Malta’s event kick starts this year’s European circuit.
Sunday marked the conclusion of the 2025 EurILCA Master Series season opener, hosted by the Royal Malta Yacht Club with the support of Yachting Malta.
The 2025 EurILCA Master Series in Malta featured 30 sailors from 14 countries.



The EurILCA Master Series is a prestigious circuit of regattas held throughout the year at some of Europe’s most stunning sailing venues. Open to sailors aged 30 and above (as of the first race in 2025), the series features all ILCA rigs: ILCA 7, ILCA 6, and ILCA 4. Renowned for being highly competitive on the water and vibrant après-sail social scene, the EurILCA Master Series is a highlight of the European sailing calendar.
This year marks Malta’s fourth time hosting this prestigious event, made possible through the dedicated efforts of key RMYC partners SailCoach’s Trevor Millar and Alex Denisiuc.
Racing began under a light drizzle with winds reaching 12 knots. However, as the second of the three races commenced, the wind strengthened to around 18 knots, gusting up to 22 knots. This shift in conditions led to a few retirements during this stage of the competition.
There were no significant surprises or changes to the final leaderboards in both the ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 classes.
Adil Khalid (UAE), despite a disappointing final race when compared to his previous performances, secured a comfortable victory in the ILCA 6 Class with a 9-point margin over Dirk de Bie (CAN) and Max Hunt (GBR). De Bie and Hunt were separated by just four points as they claimed their places on the overall podium.

In the ILCA 7 Class, Colin Leonard continued his unbeaten streak, finishing with an 8-point advantage over second-placed Mark Lyttle (GBR), who managed to maintain a 2-point lead over third-placed Alan Davis.

The Royal Malta Yacht Club hosted a prize-giving evening, during which the Club’s Vice Commodore Mark Napier highlighted the significance of such events in showcasing both the Club and Malta as a premier sailing destination on the international stage.
Also present was Yachting Malta CEO Michael Mifsud, who echoed these sentiments, emphasising the importance of these initiatives for Yachting Malta. Since its inception a decade ago, Yachting Malta has worked tirelessly to establish Malta’s presence on the global sailing map.
Club Vice Commodore Napier went on to thank Sailcoach, partners at the RMYC Sailing School, for being instrumental in this event, as well as the Race Management Team, led by Martin Azzopardi, for ensuring the event ran smoothly from start to finish.
The EurILCA Master Series was held under the auspices of the Malta Sailing Federation and EurILCA and supported by Yachting Malta Ltd.
2025 EurILCA Master Series Malta Results
ILCA 6 | ILCA 7 | ||
Apprentice Master (30-44) | 1st | Adil Khalid (UAE) | Colin Leonard (IRL) |
Master (45-54) | – | David Surkov (UKR) | |
Grand Master (55-64) | 1st | Dirk de Bie (CAN) | Mark Lyttle (GBR) |
2nd | Simon Radford (GBR) | Alan Davis (GBR) | |
3rd | – | Chriss Ellyatt (GBR) | |
Grand Master (Women) (55-64) | 1st | Daniela Siepmann (GER) | – |
Great Grand Master (65+) | 1st | Max Hunt (GBR) | Roberto Bini (ITA) |
2nd | Michael Hecky (USA) | Michael Hicks ((GBR) | |
3rd | Thomas Gyr (SUI) | Peter Sherwin (GBR) | |
Great Grand Master (Women) (65+) | 1st | Monica Julie Bodmer (SUI) | – |
Legend (75+) | 1st | Theo van Hilten (NED) | – |














