The Royal Malta Yacht Club hosted its second race of the 2025 season on Saturday evening, when the Thomas Smith Triple Handed Night Race took place.
The short handed race began in very light winds, with a shifty breeze and an easterly swell setting the stage for a testing night on the water. As the fleet made its way up the coast, towards the tuna pens outside St. Paul’s Bay, competitors had to navigate higher angles, gybe frequently, and deal with unpredictable wind conditions, particularly close to the fish farms which had to be navigated by most in pitch dark.
Vivace, crewed by Andrew Agius Delicata, Matthew Gabriele, and Daniel Amato, took an early lead by rounding the fish farms first under pitch-black conditions. During the upwind leg, they extended their advantage over the rest of the fleet. However, a lack of wind in the harbour halted their progress for an hour and a half. Although they crossed the finish line first, corrected time adjustments meant that they had to settle for third place. Their time was just under two minutes behind Lartista (Anton Calleja / Renato Camilleri / Jacob Azzopardi), who had to recover from a less than ideal start. Despite the setback, Lartista steadily regained positions as they neared the fish farms.
As Juniper’s crew (Brian Flahive, Aaron Gatt Floridia, and André Marinho) made strong progress along the coast in very light winds, the lead on the water changed several times. Reaching the fish farms off St. Paul’s Bay just after sunset, the Juniper crew faced a tricky beat to the finish at the Royal Malta Yacht Club when the wind completely dying down at times.
Ultimately, Juniper took the win, marking their second victory in as many races this year.
Meanwhile in the Cruisers’ Class, Kon Tiki, skippered by Fernando Grech, Joseph Muscat, and Manuel Gatt triumphed in the Class, their determination and strategic decision to stay further offshore paid off as they found steadier wind, eventually regaining the lead despite several lulls in the breeze.
“Short-handed racing is a display of precision and teamwork, where each dedicated crew member’s expertise is required to make the most of every gust of wind – as the Thomas Smith Triple Handed race clearly demonstrated,” remarked Adrian Gauci Borda, Rear Commodore Sailing (RMYC). “We extend our sincere gratitude to Thomas Smith Insurance Brokers for their invaluable support of this event.”
The following event, the International Yacht Paint Gozo Weekend Regatta, on the Club’s Racing Calendar, is scheduled between the 28th and 31st March and will consist of a variety of events which will cater for both the racing and cruising enthusiasts.