Strait Dealer crew establish new record

The perfect setting of Marsamxett Harbour could not have witnessed a better spectacle as a fleet of 39 racing yachts set off for the offshore Malta-Syracuse race recently. Boats of all sizes and powers, crewed by professionals and amateurs, sailed away for the 90nm-long race.

The relative small fleet of 11 local boats were to a certain extent no match for the 28 competitive Sicilian boats, some of whom good enough to challenge for any class category.

Some of the experienced skippers used their wits by going off course right from the start and adopted the basic rule of following the wind along the coast in an effort to keep the boat moving, only to get stuck for at least an hour before proceeding to open seas.

Maltese super-boat Strait Dealer was one of them.

Eventually this boat proved to be the fastest of them all in maybe one of the lightest of wind races that one could ever imagine as crews had to focus hard to find the little air pressure forthcoming to keep sails fully operational.

The idea of breaking Leo Piger's record of 9 hours 43 minutes and 42 seconds was more like a dream than a reality at that stage.

However, skipper Timmy Camilleri and his promising crew gave a super show with their tenacity, determination and skilful sailing to lead the whole fleet with as wide a gap as one could possibly need, knowing fully well that their high handicap rating was the worst enemy of them all.

With the unfavourable wind conditions, only three boats were in contention for the honours - Strait Dealer, Kerisma and Squalo Bianco, of Sicily. Others got bogged down by the very light breezes that they had to battle against.

Some boats even called it a day after resisting hours and hours of sunshine with little air pressure around.

No other boat was in sight when Strait Dealer crossed the line in Syracuse to establish a new record of 9 hours 42 minutes and 25 seconds. Amazingly, the next one to cross the line was Squalo Bianco, almost three hours later.

No wonder then that Strait Dealer made a clean sweep not only of the two IRC categories but also the other two IMS classes, initially considered by the Sicilians as their own property.

Camilleri, along with David and Michael Anastasi, Andre and Jacques Rossignaud, and Peter Valentino, triumphed in a difficult race in this traditional encounter organised jointly by the RMYC and Lega Navale Italiana.

Considering that there were long periods of dead winds, one can easily assume that the next Malta-Syracuse Race could see another record in line honours... probably established by Camilleri's Strait Dealer again.

Full results of all classes