMRO ONE, and then a gaggle of yachts that includes last year's winner Atalanta II, the Irish Cookson 50 Chieftain and two Swan 601s.

Chieftain skipper Gerard O'Rourke reported a north-westerly wind direction - very different to Bekking's reading aboard the German SuperMaxi - and which would confirm Bekking's belief that currently the 'rich are getting richer'. However, for a 50-foot yacht O'Rourke is keeping very good company, with the 70-foot Atalanta II just half a mile ahead and the 60-foot Swan Moneypenny about a mile and a half behind.

The match race between Moneypenny and the other Swan 601 Spirit of Jethou has continued since the start, although the Americans currently hold the advantage.

While the larger yachts have made it through the challenging Strait of Messina relatively easily, the bulk of the fleet has yet to negotiate this narrow and very tidal stretch of water.

Spirit of Jethou made it through earlier in the morning, and it wasn't easy, according to navigator Nat Ives, "Messina was very tricky with heaps of counter-current and ferries everywhere. Anyhow we did a mediocre job of it and got through OK. Our merry band of yachts is now all within a mile and we are on course to Volcano No.2, Stromboli."

With the lack of wind, the smaller and slower yachts in particular will be relying on favourable currents to wash them through. At least the slow progress has given sailors ample chance to watch bright orange lava oozing down the steep sides of a fulminating Mount Etna, thought to be a fairly inactive volcano but which appears to have fired up for the Rolex Middle Sea Race.

Skipper of the Maltese Grand Soleil 40 Aziza, Sandro Musu was equally awestruck by this show of strength from the volcano: "The lava flowing down Etna's slopes was a magnificent sight. It seems that this volcano never gives up showing off. After the spectacular start of yesterday and a fantastic crossing to Sicily, we have had a moonless night with dolphins, perfectly clear sky with millions of stars, lots of shooting stars, lots of phosphorescent plankton in the sea. We have had wind conditions ranging from zero to 20 knots of wind. Up to now we have already completed 23 sail changes. We are becalmed in front of Taormina and heading slowly for the straits of Messina. The wind is calm, the sea flat, and the sun is shining."

At 4pm yesterday approximately two thirds of the fleet had passed through the Straits of Messina. The Italian entrant Aquaranta was lying in last place halfway up the eastern seaboard of Sicily.

With around 380 miles to go the record remains in sight of Alfa Romeo, but the average speed that needs to be maintained is creeping over 10 knots.