An exciting season of international competition came to an end when the Royal Malta Yacht Club (RMYC)  ILCA team competed in the U19 ILCA 6 Youth European Championship in Bangor, Northern Ireland. The event was held between the 27th July and the 3rd August 2024.

Marked by extensive preparation to prepare for their final journey for the season the team’s journey saw them travel extensively to gain as much experience as possible.

Bangor proved to be a challenging venue for the Maltese sailors who were faced with additional obstacles they are not used to in the middle of summer – rainy cold weather along with complex sea currents and wind effects that Belfast Bay is notorious for.

None the less, the Maltese sailors experienced both exciting and disappointing moments, but overall, the team performed very  well and demonstrated significant improvement over previous seasons.

Katrina Micallef, fresh from here recent Bronze medal at the ILCA 4 Youth Worlds in June, once again stood out with a strong performance in the ILCA 6 Class. Micallef moved back to the ILCA 6 Class, which is also the Women’s Olympic Class to finish fifth in the U17 Age Group and 13th overall, out of 111 competitors. Micallef showcased her ability to adapt quickly to new challenges whilst aiming and obtaining top performances.

Joining the RMYC Fleet was Ben Vassallo from Malta Young Sailors’ Club, who delivered the best peformance from the Maltese team in the boys’ fleet.  Vassallo finished in the Gold Fleet and 43rd overall out of a highly experienced fleet of 247 boys. Despite a penalty for a black flag that significantly dropped his overall position, Ben broke the previous national record in this Age Group, which was set in 2023 by Matthew Flores (RMYC) who finished 57th in the Gold Fleet.

Despite being well-prepared and targeting a higher result from his 2023 performance, Tomek Vaccaro made a few costly mistakes on the racecourse in the opening series, resulting in two penalties from the juries and his placement in Bronze Fleet for the finals. Vaccaro finished 128th overall and in the Bronze Fleet for finals out of 247 athletes.

Poyraz Fidanboy finished 203rd overall and 66th in the U17 age group. Another athlete who received penalties during the opening series, Fidanboy ended up in the Emerald Fleet. Although not his best possible finish, this performance sets a foundation for 2024, with an aim to rectify mistakes over the next winter.

“Overall, the Maltese ILCA team shone brightly in 2024, gaining valuable experience and drawing motivation and inspiration from the current biggest sporting event, the Olympic Games. The team is now focused on setting their goals for the 2025 season with a lot of hard work ahead” commented Alex Denisciuc, RMYC Sailing School Coach who accompanied the team for the event.

The Team expressed its gratitude for the financial contributions made by Sport Malta, the Maltese Olympic Committee, the Malta Sailing Federation and the Royal Malta Yacht Club for making possible such opportunities which are showing that Malta can leave a significant mark in the sport of sailing on the world stage.