SPINNAKER July '12 - ISSUE 29

ISSUE 29 - JULY 12

A tribute to Censu Valentino VOLVO OCEAN RACE 2012

The super yacht industry Artie and Otra Vez at the Giraglia Rolex Cup

oys ter perpe tual date jus t ii

WELCOME Commodore’s Message The first part of the year’s sailing programme has just come to an end.

The recent Ragusa weekend saw a fleet of over 15 boats race to this southern Sicilian port and back. The local clubs organised an inshore regatta there consisting of a series of windwardleeward races over two days in which around 30 boats from various parts of Sicily took part. Not many RMYC boats planned to stay and compete but hopefully next year we can be prepared to put up a better challenge.

This year, the Malta Syracuse race saw a fleet of some 60 Sicilian boats and nearly 20 boats from the Royal Malta Yacht Club on the start line off the Sliema front. This was the best showing from the local boats for a long time.

The club also recently hosted a concert in aid of the Action for Breast Cancer Foundation. Being all in a good cause, the evening featured some excellent vocal performances from the musicals

and turned out to be an extremely entertaining one too.

We are now well into the summer season and as the heat sets in, most of us put away our racing sails and turn to more relaxing cruising. It has been a while since the club organised a cruising activity. If there is enough interest, the club might organise a small local cruise this summer to try to revive this side of sailing among our members.

During the summer a match racing series will play out on the water in front of the club after which the next competitive event will be the Tommy Hilfiger Ramla Bay Resort regatta at the end of August – always an enjoyable weekend of mildly competitive racing – and other activities.

In September the club will be organising an end of summer party before turning its attention to its autumn programme of races, particularly the Rolex Middle Sea Race.

Godwin Zammit Commodore RMYC

Editor Teddie Borg Email: teddie@maltanet.net Consulting Editor Stanley Borg Email: stanley@becommunications.com Design & Art Direction Porridge: www.weareporridge.com Email: hello@weareporridge.com Publication Co-ordinator Brian Cremona

Spinnaker is published by BE Communications Ltd, 37, Amery Street, Sliema, SLM 1702 for the Royal Malta Yacht Club.

Printing Progress Press Distribution Spinnaker is the official publication of the Royal Malta Yacht Club is distributed to all RMYC members, boat and yacht importers, marine outlets, boats berthed at local marinas, ministries and embassies.

For information regarding promotion and advertising: Otra Vez at Giraglia Rolex Cup 2012.

Photo by www.flypictures.com.

4 - SPINNAKER / Issue 29

Tel: 00 356 2134 2155, 2131 4719 Email: spinnaker@becommunications.com

All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or in part is strictly prohibited without written permission. Opinions expressed in Spinnaker are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher. All reasonable care is taken to ensure truth and accuracy, but the editor and publishers cannot be held responsible for errors or omissions in articles, advertising, photographs or illustrations.

Unsolicited manuscripts are welcome but cannot be returned without a stamped, self-addressed envelope.

The editor is not responsible for material submitted for consideration. © 2011 Be Communications Ltd. All rights reserved.

EDITOR’S NOTE This year will be the 33rd edition of the Rolex Middle Sea Race since its birth in 1968. While you’re reading this, more than 35 yachts have indicated their intention to race in this year’s edition. As expected, this race has also fired the imagination of the locals who participate in such gruelling manifestations to measure themselves against foreign competition.

This big classical race in the middle of the Mediterranean attracts a substantial number of Sicilians and Italians since they have good knowledge of the 360-degree course, besides also assessing the rough and tough conditions that the Mediterranean waters offer during October.

Contents 8 Master of the breeze Teddie Borg gives Censu Valentino a fitting tribute.

12 A centre of excellence How can the Super Yacht industry become an economic pillar for Malta, asks Teddie Borg.

15 Rules and regulations Peter Dimech takes a closer look at racing rules.

16 Match racing at the RMYC

The system of classifying racing yachts gives every entrant a fair chance of winning the priceless RMSR Trophy, despite the differences in boat size and speed potential. Through this equal opportunity handicap system, the first one over the line may not, after all, be the declared winner of the race.

19 This race rocks

It is always a pleasure to remember the famous old skippers who gave this race its global reputation since its early years, among whom are Ted Turner, Cino Ricci, Paul Gardini, Robin Knox-Johnston, Eric Tabarly, Herbert von Karajan and many others who until this day enjoy worldwide fame.

Artie co-skippers Lee Satariano and Christian Ripard fly the Malta flag high at the Giraglia Rolex Cup.

As is typical of the Rolex Middle Sea Race, the entries so far vary from the modern size to top professional maxis. Currently, these entries hail from eight different countries, but by the time we get the full fleet, it is expected that more than 20 countries will be represented. No wonder then, that the organising committee is already in full swing, tackling the expected flow of various preparations including the popular crew party which even foreign crews look forward to.

Otra Vez skipper Aaron Gatt Floridia relives his experience at the 2012 Giraglia Rolex Cup.

29 Racing on a large scale

33 A mighty challenge This year’s edition of the Volvo Ocean Race was a successful battle on the high seas.

37 A royal history Arthur Podesta explains the ‘Royal’ in Royal Malta Yacht Club.

41 BOV Round the Islands Race

Other repeat participants, such as Beppe Bisotto on Atame and Filippo Lancellotti on Sciara have already indicated their intention to race again.

Lartista wins the first edition of the BOV Round the Islands Race.

The Rolex Middle Sea Race starts on October 20, with the spectacular start taking place at the Grand Harbour at 11:00am sharp. This is once again being televised live on Malta Television for the sixth year running, produced

by Starboard Productions. It will also be filmed by the Rolex filming group.Media journalists from all over the world cover this big race and it also attracts all other local media, radio, TV and print.

43 Ragusa weekend

The Royal Malta Yacht Club once more wishes all participants good luck for this gruelling task.

Teddie Borg

6 - SPINNAKER / Issue 28 29

44 Malta-Syracuse Race Maltese boat Juno wins line honours at the UK Sailmakers Malta-Syracuse Race. By Teddie Borg.

47 Gewiss Marzamemi weekend 48 Club news

S & D Yachts Ltd

Tel: (+356) 2133 1515, 2133 9908 • Mobile: (+356) 9947 7753 • Email: info@sdyachts.com

ICON

master of The breeze Teddie Borg gives ensu Valentino a fitting tribute.

“To their amazement and embarrassment, they discovered that there was no engine on Censu’s boat.”

“I

remember ensu Valentino as a unique skipper who possessed natural talent for helming, especially in light winds,” is the prompt response from double Middle Sea Race winner John Ripard, when requested to comment on the recent passing away of 85-year-old ensu Valentino.

It was always my pleasure to meet this quiet gentleman, in love with the sea and sailing from when he was a little boy – back then, he used to race in practically all the races that were organised.

