Senglea won the traditional Victory Day regatta at the Grand Harbour in Valletta yesterday.

For the red-and-yellow outfit from Cottonera this was their 23rd triumph and the fifth in succession. Senglea finished with a total of 66 points, 18 ahead of their direct opponents and neighbouring rivals Cospicua.

The Category B Shield was won by Cospicua with 64 points. Vittoriosa took second place when accumulatingd 44 points at the end of the five races contested in this class.

The Victory Day Regatta was once again organised by the Kunsill Malti ghall-iSport and the programme included also an extra race in commemoration of the 70th anniversary of the awarding of the George Cross to Malta.

The George Cross Kajjikki race, open for U-18 rowers, was won by Senglea thanks to Davison Micallef and Wayne Xuereb.

As in previous years, seven clubs registered in the Open category. Apart from Senglea and Cospicua, there was also the participation of Kalkara, Marsa, Marsamxett, Valletta, Vittoriosa and Birżebbuġa.

The Dgħajjes tal-Midalji category A race turned out to be a close affair. Here the four oarsmen from Senglea, Rhys Fiteni, Lawrence Ciantar, Clayton Darmanin and Donald Gilford, stepped it up in the final metres to finish first ahead of Cospicua and Marsa.

Senglea’s Lawrence Ciantar, Jacley Sevasta and Fiteni also triumphed in the Frejgatini race, the second event for the top class oarsmen. The winning trio held off the late challenge of Cospicua as Marsa settled for third place.

Seven clubs lined up for the Dgħajjes C tal-Pass b’zewg imqadef race. Marsa’s Dennis Thornton and Clive Casha took the lead around 100m from the end to cruise to an emphatic three-lengths win over Cospicua and Senglea.

There was a keen tussle in the last 100m of the Kajjikki race between the rowers of Kalkara (Jesmael Caruana and Nathaniel Caruana) and those of Cospicua. Kalkara obtained the maximum points for their club after the photofinish was consulted with Senglea ending in third place.

The last race, the Dgħajjes B Tal-Pass with four rowers, was to determine the winner between Senglea, Cospicua and Marsa.

This race carried the highest number of points with 24 going to the winners.

The Senglea rowers, Fiteni, Lawrence Ciantar, Clayton Darmanin and Donald Gilford made a strong dash from lane three with 250m to go and win this last race to secure the title for their club.

Marsa and Cospicua were second and third respectively.

At the end of the event, Parliamentary Secretary for Youth and Sport Clyde Puli presented the traditional shields to the officials and rowers from Senglea and Cospicua, respectively.

2012 Regatta results

Race 1: Dgħajjes C Tal-Pass (Category B) 1. Cospicua (Clyde Cutajar – Sven Refalo) 5.45”; 2. Kalkara; 3. Vittoriosa; 4. Senglea; 5. Marsamxett; 6. Marsa. (Birzebbugia did not finish the race)

Race 2: Dgħajjes A Tal-Midalji (Category A) 1. Senglea (Rhys Fiteni – Lawrence Ciantar – Clayton Darmanin – Donald Gilford) 4.33”; 2. Cospicua; 3. Marsa; 4. Marsamxett; 5. Kalkara; 6. Vittoriosa. (Birzebbugia did not take part in the race)

Race 3: Kajjikki (Category B) 1. Kalkara (Sacha Attard – Nigel Sant) 6.02”; 2. Vittoriosa; 3. Senglea; 4. Marsamxett; 5. Birzebbugia. (Cospicua were disqualified and Marsa did not take part)

Race 4: Frejgatini (Category A) 1. Senglea (Rhys Fiteni – Lawrence Ciantar – Jacley Sevasta) 6.52”; 2. Cospicua; 3. Marsa; 4. Vittoriosa; 5. Kalkara; 6. Marsamxett; 7. Birzebbugia.

Race 5: Dgħajjes A Tal-Midalji (Category B) 1. Cospicua (Sven Refalo – Ryan Refalo – Melchior Farrugia – Marlow Cutajar) 4.35”; 2. Senglea; 3. Vittoriosa; 4. Kalkara; 5. Marsamxett. (Birzebbugia and Marsa did not take part)

Race 6: Dgħajjes C Tal-Pass (Category A) 1. Marsa (Dennis Thornton – Clive Casha) 5.29”; 2. Cospicua; 3. Senglea; 4. Vittoriosa; 5. Marsamxett; 6. Birzebbugia; 7. Kalkara.

Race 7: Frejgatini (Category B) 1. Kalkara (William Mifsud – George Grech – Lawrence Colton) 6.51”; 2. Vittoriosa; 3. Senglea; 4. Marsamxett; 5. Cospicua; 6. Birzebbugia. (Marsa did not take part)

Race 8: Kajjikki (Category A) 1. Kalkara (Jesmael Caruana – Nathaniel Caruana) 6.06”; 2. Cospicua; 3. Senglea; 4. Marsa; 5. Vittoriosa; 6. Marsamxett; 7. Birzebbugia.

Race 9: Dgħajjes Tal-Pass (Category B) 1. Cospicua (Melchior Farrugia – Clyde Cutajar – Sven Refalo – Colin Spiteri) 5.14”; 2. Vittoriosa; 3. Senglea; 4. Kalkara; 5. Marsamxett. (Birzebbugia and Marsa did not take part)

Race 10: George Cross Race (Under 18) 1. Senglea (Davison Micallef – Wayne Xuereb) 6.29”; 2. Kalkara; 3. Cospicua; 4. Vittoriosa; 5. Marsa. (Birzebbugia and Marsamxett did not take part)

Race 11: Dgħajjes B Tal-Pass (Category A) 1. Senglea (Rhys Fiteni – Lawrence Ciantar – Clayton Darmanin – Donald Gilford) 5.13”; 2. Marsa; 3. Cospicua; 4. Vittoriosa; 5. Marsamxett; 6. Kalkara. (Birzebbugia did not take part)

Overall standings

Category A
1. Senglea 66 points; 2. Cospicua 48; 3. Marsa 46 points; 4. Kalkara 12.

Category B
1. Cospicua 64; 2. Vittoriosa 44; 3. Kalkara 36 points; 4. Senglea 28.

Last 10 winners

2003 Senglea; 2004 Senglea; 2005 Marsa; 2006 Marsamxett; 2007 Marsamxett; 2008 Senglea; 2009 Senglea; 2010 Senglea; 2011 Senglea; 2012 Senglea.