Malta Young Sailors’ Club Hosts Windsurfing Round Malta Race

The Malta Young Sailors’ Club hosted a thrilling windsurfing Round Malta Race on Sunday, serving as the final qualifying event for the upcoming Foiling 100 race from St Paul’s Bay to Ragusa. Five skilled sailors, including Jean Paul Fleri Soler and Karl Miggiani, embarked on the challenging 75km course around Malta at 9:40am.

Despite facing tough sailing conditions with waves reaching up to 2.5m and wind speeds fluctuating between 30 and five knots, the sailors pushed through the ever-changing elements. Miggiani led the pack for most of the race, closely followed by Fleri Soler, a seasoned windsurfer who won the first Malta-Sicily Windsurf race back in 1984.

However, the adverse weather conditions took a toll on the sailors, with Tom Zammit Tabona retiring near Benghajsa and Shaun Miggiani and Seb Ripard forced to retire close to Armier when the wind died down completely. Despite the challenges, Miggiani expressed his satisfaction at not only completing the course but also setting a new record with a time of three hours, 46 minutes, and five seconds.

The Malta Young Sailors’ Club is now preparing for the upcoming Foiling 100 event, set to take place between May 16 and 19, where sailors will race from St Paul’s Bay to Ragusa in Sicily. The club expressed their gratitude to sponsors and volunteers for their support in making these events possible.

With the excitement and challenges of the Round Malta Race behind them, the sailors are now looking forward to the next thrilling event on the horizon.