Like the Ripard family tradition, the Valentino family also enjoyed their sailing days. The star of the family was

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ensu himself, who taught both his sons – architect Anton, and Peter, today an International ISASF Judge – the art of skilful sailing. Anton’s son, Peter Jnr, continued in the family tradition by emerging as one of the most promising youngsters in modern sailing locally.

In fact, Peter Snr, a former RMYC committee member himself and a true buddy of mine for many years, handed me his old newspaper cuttings which picture his father back in his racing days – they are bound in three hefty albums, with page after page depicting ensu’s successes throughout his racing days.

It is highly improbable to measure the quality of success that ensu

acquired. One has to keep in mind that in those days, he used to sail in boats which were locally built and with nothing like the high tech sails or sophisticated instruments we have today.

Early in his life, ensu raced in the GP14 and 16 dinghies and later on he raced on four different boats – the Anna, Anna II, Mana and Island Dog. It wasn’t easy for ensu to win races as he had literally to combat both the foreign skippers who at the time used to live in Malta, and above all the might of brothers John and Paul Ripard, two of the finest skippers that our island has ever produced.

ensu’s racing style was unique, always evading the other boats at the starting line and always seeking to look for open space and clean air. Maybe this looked like a slow start but in reality he knew how to gain momentum once he was out at sea.

Once the race was on, ensu, with eagle-eyed observations, used to spot any oncoming breeze from afar, to the extent that his assessment of the moving air was most of the time correct. This was his secret real threat to others as he had the natural ability to come to the fore with his outstanding performances.

“He was a master – an intelligent, meticulous man,” is how Tonio Miggiani, another racing lover of light winds, describes ensu. He recalls when ensu used to race against his uncle Philip in the days of the dghajjes tal-Latini at Birzebbuga. ensu never got tired of racing in light breezes and many a time he used to stick out for long boring hours, puffing in silence his cigarette on deck while also munching his favourite chocolate, waiting for the winds to hit his sails. It was his style to never sleep while racing, always on the lookout and ascertaining to understand the movements and directions of the winds.

Lunching at the Yacht Club, Peter and I go through the albums full of old happy memories of ensu winning many a race, including the Syracuse Race and other local ones of high repute.

Peter Valentino.

However, ensu also suffered frustrating times. Peter remembers his father mentioning to him that because he was winning one race after another, the then committee suddenly slapped him with two different handicap ratings against his boat twice. Also, going against all the gentlemanly sportsmanship of racing, the committee also handed him a personal handicap. That was the straw that broke his back.

His son Peter is still upset about this kind of unfair behaviour towards his father, and maintains that the alleged intention behind these triple handicaps was to keep ensu from winning more races.

SPINNAKER / Issue 29 - 9

ICON

ensu’s son Anton remembers quite vividly the day when ensu won his first win of the Syracuse race. Incidentally Anton was on board with his father and can vouch for this strange incident.

The Sicilian Committee of those days could not believe their eyes that ensu outclassed everyone and succeeded in that kind of race.

So ensu was called in to defend the accusation that he had used his boat’s engine. With his usual kind of patience, ensu kept silent during this protest discussion until finally he gave the opportunity to the Protest Committee to inspect his boat. To their amazement and embarrassment, they discovered that there was no engine on ensu’s boat. Anton still feels proud of the fact that his father’s success was so unexpected that this sort of reaction actually gave his father a more respectable reputation of the kind of sportsmanship that ensu had.

On a lighter and funnier note, Peter laughs heartily as he recalls that once, after racing was over, Governor Sir

10 - SPINNAKER / Issue 29

Maurice Dorman (who used to sail and race locally) came out from behind a boat which ensu was washing with a hose pipe. Unknowingly, ensu sprayed the Governor with a good shower. It was just one of those things – no hard feelings between sailing colleagues.

Another incident which Anton recalls well is when he was sailing with his father and as soon as they got as far as the Torri tal-Ghallis, Anton realised that he had forgotten to take his medicine pills. Without any hesitation, ensu sailed back to Marsamxett harbour, got the pills for his son, and went back to chasing the fleet round Malta. Believe it or not, he got this one too, surprising the fleet once more. ensu enjoyed almost seven glorious decades of local and offshore racing with no modern equipment, feeling at his best on the high seas, always giving sterling advice to newcomers, and ensuring that one of the most cardinal rules for racing successfully in a storm was to reef first before the high winds approach and likewise be the first to shake it.

Peter recalls that he was not allowed to sail on his own before he had mastered the reefing skills, and also learnt how to treat the boat kindly without any mishaps whatsoever. ensu was a master of breeze, and when racing he was a menace to all competitors – he used to confound them with his unorthodox manoeuvres that gave him the edge he was always looking for. He was born a soloist who couldn’t care less if nobody was interested and who certainly didn’t brag about his achievements.

I remember him telling me he was ever so content racing with his sons – one of the races was Anton’s first ever in the Middle Sea Race.

With his passing away, the Valentino family feel rightfully proud of their father’s achievements – after all he kept the brilliant sailing tradition and proved himself one of the finest and most skilful helmsmen this island ever produced.

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YA C H T S

A centre of excellence How can the Super Yacht industry become an economic pillar for Malta, asks Teddie Borg.

M

alta’s strategic position in the centre of the Mediterranean has always played an active and important role in its maritime industry.

Over the past decades, we have seen Malta becoming a prominent player in the Super Yacht industry, especially in the repairs department.

Opportunities are being created to gain market intelligence and explore co-operation with foreign companies in their line of businesses as well as to act as the local after-sales service provider backup in the Mediterranean for yards outside the region.

In order to promote the industry by raising awareness about the high value added services, new operators are also adopting a new approach in marketing facilities. It is a niche market that enriches the Malta brand – however, in order to be promoted effectively,

12 - SPINNAKER / Issue 29

everyone involved in the industry must pull their weight.

Of course, it’s not only about marketing. In order to maintain its good position, the local super yacht industry must be competitive and offer good value for money. Moreover, the mobility cost element for yachts to travel to Malta for winterising and repairs is an important factor for owners to decide where to conduct the required repairs.

local future business and growth.

In order to achieve all these objectives, one must ensure constant supply of specialised skilled and qualified labour availability. Awareness on the careers that the industry offers must also be raised.

After all, super yachts are mini luxury ships of quality level and it is essential that this industry offers high standard of finish and service.

The super yacht industry network has taken the initiative and is actually exploring training opportunities to ensure constant supply of human resources. In fact, a dialogue has been set up with the Malta College of Arts, Science and Technology to develop specialised training courses purposely for the yachting industry.

For the industry to evolve into another economic pillar for Malta, there have to be continuous marketing efforts. In the end, satisfied owners including their captains and engineers will be our ambassadors and guarantee

Discussions with the Employment Training Corporation are also ongoing in order to explore the possibility of extending their present apprentice training schemes to the yachting industry. The Institute of Tourism

Studies could also play a vital role in establishing training courses for yachting crew, stewards and hostesses.

To align all the common objectives and offer continuous excellent performance, the industry has to find the right balance between qualified and skilled personnel and remain competitive at an international level.

