The Euromed Malta Championship, organised by the Malta Young Sailors Club, is the greatest positive accomplishment in our sailing story after the Middle Sea Race.
Today the Euromed is run in partnership with the Kunsill Malti ghall-Isport under the auspices of the Malta Sailing Federation.
In this event, first held in 2000, the Optimist sailing dinghy is raced. People not so much familiar with sailing often ask what is so special about this odd-looking sailing boat.
The Optimist is, quite simply, the dinghy in which the young people of the world learn to sail - "a bathtub that breeds the best sailors".
It is sailed in over 110 countries by over 150,000 young people, and it is the only dinghy approved by the International Sailing Federation exclusively for sailors less than 16 years of age.
The influence of this dinghy is put across by the fact that in the 2004 Olympics over 60 per cent of the skippers and 70 per cent of the medal-winning skippers were former Optimist sailors.
A main protagonist in the setting up of the Malta Young Sailors Club and the organisation of the Euromeds, was John Ripard Jr. who was also chairman of the last edition's organising committee.
I met John at the event's prize-giving and asked him how does he look at these two experiences today.
"Certainly, I look back on both the Malta Young Sailors Club as well as the Euromeds with a sense of achievement, not so much just personally, but more of having managed to put together enough parents and individuals who really felt the same need as I did, and that was to start a competitive children's sailing club," he said.
"The MYSC was born out of necessity, it filled a blank in the local sailing scene, and in a sense that blank was the lack of a competitive and numerous class of sailing dinghy for kids, hence the birth and success of the local Optimist Class.
"This is the ever important seed of sailors in Malta and, of course, this is now so evident in graduated MYSC sailors who populate the Laser fleet as well as provide invaluable crew for Middle Sea Race yachts.
"My concern about the future of the MYSC is that of momentum and continuity, and this will have to be provided by incumbent parents with kids in the club.
"The hardest is to establish the structure and discipline and then try and maintain it with the people you have.
"I am confident the MYSC has the momentum but I think possibly still weak on the structure and certainly very ill supported on the funding.
"The government, through the sports ministry and the KMS, needs to show more genuine support for clubs such as ours.
"The Euromeds were also born out of necessity. Our sailors need to be exposed to large fleets to improve their skills and it is very expensive for us to travel overseas to participate in events.
"So I came up with the idea of creating a high-level international competition in Malta to bring the sailors to us, and thereby offering our locals a chance for a large fleet competitive event without the need to travel overseas.
Right balance
"My aim was always to balance a top-level competitive international event with an enjoyable and relaxed family atmosphere and I think the Euromeds have succeeded very well in providing just that.
"We have achieved the numbers we aimed for and we get lots of compliments and recommendations from overseas participants.
"On a final note, while I may have been one of the originators and catalyst, the success of both MYSC and Euromeds would not have been possible without the dedication of both the MYSC Committee as well as some individuals like the late Benny Grech, Peter Valentino, Peter Dimech, Jovin Rausi, Kurt Arrigo, yourself and many others, who have genuinely supported our initiatives."
The championship is also one of those local events which present a great potential in the sport-tourism sphere. In fact, Air Malta, the official carrier of the championship, as well as the Sea Bank Hotel, the official hotel, enthusiastically acknowledge this opportunity and support the MYSC in their endeavour.
Besides providing particular splendour, Mellieha Bay, the racing arena, offers ample flexibility to the organisers when it comes to laying the marks.
A grand asset as race headquarters of the championship is the Adira Sailing Centre, right on the water's edge, equipped with the latest technology available for an efficient race office and a comfortable base for sailors, officials and spectators alike.
The level of competition has become extremely high which in a way is most positive as this gives our youngsters tough challenges to face and conquer.
In fact, Thomas Zammit Tabona retained the title by getting the better of Russian Optimist national champion Dmitry Tretiakov by a mere 0.5 of a point.
Zammit Tabona was the only Maltese in the Top 10 places which included four Russians, three Britons and two Italians.
The main support for the 2007 event has been provided by Air Malta, the Malta Tourism Authority, Virtu Ferries, RLR Limited, MEDEX, Sea Bank Hotel, Good Earth, Nestle and Network Publications.