The Royal Malta Yacht Club has concluded another edition of the Dock Shop Marzamemi Weekend, the club’s popular offshore passage race to the Sicilian port of Marzamemi and back. A well-balanced fleet of IRC and RMYC Club Class boats made the trip, with a number of new entries joining the Club Class for the first time.
The northbound leg delivered more wind than forecasted, making for a competitive day’s racing across to Sicily. Conditions turned tactical in the approach to Capo Passero, where the fleet jostled for position before the finish where the majority of boats completed the race.
In the IRC fleet, Ton Ton La Ferla (Jonathan Gambin), Kixx Me (Luis Azzopardi) and Jubatus (Sean Borg) were first to finish and held those positions on corrected time. In the Club Class, Forever 25 (Martin/Alexandra Kunath) led home Battleaxe (Jacques Savona) and Game Changer (Edmund Glaister), with the finishing order again reflected on the corrected leaderboard.
Between races, competitors enjoyed a lay day ashore that proved as memorable as the sailing. Marzamemi Yacht Club hosted the fleet with a generous spread, and the clubhouse was full to capacity — a reminder that the Marzamemi Weekend is as much about what happens ashore as on the water.
The return leg south to Malta was a different story. Very light winds, a no-wind zone mid-race, and constant sail changes tested the patience and capabilities of every crew. The RMYC Club Class fleet retired, unable to sustain progress in the near-flat conditions. In the IRC fleet, only two boats – Jubatus and Kixx Me – persevered to the finish, with Jubatus — short-crewed but well-sailed throughout — taking line honours and the overall trophy for the weekend.
Sean Borg summed up the event simply: “A proper summer regatta — the lay day was as much fun as the racing.”
Luis Azzopardi on Kixx Me noted that the return leg “tested our patience and our capabilities to keep the boat moving.” Alexandra Kunath of Forever 25 described it as having “a slow start, a surprisingly lively crossing, and a gentle reminder on the way home that sailors cannot order wind online,” while Edmund Glaister of Game Changer reserved his highest praise for the hospitality: “The real winners were the food and beverage committee.”
The Prize Giving ceremony will take place on Saturday, 13th June at the Royal Malta Yacht Club.
The Royal Malta Yacht Club thanked Dock Shop for the support shown towards the race as well as Michelle Caruana, Neity Maddock, Alana Meadows, Mark Napier and Piero Picone for contributing their time towards Race Management duties in Malta and Sicily.
The next event on the Club’s Racing Calendar is the North Sails Twilight Series which will start on the 17th June. Registration is open online via this link – https://rmyc.org/races/2026-twilight-series-pursuit-racing/