Following a two-day break from racing due to adverse weather conditions disrupting boat launches in Mellieha Bay, the Mapfre Euromed International Championships – osted by Malta Young Sailors’ Club – resumed on Tuesday.
Tuesday’s races unfolded amid strong yet consistent winds and a notable 2-metre swell, presenting a challenging yet thrilling day for the competing fleets. Race Officers Bojan Gale and Peter Farkas successfully conducted four races for the Optimist Senior and Cadet Fleets and three races across all ILCA rigs. The Optimist Beginners’ fleet had no races, maintaining the provisional results from Saturday and resulting in an all-Maltese podium with Timothy Vella, Jeremy Decelis, and Ella Grech.
In the Optimist Senior Class, Joan Domingo, last year’s winner and race favorite, faced disappointing results on the first day. Despite securing two wins today, it was insufficient to surpass Stefanos Samaras (GRE). Samaras claimed a comfortable lead with four wins, two second places, and a discarded third place. Adele Ramm-Ericson (SWE) took third place, concluding the Championships with a first-place finish in the last race. The top three sailors in the Cadet Class were Nathan Montebello (MLT), Casper Ramm-Ericson (SWE), and Elena Guidi (ITA).
In the ILCA Classes, competing in the penultimate Europa Cup event, the ILCA 4 Fleet witnessed Croatian Vito Fili narrowly beating Hungarian Sara Lacko to first place, with Croatian Edi Jurman in third. Maltese Katrina Micallef, the second female in the fleet, secured fourth place overall, while third female Emily Cantwell (IRL) also had a notable performance.
The ILCA 6 Class showcased an all-female podium, with Alexandra Lukoyanova (BUL), Tea Peteh (CRO), and Sofia Naumenko (UKR) taking top honors. Malta’s Benjamin Vassallo won the ILCA 6 Males’ Class, narrowly missing out on the overall podium. He was followed by other MLT Sailor Tomek Vaccaro and Kenan Tan (SGP).
In the smallest fleet, the ILCA 7 fleet, Valeriy Kudryashov (UKR) dominated with an unbeaten run. GBR sailors Edward Baker and Archie Wright followed, while Malta’s Shaun Aquilina settled for fourth place, one point behind Wright, in what was a repeat result of the ILCA 6 event.
Christian Bajada, the Commodore of the Malta Young Sailors Club, conveyed his contentment with the results of this year’s championships despite the absence of races on Sunday and Monday. “The weather didn’t work in our favor this year, which is disappointing. However, that is the nature of sailing and having to adapt is part of the game. We devised alternative plans for our sailors, engaging them in a variety of educational and enjoyable events. This not only kept them occupied but also provided them with the chance to socialise.”
