The annual boat race known as the Rolex Middle Sea Race has a 606 nautical mile-long course that starts from the Grand Harbour in Valletta and is sailed anti-clockwise. The course takes the fleet up towards Capo Passero on the Eastern seaboard of Sicily and continues towards the Strait of Messina. Then, it passes Mount Etna, an active volcano that sometimes emits ash and smoke. After that, the boats turn North towards Stromboli, a part of the Aeolian islands, and then turn West towards the Egadi Islands before heading South to the Island of Lampedusa. Finally, from the port of Pantelleria, the course heads back to Malta through the South Comino Channel, crossing the finish line at the entrance to Marsamxett Harbour. This race is often described as having the most beautiful racecourse in the world, and its fastest recorded time is 1 day, 23 hours, 55 minutes, and 3 seconds.