In conclusion, one has to keep up to date with industry requirements to develop Malta as a super yacht repair centre of excellence.

In a recent seminar. Roland Darmanin Kissaun, director, shareholder and experienced consultant of one of Malta’s yachting enterprises, summed up the present yachting industry as, “One with exceptional local trading capabilities.

Gleaming white yachts have become a lovely common sight in our local marinas and today provide a stark contrast to the traditional scenes of Maltese everyday life. We have several Maltese captains who would use Malta as their home port and most likely fly the Maltese flag around the oceans, thus further promoting Malta as an all round yachting hub and the new home for super yachts in the middle of the Mediterranean blue sea.”

“In order to maintain its good position, the local super yacht industry must be competitive and offer good value for money.”

The need for more marinas For a number of years, there has been a growing pressure for the development of additional marina facilities in the Maltese Islands. In particular, concern has been expressed that Malta may be losing out on the associated benefits that such demand from international boat owners would bring to the Maltese economy.

The importance of tourism to the national economy is also evident and the creation of new marinas would assist to diversify Malta’s tourism product.

Extensive unique research into marinas across the Mediterranean is ongoing, as is consultation with international marina operators, yacht charters

companies, existing visitors to Malta’s present marinas and Maltese companies operating in this field.

In the Mediterranean, there are an estimated 176,000 berths in over 350 marinas with the largest concentration at the western end in France and Spain.

The eastern Mediterranean such as Greece and Turkey has fewer marina berths but is still a popular cruising ground for visitors especially during summer time.

The concentration of yachts based at the western end of the Mediterranean and the popular grounds in the eastern Mediterranean means that there is significant movement of boats

migrating from the west to the east Mediterranean before returning to their home base. This presents Malta with the opportunity to attract stopover traffic en route.

As European economies strengthen, boat ownership is also predicted to increase, while demand for water-based holidays is growing at a significantly faster rate than for holidays in general. These trends suggest that the overall outlook for yachting in the Mediterranean is positive.

Malta, with its unique position in the Mediterranean, has the strength that can influence potential yachting development.

SPINNAKER / Issue 29 - 13

RACING

Rules and regulations Peter Dimech takes a closer look at racing rules.

The start in detail The racing start line is an imaginary line between a committee boat at one end and an inflatable mark or buoy at the other. This is set as square as possible to the average wind direction at the time of start.

The rules’ definition for start is, ‘A boat starts when, having been entirely on the pre-course side of the starting line at or after her starting signal, and having complied with Rule 30.1 if it applies, any part of her hull, crew or equipment crosses the starting line in the direction of the first mark’.

This leads us to look at Rule 30 more closely as racers need to be well aware of starting penalties.

Boats will not want to be on course side at the starting signal boats will be jockeying for the best position just prior to the start. Depending on what starting penalty rule is in operation, there are areas that must be kept clear of at specific times before a start.

Flag P indicates that ‘No Penalty’ is in operation. This is the easiest to handle – any boat that does become OCS before her starting signal may dip back behind the line so as to correct her error and start correctly.

If a boat is signalled OCS, by means of Flag X, at the start, she is permitted to dip back behind the line to start correctly.

Remember that a boat returning to start correctly must keep clear of all boats that have started correctly.

Rule 30.1: I Flag rule If Flag I has been displayed and any part of a boat’s hull, crew, or equipment is on the course side of the starting line or one of its extensions during the last minute before her starting signal, she shall thereafter sail from the course side across an extension to the pre-course side before starting, This is commonly known as the ‘round the ends rule’, as a boat signalled OCS

must sail around the either end of the line.

This starting penalty is quite severe if you consider that with a big fleet and a long start line, the distance needed to be sailed can be quite considerable, especially at a time when she is bound to keep clear of other boats.

In the example above boats blue and yellow have been be signalled OCS, so they need to sail out around the buoy or committee boat before crossing the starting line correctly. This will tend to crowd the ends of a line and leave a gap in the middle of a longer line.

Rule 30.3: Black Flag rule If a black flag has been displayed, no part of a boat’s hull, crew or equipment shall be in a triangle formed by the ends of the starting line and the first mark during the last minute before her starting signal. If she breaks this rule and is identified, she shall be disqualified without a hearing, even if the race is restarted or recalled, but not if it is postponed or abandoned before the starting signal. If a general recall is signalled or the race is abandoned after the starting signal, the race committee shall display her sail number before the start of the next warning signal for that race, and if the race is restarted or re-sailed she shall not sail in it. If she does so, her disqualification shall not be excluded in calculating her series score.

The main point to remember under this rule is that during the last minute before the start, a boat does not want to be in the triangle formed between the two ends of the line and the first mark, shaded grey in the diagram. So while jockeying at the start a windward or port tack boat does not want to have to luff-up and accidentally cross the starting line.

Rule 30.2: The Z Flag rule This rule is a scoring penalty rule. It applies during the last minute before a boat’s starting signal and the penalty area is similar to RRS 30.3 in that it is triangular in shape.

Of further interest is the fact that Rules of Section C, at Marks and Obstructions, do not apply at a starting mark surrounded by navigable water or its anchor line from the time boats are approaching them to start until they have passed them.

More specifically as Mark room does not apply, a boat on starboard tack approaching the committee boat to start at the starboard end of a line does not need to keep clear of a boat to windward of her. In fact the windward boat cannot claim any overlap to pass between the committee boat and a close hauled leeward boat.

Blue and Green have no room to pass between the committee boat and yellow so will have to pass outside the line or tack away and approach the starting line again.

SPINNAKER / Issue 29 - 15

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RAC ES

Match racing at the RMYC – slowly gathering momentum

June 3 saw the second trial match racing series, held just off the RMYC Yacht Club. The teams battled it out, with on the water umpiring, meaning that seeing to any claim or protest being expediently decided upon on the spot. Another trial was held on June 16.

beat their opponents by trying to inflict as many penalties as possible in order to score a victory. Others were more conservative, raising their protest flag less, but then squeezing more boat speed out of the H-boat to get the win they were aiming for.

Peter Dimech performed the duties of race officer, while David Anastasi assumed the unenviable role of umpire. For these events the club is using the two H-boats that were already being used for match racing during the past two years and have been loaned to the club by David Franks for this programme together with a RIB for the umpires to be able to follow the boats on the water. Peter Dimech used one of U-Sail’s Beneteau 21.7’s as race committee boat.

All in all, the on the water action proved to be an added attraction to the atmosphere at the RMYC throughout the day.

Each event saw two sessions, a morning one, with a break for lunch, and followed by an afternoon session.

During the time that two teams would be racing, the teams on standby would assist Peter in the running of the races, which lasted approximately 10 minutes each.

“Match racing is a new and exciting item on the RMYC’s sailing agenda. Speaking from my own first hand experience, it is certainly a game of wits and ability and the goal is to build a team that can make small gains over its opponents and win. There is only one winner and one loser in this two boat match.”

