Malta-Tunisia Rally sets off this week

The Malta-Tunisia yachting rally, The Phoenician Experience, gets underway tomorrow with the organisers expecting an entry of 20 yachts - 11 sailing and nine powerboats.

Sailing entries leave tomorrow with the powerboats starting their 650km itinerary on Thursday. The 125 skippers and crew members are in for something different than the usual competitive racing. In fact, the main difference results from the fact that because of varied specifications and design, competing yachts are not judged by their fast performance but accuracy of their estimated time for the trip including the five-way points.

The course will be Malta-Lampedusa, Lampedusa-Monastir, Monastir-El-Kantaoui and finally El-Kantaoui-Yasmine Hammamet, with all participants expected to reach their final Tunisian destination on Sunday. The presentation of prizes will be held on Monday.

The 'Experience' is being organised under the patronage of the Ministers for Tourism of Malta and Tunisia.

BoV is the main sponsor. The presentation was held recently by Robert Darmanin, BoV Tunis Representative Office manager, in the presence of organising committee chairperson Roland Darmanin Kissaun.

Darmanin said the BoV sponsorship will help promote sports, culture, tourism and commerce between Malta and Tunisia.