Maltese sailors dominated the podiums at the Yachting Malta BSC International Regatta, where Timmy Vassallo, Tomek Vaccaro, Katrina Micallef, Matthew Flores and Andrey Zhakov were among the class winners. Hosted for the fourth year by Birżebbuġa Sailing Club Freeport, the regatta welcomed sailors from Lithuania, Bulgaria and Portugal alongside most of Malta’s top sailors, and counted towards selection for the European Championships.
Racing was completed on all four days, though the weather kept the race committee busy. Day one brought an ideal medium south-easterly off Xrobb l-Għaġin and three races for every class. On day two, easterlies and two-metre swells forced a move inside the port, made possible by a well-coordinated effort with the Malta Freeport pilot, for two back-to-back windward-leeward races. On day three, strong north-easterlies and a large rebound swell sent the fleet back inside the port. On the last day, just six to seven knots allowed two final races outside the harbour. Most winners built their lead on day one and held it.
| Class | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
|---|---|---|---|
| ILCA 4 Males | Timmy Vassallo (MYSC) | Jonas Micallef (RMYC) | Kaine Muscat (RMYC) |
| ILCA 4 Females | Emily Fenech (BSC) | Krista Spiteri (BSC) | |
| ILCA 6 Males | Tomek Vaccaro (RMYC) | Benjamin Vassallo (MYSC) | Poyraz Fidanboy (RMYC) |
| ILCA 6 Females | Katrina Micallef (RMYC) | Michela Mifsud (BSC) | Lacey Aquilina (BSC) |
| ILCA 7 | Matthew Flores (RMYC) | Shaun Aquilina (BSC) | |
| Optimist Senior Males | Andrey Zhakov (BSC) | Isaac Azzopardi (BSC) | Matthias Spiteri (MYSC) |
| Optimist Senior Females | Sasha Nagrudnaia (BSC) | Samanta Axisa (RMYC) | Ella Demicoli (MYSC) |
| Optimist Novice | Ben Spiteri Bailey (RMYC) | Yufan Li (RMYC) | Marko Kuvichkin (RMYC) |
| Optimist Cadet | Timothy Vella (BSC) | Jean Sammut (VSC) | Matt Sillato (MYSC) |
Commodore Mario Aquilina praised the Maltese sailors’ performance against international competition and the regatta’s growing appeal to foreign sailors. Prizes were presented in the presence of Hon. Dr Chris Bonett, Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Public Works, Yachting Malta CEO Michael Mifsud and Birżebbuġa Mayor Scott Camilleri. The club thanked Yachting Malta, Visit Malta, the Birżebbuġa Local Council, the Malta Freeport pilots and its volunteers, some 40 of whom worked on the event for weeks.
