Malta Welcomes Again The Young ‘Pram’ Sailors!
When the Malta Young Sailors Club introduced ‘Euromed’ in 2000 there were 60 young sailors competing mainly from Malta. Last year the 16th edition of the MAPFRE/Middlesea EUROMED Regatta 2015 held December was a splendid and overwhelming Event. A record on all counts - 227 sailors from 17 countries representing 55 different sailing clubs! All given figures denote a Record in the follow-up description.
Sixteen editions which gave Malta the pride of six wins, followed by Russia boasting three wins, having Italy and Sweden cherishing two victories each, concluding the prestigious sixteen winners lineup with Great Britain, Iceland and Turkey showing-off one triumph each.
The 17th MAPFRE/Middlesea EUROMED Regatta 2017 will be held between Sunday 18 and Wednesday 21 December in the traditional racing arena of Mellieha Bay with the db Seabank Resort + Spa of Mellieha once again recognised as the official hotel of the Regatta. ‘Euromed’ is held during the schools Christmas holidays where foreign competing youngsters travel to Malta accompanied by other members of their families who besides enjoy the Regatta taste the holiday values of our country.
With less than 40 days to go for the big day applications for participation are most encouraging with representations from Great Britain, Italy, Russia, Denmark, Norway, Netherlands, Belgium, Israel, Spain, Canada and Mexico already confirmed.
Italy is expected to field the biggest contingent. One positive aspect in this participation is that it has sailors coming from clubs who have never sent their sailors here. There are 21 Italian clubs represented.
The Optimist, one of the most popular sailing dinghies in the world, is a small, singlehanded sailing dinghy intended for use by children up to the age of 15. The Optimist is recognized as an International Class by the International Sailing Federation. The dinghy is classified as a pram because of its shallow-draught flat-bottom.
There will be three Optimist Classes, namely, the Senior Division for Boys and Girls born between 2001 and 2004. [12 – 15 years], the Cadet Division for Boys and Girls born between 2005 and 2008. [8 – 11 years], and the Beginners’ Division for Boys and Girls born between 2001 and 2008, who have only been sailing for 12months.
There will also be Laser 4.7 and Radial fleets which will be sailed in a single series but on a separate course to the Optimists.
Last year’s 16th edition was won by 10-year-old Richard Schultheis, a member of the Malta Young Sailors Club who raced in the Cadets Class. Schultheis won back the overall award for Malta after 4 editions to become the youngest of all sixteen Euromed (20002016) winners.
Jean Paul Fleri Soler, the Malta Young Sailors Club Youth Development Officer is looking forward for the coming 17th edition.
“We have had a very intensive year of training and some very good competitive results. One can say the best ever in fact. We will continue with our intensive training and will be moving to Mellieha Bay to train there as of end Nov . This year we will have 6 new local sailors whose average age is 12”, remarked Fleri Soler.
Attending the 17th MAPFRE/Middlesea EUROMED Regatta 2016 as a guest of the organisers will be Lady Carla Stanley one of the two Vice Presidents of the International Optimist Dinghy Association.