Malta has celebrated a proud moment in sailing, as Team BOOST Stella Maris won the SB20 European Female Championship in Ostend, Belgium.
Representing the Royal Malta Yacht Club, the SB20 Malta Association, and skipper Gabriella Mifsud, the team Anna Basalkina, Mattea Ciantar, and Emilie Gregory took part in 13 hard-fought races.
The SB20 is a popular sailing boat class, used by both professional and amateur sailors around the world. All boats are built the same, so the focus is on teamwork, tactics, and sailing skills, rather than having better equipment. This makes the racing very exciting and fair.
Before competing in the European Championships, the team won the SB20 National League in Malta, showing they were already strong on home waters.
In Belgium, they finished 13th overall in a fleet full of experienced international sailors. Their first race didn’t go well, as they came in 32nd, but they didn’t give up. With strong determination, they improved throughout the event, finishing with an impressive 5th place in the last race.
The conditions were very different from what they’re used to in Malta. Instead of calm Mediterranean seas, they had to deal with big Atlantic-style waves, strong tidal currents, and winds averaging over 20 knots. The waves reached about 1.3 metres high. Learning to handle these new conditions was key to their success.
Although they are fairly new to the SB20 class, the sailors have solid experience, including taking part in the tough Rolex Middle Sea Race. Their quick learning and consistent performance made a big difference.
After the event, Gabriella Mifsud said,
“This is a proud moment for us and for Malta. As an all-female team, we wanted to show that with hard work and focus, we can race at the highest level. Winning the European title, especially after a difficult start, is a big achievement. We hope it inspires more women to try sailing.”
This is the first time a Maltese SB20 team has won a European title. It shows the talent and determination of Maltese sailors, especially the women, and puts Malta on the map in European sailing.
Team BOOST Stella Maris thanked SportMalta for helping them take part in the event, as well as the SB20 Malta Association and Boost for their support.