The events were held in light and fickle conditions, giving the teams the added tenacity to find the favoured side of the course. Some teams were aggressive in nature and tried to

All the teams then assisted in putting all the kit away and ensuring all was ready for the next duel.

Next will be a mid-week afternoon series over the summer months followed by a weekend final towards the end of September. An umpiring clinic will be held during this weekend. Teams wishing to register should do so at their earliest as space is restricted and it is on a first come, first served basis.

Godwin Zammit, Commodore of the RMYC said that the club is very keen to see this new activity take on with the sailors. The RMYC thanks David Anastasi, Peter Dimech and all participants for their enthusiasm and invites all members to come down to the club to see for themselves, what an exciting and rewarding experience match racing truly is. And that applies not only for contestants, but for spectators alike.

Correction The article One on One which appeared in the last edition of Spinnaker magazine was incorrectly titled. The article which first appeared in the Malta Independent was in fact written by Erika Brincat who was speaking to David Anastasi about match racing.

Spinnaker magazine apologises for this error.

SPINNAKER / Issue 29 - 17

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GIRAGLIA

This race rocks Otra Vez skipper Aaron Gatt Floridia relives his experience at the 2012 Giraglia Rolex Cup.

Otra Vez. Photo by: Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.

F

ollowing a successful Rolex Middle Sea Race in 2011, the Otra Vez team was keen to add another offshore race to their 2012 racing schedule.

The Giraglia Rolex Cup, one of the premier regattas in the Mediterranean, celebrated its 60th edition this year and it promised all the ingredients for a fantastic event. The regatta, held in St Tropez, France, attracts close to 200 boats annually and consists of a series of coastal races followed by the main event, in the form of a 240-mile offshore race.

The combination of a great sailing location, competitive racing and summer weather was going to be hard to match and we decided early on this year to participate in the event. The generous sponsorship from Timberland and www.visitmalta.com made it possible for us to prepare for the campaign.

Following winter maintenance and a lot of work on the hull bottom, we decided on an early delivery to avoid any last minute hiccups before the regatta and in early May we made our way up to France.

Helped by mild weather conditions, we completed the 600-mile delivery in just three days. While we didn’t manage to get any sailing practice in, we were lucky enough to witness some great scenery along the Sardinian coast and a couple of wonderful encounters with whale sharks off the northern tip of Corsica.

The regatta started with an overnight race from San Remo to St Tropez on June 8. This passage race is a good opportunity for the participating Italian boats to make their way down to St Tropez together and get some race practice in.

For logistic reasons we didn’t participate in that race and instead spent the day making last minute preparations and taking in a short training sail in the bay of St Tropez.

As the racers came in that afternoon the fleet was welcomed into the marina and all the boats somehow docked in the small port, most of us rafted up along the inside of the main breakwater. This also gave us a chance to meet up with the crew of Artie, the second Maltese boat participating in this regatta. Everything was ready for the first day of coastal racing and the weather forecast promised breeze for the week as the Mistral started to build.

Winds of 18 to 20 knots from the west greeted us the next morning. The excitement at the marina was building and even those crews who had raced in this event previously were just as nervous as we were about that first start. The race committee has a large number of courses to choose from and flags are used to signal their decisions, often very close to the warning signals so it was necessary to keep a close eye out for the instructions.

SPINNAKER / Issue 29 - 19

GIRAGLIA Start of the first inshore race. Photo by: Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.

The first start went off without mishap and we were sent on a 32 nautical-mile course through the bay of St Tropez and then around a number of island marks.

Conditions in the building breeze were fantastic and the racing very tight. IRC Class A was very broad, consisting of around 70 boats that included 40 footers such as ourselves and Artie all the way up to the TP52 Near Miss, eventual winner of both the inshore series and the long distance race.

The presence of three J122’s in this class made for a race within the race and the three boats swapped places several times in some close racing. A strong upwind finish helped us manage a creditable 15th place.

The second race was very similar and once again the fresh breeze favored the larger boats in our class. A few mistakes cost us places and we finished the day in 19th place. The Mistral was in full force by the third. Winds gusting above 35 knots in the marina convinced us and many other boats to stay put for the day and conserve our strength and equipment for the big race the next day.

The course for this year’s Giraglia Rolex Cup was the same one followed on the first race 60 years ago. The fleet would head out of St Tropez, turn right towards La Formigue leaving that small rock to port and then head towards the iconic Giraglia Rock at the Northern tip of Corsica where we would turn again

towards the finish at San Remo.

The 30-knot Mistral made for a tricky start and a hectic short upwind leg into the bay before we turned out towards La Formigue. The run out of the bay proved challenging in the gusty conditions and a couple of broaches later our A4 was down below with a large tear through the sail. Luckily we were very close to the turning mark and we didn’t lose out too much before getting round the large La Mouette marker and heading into the wind towards La Formigue. This was a gruelling upwind leg in building seas and already some boats were forced to retire – however, we held close to shore and managed an excellent leg, rounding the mark in a strong position.

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20 - SPINNAKER / Issue 29

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GIRAGLIA As we bore off around the island we opted to hoist the A5 and immediately started pulling away on a hair raising broad reach towards Corsica. Trouble was on its way though and not long after, a 35 plus knot front tore through the fleet, leaving boats pinned on their side and equipment in tatters. Aurora, an Italian boat well known in Malta for having participated in several Rolex Middle Sea Races, lost her mast just in front of us and another large yacht out of control after a massive broach nearly went through us as she struggled to regain control. Our turn came soon after and we were lucky to have salvaged out kite and get going again without major damage. Jib top up and we continued the long leg at breakneck speeds up to 16 knots towards Giraglia.

At dawn, we were approaching the rock and by the time we turned the mark the winds had eased to 10 knots.

It was a pleasant leg towards San Remo where we worked hard trying to catch Artie just ahead of us. We pulled away from the rest of the fleet on this leg knowing that it was going to be hard to get into San Remo with the dying

The lively Vieux Port in Saint-Tropez ahead of the Giraglia Rolex Cup. Photo by: Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.

breeze. The last couple of miles were excruciating as we wallowed in a dead patch just off the headland – eventually the breeze filled in and we crossed the line in the early evening just 33 and a half hours after the start. The recordbreaking conditions had favored the large boats this time but our eventual 34th place was a great satisfaction.

Two days later – as we packed the boat up and after an excellent crew party in

San Remo – the crew reflected on a great week’s sailing and a superb experience.

Both Maltese boats had performed exceptionally well and actively promoted the Royal Malta Yacht Club and the Rolex Middle Sea Race amongst the other crews.

We’re looking forward to seeing many of them again later on this year. As for Otra Vez she will spend the summer in the North Med before heading back down to Malta for the start of the autumn racing season and the RMSR. See you at the club.

The

water is waiting…

Caruana Marine Centre Triq il-President Anton Buttigieg Zejtun ZTN 2830 Malta +356 2099 2182 +356 2182 1332 info@caruanamarine.com www.caruanamarine.com

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22 - SPINNAKER / Issue 29

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GIRAGLIA

Artie during first inshore race at the Giraglia Rolex Cup 2012. Photo by: Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.

