The Lungomare Falcomata of Reggio Calabria provided an excellent racecourse for a Siġġiewi crew to race alongside some of Italy’s best rowers in a rather technically challenging sprint regatta.
This Regatta is held as part of the festival Tesori del Mediterraneano on the stretch of water of the Strait that unites Reggio Calabria and Messina. The 2024 race included ten crews made up of 4 rowers and a coxswain, all male, mostly coming from the best rowing clubs in Italy, including Frecce Gialle, the professional Calabrian crew and a crew from the National Fixed-Seat Rowing Federation (FICSF). The race is a sprint over 500 meters using custom-designed boats which measure 7 meters in length by 2.5 in width.
Joseph Grima, President of Siġġiewi Rowing Club, who together with fellow crew members Eman Pisani, Benjamin Abela, Ivan Cassar and Edvard Lee Agius took part in this regatta, explained the many benefits from a sports perspective that are achieved through events such as this one. “This Reggio Calabria regatta is a highly demanding race that necessitates good physical preparation and an excellent knowledge of how to row in challenging waters that are typical in the Strait of Messina. For us, this is an excellent opportunity to learn from some of the best Italian crews how best to row in such open-sea conditions, which are very different from what we are accustomed to in the Maltese Harbour but not atypical for Coastal Rowing regattas.”
The Mayor of Siġġiewi, Perit Julian Borg, who facilitated and supported this initiative explained the many ties between Regio Calabria and Siġġiewi, Citta` Ferdinand. “We are lucky to have the masterpiece by Calabrian artist Mattia Preti on the main altar of our Parish Church. Reggio and Siġġiewi are two cities which border with the sea, whose people learnt how to live with nature and respect it. The newer ties that are developing through the sports of rowing between our city’s rowing club and Reggio Calabria are an excellent example of how communities can work together to promote sport and healthy living.”
The financial assistance of Sport Malta through their 2024 International Partition scheme awarded to Siġġiewi Rowing Club (IP-076-2024) which made this trip possible is most gratefully acknowledged.
Lawrence Cachia
Bravo