The Royal Malta Yacht Club’s annual Marzamemi Regatta returned earlier this month with a race that tested patience, perseverance, and tactical skill.
Light winds on the leg to Marzamemi made for a challenging start, demanding numerous sail changes and strategic decisions from the fleet. Several crews were forced to retire, and the slower-than-usual pace set the tone for a weekend where consistency and smart sailing were key. The leg back to Malta was more tactical, with the fleet attempting to find as many pockets of wind as possible to make it back to Marsamxett.
While the individual legs were won by Jonathan Gambin’s Ton Ton Laferla Insurance (Malta to Marzamemi) and Stefan Debattista’s Geisha (Marzamemi to Malta), it was Sean Borg’s Jubatus who claimed the overall trophy. Two second-place finishes on corrected time secured their top spot.
Jubatus, also took line honours on both occasions. Despite limited time sailing together and an entirely new crew, the team’s preparation and calm under pressure paid off. “We had multiple issues due to the lack of experience sailing together but made it to the finish line first,” said Borg. “Throughout all the action on board and the wind holes, we kept it all together for another successful Marzamemi weekend.”
Overall runner-up Jarhead—the J109 owned by the Jarhead Young Sailors Foundation and skippered by Gary Mercieca—featured a young, predominantly female crew. Mercieca described the first leg as “very tactical,” with a timely wind shift working in their favour. The return leg, he noted, “was a very technical race, rewarding good trim and maintaining boat speed throughout.”
Time Out, skippered by Mario Sant, also commented on the challenging conditions. “The race up was a real test of patience and perseverance. But the highlight was spending three days with good friends and being competitive against young blood.”
In the Cruisers’ Class, Janissah, skippered by Mario Debono, made a strong comeback. “After retiring from the first leg due to a lack of wind, the crew fought back with a determined performance on the return leg to win our Class.” The team included a mix of experienced and first-time sailors—among them Giulia Orlando, racing for the first time.
This year’s regatta welcomed several new participants, with a number of teams racing with the Club for the first time and showing that strong teamwork and commitment can deliver results.
Among the debutants was Mareamore³, a 40-foot RM1260 co-skippered by Ugo Vinti and Federico Saccani. Racing double-handed and sailing together for the first time, they won both the RMYC Class and Double-Handed Category. “We couldn’t have hoped for a better debut. The race was well organised, and the friendly environment among crews made it a truly memorable experience,” said Vinti.
A prize-giving evening was held on the Club’s rooftop, where Commodore Mark Napier and Rear Commodore (Sailing) Adrian Gauci Borda presented the awards. Gauci Borda highlighted the strong turnout and noted the encouraging balance between racing and cruising boats—an area the Club has been working hard to strengthen.
The next event on the Club’s calendar is the Twilight Pursuit Racing Series, which builds on the popular Twilight Race format and introduces the pursuit race element. The series starts on Wednesday 18th June.