Racing on a large scale Artie co-skippers Lee Satariano and Christian Ripard fly the Malta flag high at the Giraglia Rolex Cup.

Christian Ripard Was this your first time racing the Giraglia Rolex Cup? This was my first Giraglia Rolex Cup. My father had done this race way back in the 1970’s so it was always one of the events I wanted to do from an early age but never got the chance.

What preparations did you carry out on Artie in preparation for the Giraglia Rolex Cup? We carried out a lot of works on the boat during the winter months – these included the replacement of the rudder bearings. We also completely stripped the underwater sections of the hull and re-faired for a racing finish. All the boat had a good going over and we serviced every fitting. We checked the rig thoroughly and installed new halyards and any other running rigging which needed replacing.

Did you manage to fit in some sailing practice during the delivery journey?

We managed to go out a few times in the evenings but primarily we put the boat in the water just before the Marzamemi race in May – this served us as a practice race prior to the delivery to San Remo. We tested our new sails and got the crew back up to race mode.

Did you participate in the San Remo – St Tropez race?

Yes we did. This race was a good one because the conditions were what we were used to on Artie. We finished sixth in a fleet of 150 yachts – that was a good start to the event.

What are, for you, the main attractions of the Giraglia Rolex Cup? The main attraction was competing against many other race yachts of a very high caliber and away from home.

The fleet size was something that the crew had never experienced so it was a good opportunity to gain the skills required to race in such numbers.

light feeder race from San Remo to St Tropez in very light winds and lumpy seas. This was good for us but it was unusual as we started the race at 00.00 hrs. The next three races were in much windier conditions ranging from 15 knots to 40 knots, which we had never really raced hard in. This was a big learning curve for us and taught us a lot about how to race the boat in windy conditions and against many tough competitors.

You also managed to race against Otra Vez – a bit of friendly competition?

The best part was that we had very little damage after the race and we were very happy with the final result as we were the first 40-footer to finish, closely followed by Otra Vez one hour later.

Otra Vez and its crew are a worthy opponent. It was good to have other Maltese to share a beer with after the races but on the water they (and us) raced hard. We both did the best we could and finished very close in every race. Both crews were out to outperform the other and this is testament to other upcoming young sailors that the Maltese have the skills to compete on an international level and achieve respectable results. It would have been even better if more Maltese yachts came to do this event… maybe next year?

What challenges did the weather conditions present?

What races will you be participating in this summer?

The weather always presents a challenge in a new place, and the challenge is to master the conditions very quickly. We raced four races. Race one was a very

Artie will do the Ramla Regatta at the end of August and a lot of practice sessions before the Rolex Middle Sea Race in October.

For me, the offshore Giraglia race (241 miles) was the highlight as we raced the boat in very challenging conditions and pushed the boat as hard as we could and managed to reach a top speed of 21.5 knots boat speed at one point. That was fun.

SPINNAKER / Issue 29 - 25

GIRAGLIA

1

2

3 1. Artie owner/co-skipper Lee Satariano (left) and co-skipper Christian Ripard at the Rolex Middle Sea Race 2011. Photo by: Rolex / Kurt Arrigo. 2. Blue sky in St Tropez. Photo by Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.

3. Bronenosec ahead of the fleet following the start of the offshore race. Photo by Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.

Lee Satariano Was this your first time racing the Giraglia Rolex Cup? In 2011 we were close to participating but things didn’t evolve – this year was our first time participating at the Giraglia and we hope to return.

We wanted to include a further international race on our sailing calendar and the Giraglia was on our minds for the past few years.

What preparations did you carry out on the Artie in preparation for the Giraglia Rolex Cup? We started with many preparations when Artie was on the hard back in February including a total overhaul from the waterline below. When we lowered her in the water back in April we worked on many sections of the boat, including the sails, safety gear, mast and rigging, which all the crew carried out successfully. Since it was the first

26 - SPINNAKER / Issue 29

time participating with the boat out of local water, there were a lot of logistics involved to deliver the boat, including finding lodging in San Remo and St Tropez, flights, and transportation of the van in between races to San Remo and St Tropez. But thanks to all the crew, everything went smoothly.

What are, for you, the main attractions of the Giraglia Rolex Cup?

Did you manage to fit in some sailing practice during the delivery journey?

What challenges did the weather conditions present?

We did very few sailing sessions before we delivered the boat to San Remo before end of May just to get the crew working together again. The crew included Peter Valentino and Jan Rossi (drivers and tacticians) Matthew Gusman and Sam Pizzuto (pit and mast) John Cachia and Kurt Casapinta (bow and navigation).

The conditions for the first two days of the inshore races varied between 25 and 35 knots from NW/W and on the third day prior to the Giraglia race it was blowing 40 knots plus. The conditions made for some spectacular sailing.

Did you participate in the San Remo – St Tropez race?

We participated in the midnight race from San Remo to St Tropez – we had a swell and light winds, which was a beat all the way to St Tropez, and positioned sixth overall.

The main attraction is racing in St Tropez and San Remo with a fleet of around 190 boats – the course of the inshore races was spectacular and each inshore race was around 30 miles.

As for the inshore races and the Giraglia, the conditions were demanding and not so forgiving so we had to be continuously on the edge. The Giraglia race started with a 25 mile beat – then we had a 120 mile run to the Giraglia rock in 35 knots of wind, and we managed to hit a new boat record speed of 21.5 knots. Then, for the 10 miles around the rock, the wind was down to between five to 10 knots, and we arrived

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GIRAGLIA at around 4:00pm on Thursday in San Remo in very light conditions.

Esimit Europa managed a course record by reducing the previous record by around four hours – that shows how challenging the conditions were.

You also managed to race against Otra Vez – a bit of friendly competition?

It was great that there were two Maltese boats competing in the Giraglia. Since both boats are J122, we could push each other to the limit throughout the regatta.

What races will you are participating in this summer?

Line honours winner and course record breaker Esimit Europa 2. Photo by Rolex / Kurt Arrigo.

We start with the Ramla Regatta in August and than continue with our preparations for the Rolex Middle Sea Race. We’ve also already started doing some maintenance on the boat.

Artie would like to thank family and crew as well as their sponsor RTFX for their support at the Giraglia Rolex Cup and the upcoming 2012 regattas.

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28 - SPINNAKER / Issue 29

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SPINNAKER / Issue 29 - 31

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RAC ES

A mighty challenge This year’s edition of the Volvo Ocean Race was a successful battle on the high seas.

T

he Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12 was not only the closest race in the 39-year history of the event but also the most successful, with hundreds of thousands of fans visiting Galway in Ireland for a buoyant finale.

The 11th edition of the race around the world – a thrilling battle eventually won by the debut-making French team Groupama – took place against a challenging set of circumstances yet record revenues from the previous edition meant organisers were able to continue investing. CEO Knot Frostad said feedback from teams, stakeholders and the public had been excellent, while the future of the race was secure thanks to the unqualified support of its two owners, Volvo Car Corporation and Volvo Group.

