Inspire sailors join Birżebbuġa passage race

Sailing is for people with special needs too. Birżebbuġa Sailing Club (BSC) has launched a Sailing for All Programme to enable persons with special needs to participate side by side with other dinghy sailors in events run by the club.

Recently, members of Inspire’s Sailability programme joined BSC in a passage race from Pretty Bay to Island Bay, limits of Marsascala.

The fleet of 28 boats, consisting of Optimists, Lasers, Miracles and other classes, congregated in Pretty Bay and were joined by the heavy-keeled Access 303 and Liberty, helmed by sailors from Inspire’s Sailability.

The passage race is held annually at the end of summer to mark the conclusion of the BSC children’s sailing programme run in conjunction with the SkolaSajf – Summer on the Move scheme, organised by the Kunsill Malti għall-iSport.

From very early in the day, the gaggle of sailing enthusiasts thronged the club premises. Very soon the club’s boatyard was crowded with bright coloured sails to herald a day that, according to the weather forecast, would be ideal for the expedition in store. All the sailors were in a bubbly mood and very eager to sail away.

Race officer Neil Borg conducted nine staggered starts according to the relative speeds of the participating classes in what is known as a pursuit race.

This system of racing allows boats of different speeds to race each other on corrected time while having a real time awareness of how they are placed during the race.

It was a wonderful sight to behold as the fleet hugged the Marsaxlokk bay coastline and out beyond Delimara to Island Bay also known as Xorb l-Għaġin and il-Ħofriet. The club’s three large rubber dinghies were assisted by a RIB from Transport Malta in providing safety support for the fleet as it navigated in what have become the congested waters within Marsaxlokk bay.

After four full hours of sailing, the participants returned for the finishing at Pretty Bay. Fortunately a small group of mothers with a talent for catering had prepared some food for the returning fleet.

The socialising continued until late in the evening. Club commodore David Dalli thanked all those who organised the event and presented a cheque to Alexia Sammut of Inspire. A substantial sum of money was raised by club members during the event.