Rowing sport followers will be hoping that none of the incidents which occurred last year in the March 31 races will be repeated as the 2016 Freedom Day Regatta will be held inside Grand Harbour, this afternoon.

Last year, Marsa and Cospicua were pitted among the favourites to claim the honour, second in importance behind the September 8 races.

However, a series of heated disputes, involving oarsmen and officials from both clubs, shifted attention away from the competition as dark horses Birżebbuġa profited from the situation to top the leaderboard for a shock victory, their first in history at Open level.

Birżebbuġa won the shield with 54 points, 14 ahead of Senglea, the runners-up. Marsa, Freedom Day Regatta winners between 2012 and 2014, had to settle for third place with 36 points and Cospicua fourth with 28.

Marsa lead the March 31 regatta all-time winners’ list with 11 successes, one more than Senglea and two better off than Cospicua.

Marsamxett had won the inaugural Freedom Day races back in 1979.

Kalkara topped the Category B last year with 44 points, just two ahead of Marsamxett. Birżebbuġa were third with 36 points.

Marsa made up for the 2015 March races upset by retaining the Victory Day Shield for a second year running in September. That makes them favourites to dethrone Birżebbuġa today and underline their status as the top regatta club at the moment.

Today’s programme starts with a race from Category B at 1pm.

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