As Alfa Romeo turned the final corner for the finish in Marsamxett Harbour, the two chasing Maxis were still battling out in their private duel. Despite Morning Glory being 14 feet shorter and quite a bit smaller than the 100-foot Thuraya Maximus, Hasso Plattner's yacht had led its bigger rival for most of the course. They had been leapfrogging each other from the very start of the race on Sunday morning, although in the dying miles before the finish Paul Cayard steered the larger Maxi past Morning Glory to take the runners-up spot, finishing at 16:36:02, just 15 minutes in front of Morning Glory. Paul Cayard looked tired at the end of his 72 hours, the constant match race with Morning Glory having taken its toll.

"We passed each other so many times, it definitely gave the race some more intensity," said the American, who has spent much of his career racing with Italian teams around Italian waters. "I've never been in the south of Italy before. There are some incredible places that we saw along the way, with populations of less than a thousand people. I lived in Milan for three years, with people honking the horn, living the fast life. And here are these guys living without electricity. It's such a contrast of lifestyles." As to whether he would compete in the Rolex Middle Sea Race again, Cayard was more guarded. "Possibly, but this race can be frustrating, it's a very challenging race. Sailing is a sport where there can be a lot of luck and injustice, it can be quite a volatile sport, especially when you're racing around so many islands and so much current. You're asking for a lot of emotional ups and downs, but we were pretty lucky overall I think."

By contrast Hasso Plattner appeared to have loved every moment of his race aboard Morning Glory. "It's warm, it's great around the island, and you're never out of the race. Every corner you turn, and it starts again. We had a fantastic race against Maximus. Each corner, it was hello, good morning, and let's start the race again."