Malta promotion in France through sailing race

Participants in the tenth edition of La Bordee Maltaise - a sailing race which started off in the popular tourist town of Le Lavandou, in France and ended in Malta - were presented with their prizes by Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech at the Fortina Hotel, in Sliema.

The Fauve, Marie Ange and Xenon placed first, second and third respectively in the Open Class. The IRC class saw the Audi Sailing Team win the competition, followed by the Oh Jee, while the Flash won the third place. The Fan Fan was the first French boat of the racing class to arrive at the finish line.

The regatta is jointly organised by the Malta Tourism Authority's Paris office, the Le Lavandou Town Hall and the Club des Passionées.

The 130 participants on the 37 boats arrived in Malta between Wednesday and Thursday last week. On Saturday, the French yachts joined Maltese skippers in the Comino Race which is organised each year by the Royal Malta Yacht Club.

Those present at the prize-giving ceremony included Club des Passionées representative Jean-Marc Rutin and Le Lavandou deputy mayor Charlotte Bouvard.

La Bordee Maltaise is aimed at promoting tourism between Malta and France.

The MTA said that through the race, its office in Paris promoted Malta in the south of France as well as Air Malta flights from Marseilles.

Information about the Maltese islands was also sent to the French harbour towns on the Mediterranean. A week before the departure of the boats, the town of Le Lavandou was decorated with the Maltese colours and posters.

The events for La Bordee Maltaise were organised by the MTA with the support of Air Malta, the Royal Malta Yacht Club and the Fortina Hotel.