“The Volvo Ocean Race has never been in better shape,” said Frostad, who competed in the race four times before taking over as CEO before the 2008-09 edition.

“Despite the tough economic climate globally, the threat of piracy in the Indian Ocean and more damage to the boats than we would have liked, we delivered the most successful race in our history.

“Millions of fans visited our race villages and we also had huge increases in news coverage of the race, with everything pointing to double the number of online articles about the race and double the number of page views to our site once the final figures are in.

“The racing was also incredibly close,

with four teams still challenging for victory a matter of days before the finish.”

The latest confirmed figures available show that as of the seventh leg, the official website had clocked up 109 million page views (91 per cent more than the total for 2008-09) while more than 51,000 articles had been published on major websites (70 per cent more than total online coverage for 2008-09).

The race is also the most popular sailing property on Facebook by a huge margin, with over 200,000 fans, while the race tracker, which allows people to follow the boats 24 hours a day, racked up 16 million visits and 234 million page views (from 10.10.11 to 10.06.12). Final numbers will be released in an end-ofrace report later this year.

SPINNAKER / Issue 29 - 33

RAC ES

Organisers of the Galway Stopover, Let’s Do It Global, said in a press release that 900,000 people had visited the event’s Race Village and Global Village over a nine-day period.

Frostad was able to announce in Lorient that the two Volvo companies were providing financing to ensure at least eight new boats will be built and raced for the next two editions. The start port will again be Alicante, where the race HQ and newly opened museum are housed.

The new one-design boat will be considerably less expensive than the Volvo Open 70s used in the last three editions and should enable teams to put together competitive campaigns for €12-15 million.

“Being able to announce plans for the next two editions puts us in a stronger position than ever,” said Frostad. “We have dozens of cities interested in hosting the Race and the backing we have from Volvo means I’m very confident we will have at least eight boats on the start line for the next two races.

Organisers of the Galway Stopover, Let’s Do It Global, said in a press release this week that 900,000 people had visited the event’s Race Village and Global Village over a nine-day period.

Frostad was able to announce in Lorient last month that the two Volvo companies were providing financing to ensure at least eight new boats will be built and raced for the next two editions. The start port will again be Alicante, where the Race HQ and newly opened Museum are housed.

The new one-design boat will be considerably less expensive than the Volvo Open 70s used in the last three editions and should enable teams to put together competitive campaigns for 12-15 million euros.

“Being able to announce plans for the next two editions puts us in a stronger position than ever,” said Frostad. “We have dozens of cities interested in hosting the race and the backing we have from Volvo means I’m very confident we will have at least eight boats on the start line for the next two races.

“Last month we opened a wonderful new museum at our base in Alicante and I’m looking forward to seeing that prosper. The future is very bright.”

34 - SPINNAKER / Issue 29

WE LIVE FOR FREEDOM. That's why we chose a fully integrated SIMRAD NSS and autopilot for our sailboat.

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A royal history

Arthur Podesta explains the ‘Royal’ in Royal Malta Yacht Club.

U

nfortunately, the exact date of the first establishment of the prefix ‘Royal’ to the Malta Yacht Club, which has been in existence since 1835, cannot be ascertained. This is due to the total destruction of its clubhouse during World War II, when all the club’s contents, including files as well as many boats within the premises were destroyed. However, evidence of a regatta notice dating back to 1875 shows that at that time the club enjoyed the use of the ‘Royal’ prefix.

During World War I, between 1914-1918, the use of the ‘Royal’ prefix is known to have lapsed, since all documents relating to the use of the defaced Blue Ensigns by yachts belonging to club members, as well as the club ‘Royal’ charter had to be sent to the admiralty for safe-keeping.

In the post-War days of 1921 to 1927, the club was therefore known as the Malta Yacht Club. Activities were resumed despite having no premises and just a few members, and it is on record that during these years the club reapplied for the ‘Royal’ prefix.

In those days – when the Governor of Malta was ex-ufficio also Commodore of the Club, and the Commander in Chief Allied Forces Mediterranean was Vice-Commodore – Vice Admiral Campbell queried the justification of the re-application, since the club had only 42 members. However, evidence does show that by 1928, the club did in fact have the Royal Warrant restored, thanks to the positive influence of Vice Admiral French, who eventually became Vice Commodore of the club from 1935 to 1937.

In 1929, a new and separate club, the Malta Motor Boat Club was formed, but in 1930 the two clubs amalgamated under the title of the senior body – the Royal Malta Yacht Club.

A new club and boathouse was built at Haywharf in Marsamxetto harbour, and with the absorption into its ranks of the newly formed Malta Motor boat Club, the active members increased to 132. Sailing activities provided a base of common interest among both the English and Maltese for a number of years.

Between 1939 and 1944, Malta’s strategic position in the Mediterranean meant that it was almost constantly under enemy attack. With this, the club suffered a serious setback – the destruction of the original club and boathouse at Haywharf, with all its contents, documents and archives as well as all its members’ boats. This was a particularly grievous blow.

It is apparent that sailing activities ceased until the summer of 1944, when satisfactory temporary premises were obtained. The club officially reopened in 1945, after which it started to grow rapidly.

This time it is apparent that the ‘Royal’ prefix was not withdrawn and existed, during, as well as after the war.

The Royal Malta Yacht Club organised many in-shore and off-shore activities from a newly built clubhouse in Haywharf until 1967, when it was granted the use of the Couvre Porte within Fort Manoel on Manoel Island by the Government of Malta.

Surveys and consultation Malta Yacht Surveys offers pre-purchase condition and insurance surveys, damage assessment and refit consultation for boats, Government Surveyor of Ships for Malta and an examiner for the UK Codes of Practice for Commercial Vessels.

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SPINNAKER / Issue 29 - 37

3

H I STO RY

Sail safely For some it may be considered as an important investment, for others a lifelong dream come true.

The Middlesea boat policy is a user-friendly policy, offering wide cover for your pleasure craft at a reasonable premium.

In 1978 the Malta Government of the time required that all companies, clubs, associations or the likes of them ceased to use the word ‘Malta’ within their name, insisting that this should be reserved solely for Government use.

Consequently the club was forced to change its name to ‘Valletta Yacht Club’ and the ‘Royal’ prefix was once again dropped.

Lacking any records, it is unknown whether or not any notification of such a change was made to the Ministry of Defence in London, which was responsible for the granting of the Royal warrant to our club on behalf of Buckingham Palace.

In 1989, upon request, the club was advised by the current Government that there was no objection to reassuming the title of Malta Yacht Club and if granted, there would not be any objection to reassuming the title Royal Malta Yacht Club.

