All set for a flying start

Three of the nine member states who contest the Games of the Small States of Europe will be represented at the 12th Malta Euromed Championship.

We love coming to Malta for many reasons... but most of all for the excellent weather which makes sailing during winter time such a big thrill- Russia coach

Monaco, San Marino and Malta, three countries with Mediterranean characteristics, will line up their youngsters to make this, their championship to remember.

But Sergey Semenov, who for the past two years has guided the Russians team in Euromed, is determined not to let go his ‘grip on power’. For the Russians have won the past two editions of the Malta championship with Nikita Ushkov, who in 2009 became the youngest winner ever at the age of 11 years.

“We love coming to Malta for many reasons. Naturally we are attracted by the friendly and efficient organisation, the good accommodation and food, but most of all for the excellent weather which makes sailing during winter time such a big thrill,” Semenov remarked.

This year Russia will be represented by 11 participants (3 girls and 8 boys) with the youngest sailor in the team being nine-year-old Andreev Vasily who comes from St Petersburg.

“No doubt the Russians are back to win again and make it three victories in a row”, predicts a confident Semenov.

But as in all sport events, winners are determined on the field of play, in this case on the water, and not by wishful predictions.

One expects an exciting and hard-fought four days of sailing to determine the winners from another record entry of 130 young sailors who will be challenging for the title.

The prevailing weather during the championship days will be a determining factor as to who will eventually win.

Edward Fleri Soler leads the Malta Optimist Class 2011 rankings after 28 races.

Fleri Soler just missed first place in the last two editions of the Euromed as he placed second twice. This year will be his last chance to put his name on the coveted trophy as he will turn 16 next year so as from coming January he will have to move onto the Laser class.

However, unless we have strong winds on the racing days, Fleri Soler, now very big in size and weight, will struggle to accomplish this feat.

Justin Busuttil, another of the local leading Optimist sailors, also prefers strong winds as he is the next in line in size after Fleri Soler.

In the case light winds prevail then sailors like Alex Esposito, Zak Zammit and Tom Bonello Gio should fare better. These ‘lightweight’ youngsters feature in second, third and fourth places respectively in the Malta Optimist Class 2011 rankings. Yes, the weather plays a big part in sailing, whether it is the Rolex Middle Sea Race or the Malta Euromed Championship.

When one refers to female sailors it is not ethical to discuss the issue of weight but we do wish our young girls, the like of Francesca Zammit and Rebecca Briffa, good winds and skilful sailing.

Undoubtedly, the weather is possibly also the biggest appealing factor which attracts the young northern European sailors, and their families, to the event.

“In Denmark the wind and sea are normally very rough and cold in winter. In fact last weekend we held our training in five degrees temperature and in gusting 20-30 knots winds. In this regard Malta is a paradise,”recounts Stig Blocher the father of eleven year-old Oliver who this year will race his second Euromed.

Besides accompanying his son to race, Blocher also travels to Malta as representative of the Danish firm Winner Optimist APS, renowned builders of the Opimist dinghy, who supply a good number of boats for Euromed.

In fact while the locals provide their own dinghies, the organisers temporary import dinghies which are made available to foreign competitors who in this way could travel light for their Malta competition.

Italy will be having the biggest foreign entry with 30 Optimist sailors although Malta will be the main contingent with 37 competitors – 25 Optimist, 8 Laser 4.7 and 4 Feva’s.

Other participants will be coming from Russia (11), the United Kingdom (8), Monaco (8), Israel (6), San Marino (4), Denmark (3) and Germany (2).

The event, to be raced in Mellieħa Bay from Saturday up to Tuesday, December 20, will be mainly an Optimists class event where only sailors under the age of 16 years are eligible to contest.

However older sailors will be racing in the Laser 4.7 Classes and the newly introduced RS Feva class where in both categories there will be male and female participants.

Past winners

2000: L. Tait (Ireland)
2001: T. Thorn (Sweden)
2002: M. Fleri Soler (Malta)
2003: V. Valacchi (Italy)
2004: H. Grim (Sweden)
2005: O. Arin (Turkey)
2006: T. Zammit Tabona (Malta)
2007: T. Zammit Tabona (Malta)
2008: E. Fleri Soler (Malta)
2009: N. Ushkov (Russia)
2010: P. Rasskazov (Russia)