St. Patrick’s Keelboat and Dinghy Regattas hosted by the Royal Malta Yacht Club

March 26, 2019
Maria Vella-Galea

The Royal Malta Yacht Club recently hosted a keelboat and dinghy regatta taking place over a long weekend.

The weather, forecast from days earlier, to blow strongly from the North West, dictated that the planned Friday afternoon passage race, Marsamxett to Gozo, was postponed to Saturday morning. Over the two day weekend, the fleet took part in a total of five races, the first being the passage race from Marsamxett Harbour mouth on Saturday morning. Bright and sunny, with the sea having calmed down considerably, there was still a stiff breeze blowing as the fleet set off on a free course to the finish line off the Gozo breakwater. Elusive II, skippered by the Podesta siblings, led the IRC Racing fleet all the way.

Race Two saw a windward buoy was dropped just west of Mgarr ix Xini. A slightly different course was given to the Cruiser Class, who had to sail around Comino. In this class, Godwin Zammit’s Inspiration lead all the way around the course.

The Third race for the day saw the same course for both Racers and Cruisers, with Elusive II leading the way throughout. It was a tussle between Ramon Sant Hill’s Comanche Raider III and the Young Sailors’ Foundation J109 Jarhead for second place. Despite a quick reaction from Sant Hill to contend with a jammed spinnaker halyard, the Jarhead crew made the most of this mishap and pipped Comanche to second place. Free beers welcomed crews at the end of the first day of sailing.

Another bright sunny Sunday morning saw the Racing Class crews tackle the first race which was a course round Comino. Elusive II again led the fleet, followed by Comanche Raider III. The Cruiser Class had a same start line but their race finish was in Marsamxett just by the Club. The last race for the Racing Class was sailed through the South Comino Channel before proceeding to a finish at the Royal Malta Yacht Club. Once again it was Elusive II that led the way.

With the keelboat racing over, it was the turn of the Club’s Sailing School to host the St. Patrick’s Dinghy Regatta, on Tuesday, a public holiday. A truly international affair, the regatta saw eleven countries being represented. Races for RS Vision, RS Feva, Optimists, Lasers and Laser Bug Classes took place in Marsamxett Harbour giving all those present at the RMYC for lunch, in the glorious weather, a great racing spectacle.

Later on in the day a Prize Giving ceremony was hosted by the Club. Prizes and the Sir Francis Beaufort trophy, won by Elusive II, were presented by H.E. Padraig Duffy, the Irish Ambassador to Malta.

The next events taking place on the Club’s Racing Calendar will be held on the weekend of the 30th March and will see the Sport Boats Class in action as well as Race 4 of the Coastal Race Series. This will be followed by PV-IES Double Handed Regatta on Saturday 6th April. For further information please visit www.rmyc.org