The stage was set for an exhilarating finish on Saturday afternoon as the Podesta’s Elusive 2 and Sebastian Ripard’s Calypso went head-to-head in the Royal Malta Yacht Club’s penultimate race of the year. The competition featured a strong fleet battling it out in near-perfect sailing conditions.
The race started with a challenging beat into building winds, where gusty and shifting conditions tested the fleet until reaching the North Comino Channel. From there, a fast downwind leg ensued, with winds reaching up to 20 knots as the fleet raced back to the finish line at the RMYC.
The Podesta family’s Elusive 2 was the first to cross the finish line, approximately 13 minutes ahead of Sebastian Ripard’s Calypso. However, when the ratings were factored in, the two boats tied for first place on corrected time—an unprecedented result in the recent history of the Club’s racing calendar.
“We knew it would be a close finish, and indeed it was. We are really enjoying the intense, down-to-the-wire competition,” remarked Aaron Podesta, co-skipper of Elusive 2. Notably, eight-year-old George Podesta joined the Elusive 2 crew, proudly continuing the family’s sailing legacy.
For the Calypso crew, it was close boat to boat racing with Sean Borg’s Jubatus and also Elusive 2 who they were racing with on corrected time. “The tight competition pushed us to give it our all right up to the finish,” commented Sebastian Ripard.
This result highlights a very positvie period in the Club’s recent racing history, underscoring the growing appeal of such closely contested events.
In IRC Class 2, Brian Flahive’s J/92 Juniper claimed victory after a thrilling duel with Charles Cronin’s Alecto, another J/92. “We surfed most of the way, making for an exciting and competitive race,” said Flahive.
Meanwhile, in the Cruising Class, Kevin Pisani Zammit’s Dimm continued her impressive streak, securing yet another win in her category.
Race Management duties were undertaken by Piero Picone.
The final race on the RMYC calendar is the Medcomms Round Malta race taking place on Friday 13th December.