In July 1990 the club wrote to the Ministry of Defence in London asking to reassume the name Royal Malta Yacht Club, and in September 1990 the club received a very welcome letter from London stating that since the original permission never seemed to have been revoked and after consultation with Buckingham Palace, “Her Majesty the Queen is content that given the club’s previous close association with the Royal Family, it may re-assume the title of Royal Malta Yacht Club.”

Today the club, which has grown considerably in yet again a new clubhouse, still enjoys the privilege of being called Royal Malta Yacht Club.

38 - SPINNAKER / Issue 29

The Middlsea boat policy provides wide insurance protection against accidental loss or damage to your boat while it is ashore or afloat, in commission, laid up out of commission, being lifted, hauled out, launched or in transit. The policy also provides protection against accidental loss or damage to motors, electrical machinery and equipment, batteries and their connections resulting from sudden accidental seepage of water into the boat, directly caused by an identifiable and unexpected occurrence.

The policy offers wide insurance protection against accidental loss or damage to personal items while used in connection with the boat. The policy also provides insurance protection against reasonable costs incurred including salvage charges, in preventing and minimising a loss covered by the policy, your liability to others, and personal accident for yourself and other persons on board the boat.

The Middlesea boat policy may also be extended to include cover for water skiing, racing and chartering.

As with all insurance products, the terms and conditions of the policy are of utmost importance.

Boat owners must be aware of the implications of the terms and conditions irrespective of which insurance company or agency is insuring the craft. If you are in doubt regarding anything in the policy or anything that has to do with your craft or where she is moored or stored, immediate clarification ought to be sought from your insurer or broker.

With adequate boat insurance protection you can sail with peace of mind. For more information on boat insurance please call Middlesea Insurance on 2124 6262 Middlesea Insurance p.l.c. is a company authorised by the MFSA, under the Insurance Business Act, 1998 to carry on both Long Term and General Business.

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RAC ES

BOV ROUND THE ISLANDS RACE – 2012 Lartista wins the first edition of the BOV Round the Islands race.

BOV race

L

artista skippered by Anthony Calleja is the first boat to notch its name on the new BOV Round the Islands Trophy after being named overall winner of the race.

The 35-footer edged David Anastasi’s Kaimana for the overall win with Comanche Raider II with Jonas Diamantino at the helm coming in third overall after having taken line honours.

Sailing from Marsamxett harbour with very light winds, the crews faced the arduous task of keeping their sails filled as they rounded the south of Malta to head to Filfla and on towards Comino.

The winds picked up slightly in the afternoon

Prize giving awards

to quicken the pace of the race but not enough to permit the boats to sail the full 85 nautical mile course, which included rounding Gozo within the time limit. As provided for in the sailing instructions, at Cirkewwa the Race Officer Peter Dimech called a shortened course and after sailing through the South Comino Channel the boats proceeded to the finish at Marsamxett.

Charles Azzopardi, Manager Marketing at Bank of Valletta and Godwin Zammit, Commodore of the Royal Malta Yacht Club presented the trophies to the winners.

Full results of the race can be obtained from the Royal Malta Yacht Club’s website www.rmyc.org.

Race Results 2012 IRC Racer Class 1 Kaimana Comanche Raider II Juno IRC Racer Class 2 Lartista Moondance Windriven IRC Cruiser Class Xplane

SPINNAKER / Issue 29 - 41

RAC ES

Ragusa Weekend 2012 29/06/2012 - 29/06/2012

A

fleet of 20 boats set sail for Ragusa on Friday, June 29. The forecast predicted light winds but it turned out to be a steady seven to 10 knots â&#x20AC;&#x201C; this made it a fast passage race up, with the first boat arriving at 4.30pm and the last boat crossing the line at 6.00pm.

A regatta was organised by the Circoli Velici Iblei on the same weekend. On Saturday, two Maltese boats competed in the first race with Comanche Raider II winning their class. A similar event has been planned for next year.

The race back on Sunday, July 1 saw more or less the same conditions, with a frustrating last two miles when the wind died down. The first boat finished at around 6.00pm.

A prize giving ceremony was held on Friday, July 6 at 8.00pm at the RMYC.

Ragusa Weekend 2012 Results Race 1

Race 2

IRC Racer Class 1 Juno Comanche Raider II Rebel

IRC Racer Class 1 Juno Comanche Raider II Whistler Wolfpack

IRC Racer Class 2 Moondance Lartista Inspiration

IRC Racer Class 2 Moondance Sailaway Lartista

IRC Cruiser Class For Peteâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Sake

SPINNAKER / Issue 29 - 43

RAC ES

Juno winning line honours

MALTA SYRACUSE RACE 2012 Maltese boat Juno wins line honours at the UK Sailmakers Malta-Syracuse Race. By Teddie Borg.

T

he heat was on for this year’s strong fleet of 65 yachts from the largest island in the Mediterranean, Sicily, which together with the local fleet of 20 yachts started the 52nd edition of the traditional Malta-Syracuse Race from just out of Marsamxett Harbour at 10.00am sharp.

Shardana. This time, he was helming the 41-footer Nautilius using his foxy strategy in the hope of yet another win.

With his infinite knowledge of Maltese and Sicilian waters, Piazza should and could have shone brighter – however this time it was one of those sails that he would rather forget.

As usual, this was a sort of prelude to the Rolex Middle Sea Race in October, as it gives the opportunity to the seasoned crews to adjust and get accustomed to the crossing of the Malta-Sicily Channel.

Our local fleet also had its stars with more than one favourite to topple the Sicilian dream. I could have safely forecasted Comanche Raider and Juno as forerunners – but in a race like this, which depended on prevailing light winds, any boat was in the reckoning.

From the onlooker point of view, it looked that this year, the competition was getting tougher, with a mix of boats from the past and the present.

Enthusiastic skippers and crews who have sailed these waters on many an occasion, never fail to re-energise themselves for this popular regatta between Maltese and Sicilian boats.

Particular mention goes to traditional skippers such as Sgr Alberto Piazza, well-known double winner of Spirit of

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The 85-strong fleet met unusual light winds with quite a swell to handle right from the start – skippers found it hard to round the marker which was in line with the fairway buoy, which gave them the open space to Syracuse, 81.7nm away.

There were many tedious moments with boats idling for long stretches in the rather dead winds – this discouraged racing crews from continuing the race.

After a few hours of waiting in vain for the moving weather, skippers got fed up and started retiring one after another – out of 85 boats, only 19 stuck to the end, the first one being the Maltese boat Juno after more than 24 hours of slow sailing.

Commodore Godwin Zammit was one of the few who had the patience to wait for some kind of breeze – he succeeded in getting a fourth in IRC B. Young skipper Matthew Scicluna on Maltese Falcon also gave a sterling performance, grabbing podium places in certain categories – third in IRC A and a fifth in ORC A. Adding with the line honours, Juno got a second and a fourth in two different categories.

Of the 19 boats that finished, Sicilian boats Ricomincio da Tre won the Overall Barca Agricola di Ragusa Trophy while I Am Bad also succeeded in winning the Overall Easy Perfection Trophy.

