This year's Bicref best dolphin and whale sighting reporting award was given to the skipper and crew of Barcanova.

Though the weather during this year's race was rough, it was rewarding for many participants to be joined in their travel by dolphins and whales day and night.

The data collected during the past 10 years of this project will assist the Maltese Cetacean Research Project (ongoing since 1997) by University academic and conservation biologist Adriana Vella.

Taking part in the project, which is sponsored by Fotovision Imaging International with the collaboration of the Royal Malta Yacht Club, are hundreds of sailing boats.

This year Bicref also took the opportunity to promote the importance of the conservation of our seas and the need for effective action to reduce the impacts of climate change. Skippers and crews signed in a promise to continue their efforts to travel with minimal CO2 emmission as part of an international effort, called 350ppm, to lower the value of CO2 emmissions.

bicref@gmail.com