UK Sailmakers sponsor the Malta-Syracuse Race Established in 1946 as Charles Ulmer Inc., UK Sailmakers is one of the oldest groups of sail lofts in the world. Over 60 years later, the UK Sailmakers has 50 lofts and service centres around the world.

UK has been on the leading edge of sailing development ever since the late 1940s when Ulmer Sails dominated the star class and other one designs. The group’s involvement with the Americas Cup goes back to 1964 and continues with the last two China’s Team efforts.

Cdr Godwin Zammit presenting the overall trophy

Over the last 25 years, the UK continued to develop the Tape-Drive sail construction system, which was the first load-path construction method in sail making.

UK Sailmakers’ highest performance sail construction method is Matrix Titanium, which is a membraine sail where the yarns run continuously between the corners of the sail.

Even though the UK Sailmakers started out in America, the group has grown great in Europe over the last twenty years with strong lofts in Sweden, Germany, France, Holland, Ireland and Turkey.

UK Sailmakers welcomes Jason Galea in Malta to the group, manufacturing both racing and cruising sails from his 1400sqm loft in Marsa. UK Sailmakers Malta were pleased to sponsor this race on the occasion of their launching into the group.

Results

UK Sailmakers Malta-Syracuse 2012. Summary of category results Classiche division Grazia Nausica

Squalo Bianco Inspiration (Malta)

ORC Crociera B Kika Grazia

IRC A Allegradue Juno (Malta) Maltese Falcon (Malta)

IRC B Ricomincio da Tre (first overall) Wolverine

Open Sapore di Sale Piloto

ORC B Ricomincia da Tre Cubre Libre Wolverine ORC A I Am Bad (first overall) Allegradue Nautilius Juno (Malta) Maltese Falcon (Malta)

SPINNAKER / Issue 29 - 45

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RAC ES

Marzamemi weekend 2012 The Gewiss Marzamemi weekend 2012 took off to a slow start on Saturday, April 28. Due to the lack of wind all boats retired but nevertheless enjoyed three days in Marzamemi.

Most boats finished in good time by early evening at the club with a light but steady breeze for the race back on Tuesday, May 1.

Jonas Diamantino on Comanche Raider II was first overall while Anton Calleja on Lartista was first in Racer Class 2.

Anthony Camilleri on Windward was first in Cruiser Class 1 and Kevin Dingli on Fekruna was first in Cruiser Class 2.

The Prize Giving reception was held on Saturday, May 5 at the club with music

by DJ Albert.

GEWISS MARZAMEMI RESULTS 2012 Race 2

IRC Racer Class 1 Comanche Raider II Juno Aziza

IRC Cruiser Class 1 Windward Vanquish Le Mer

IRC Racer Class 2 Lartista Moondance Sailaway

IRC Cruiser Class 2 Fekruna Excellance

SPINNAKER / Issue 29 - 47

C LU B N E W S

Jewels from the Musicals

By Francesca Vincenti

T

he Royal Malta Yacht Club in collaboration with The Malta Opera Ensemble and Moodswing hosted a musical fundraising evening entitled Jewels from the Musicals under the patronage of the President of Malta, the Hon. Dr. George Abela.

Directed by Alice Horne, with proceeds going to the Action for Breast Cancer Foundation, the audience was treated to many popular cabaret pieces harmoniously sung by the all female troupe called the Moodswing Singers, who delighted the crowd with their upbeat performance.

Extracts from well-known musicals such as South Pacific, Oliver and Show Boat were performed by soloists and chorus, who collectively form part of the Malta Opera Ensemble. Amongst the soloists were rising stars Gilbert Delicata, Rebecca Pirotta and the very young but highly talented Michaela Agius who all gave a lovely performance with solos and duets in South Pacific. Virginia De Luca’s version of Happy Talk brought uncontrollable smiles to all, while acclaimed tenor Charles Vincenti’s moving interpretation of This Nearly Was

48 - SPINNAKER / Issue 29

Mine, supported by Gilbert Pirotta, brought tears to many in the audience.

Sharon Micallef and the club’s very own member Francesca Vincenti, together with supporting sopranos V De Luca and R. Pirotta further contributed to this musical fundraiser with lively versions of Fish Got To Swim from Showboat (Sharon, Francesca, Virginia, Rebecca), Oom Pa Pa from Oliver (Francesca, Sharon, Virginia) and Francesca’s own solo As Long as He Needs Me from Oliver.

The grand finale came with Warren Vella’s beautiful interpretation of Old Man River, which sealed the evening with a fitting end together with all members of the ensemble singing the chorus piece.

The accompanying pianist was Esmeralda Galea Camilleri. Choreography and stage management was directed by Mark Flood, while lighting and sound was directed by Stephen Borg – these also volunteered their time and expertise for this event.

The evening ended with a raffle –

generous prizes were donated by Virtu Ferries, Muscats Motors, The Radisson Blu Resort St Julians, Kempinski Hotel San Lawrenz, The Radiology Clinic, and The Feelgood Wellness Spa (Preluna).

Catering for the evening was generously sponsored by Croce Bonaci Valletta, while wines were supplied by Arrigo & Sons.

The Royal Malta Yacht Club was instrumental in the success of this fundraiser which might just become a yearly event following the great success and feedback from the audience.

Commodore Godwin Zammit and members of the RMYC Committee, together with staff and helpers of the club were thanked by Helen Muscat for their unfailing support toward such a successful evening.

A total of just under €1,000 was raised at this event. This is being used by the Action for Breast Cancer Foundation to purchase mastectomy supplies for newly diagnosed patients and much needed equipment. For more details of the special work carried out by the foundation visit www. actionforbreastcancer.com

Flamenco Night The Royal Malta Yacht Club in collaboration with Maria Farrugia, Xandru Grech, Caroline Mattocks and Alegria School held a Flamenco Night on the terrace of the RMYC on Saturday, May 26. Armani Jeans and Tommy Hilfiger also held a fashion preview on the night.

SPINNAKER / Issue 29 - 49

R M YC

The Royal Malta Yacht Club during the 2011 Rolex Middle Sea Race. Photos by Rolex/Kurt Arrigo

Welcome to the new RMYC members

Mr Arthur Ripard Mr and Mrs Edwin Stuart Hamilton Mr John Vella Ms Simone Gatt Mr Charles Smith Ms Brenda Palmer Mr Paul Busuttil Mr Roger Buckley Mr and Mrs Ray Soler Mr Isaac Borg Mr Michael Franz Ms Liliana Fiott

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Family Family Full Associate Family Family Associate Full Family Full Full Associate

Ms Claire Grech Ms Claudia Schembri Mr William Ryder Mr Gary Anthony Waring Mr Keith Spiteri Mr Patrick Nicholl Mr Volkmar Petzold Mr Stephen Hargreaves Mr Sean McCrystal Mr Colin Snowball Mr Pierre Portelli Mr Robert Hughes

Associate Associate Associate Associate Associate Full Full Associate Family Associate Associate Associate

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