Dreams and memories of a wonderful event!
Dreams and memories are two significant occurrences where scientists, thanks to modern technology, are able to get a better understanding of what happens in the brain for humans to experience such moments.
Well, I am not a scientist nor a psychologist thus my reference to such technological studies and professions stop here.
However I do look positively upon dreaming for as an unknown author wrote – Keep your heart open to dreams. For as long as there's a dream, there is hope, and as long as there is hope, there is joy in living.
When it comes to memories English actor Jeremy Irons ‘associate’ both occurrences in one quote – We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories. Some take us forward, they're called dreams.
Yes, my time machine too recalls enchanting memories of wonderful dreams.
I have been associated with nautical activities since the early 70’s mainly as a journalist and a publisher - “Spinnaker” (1975), “Yachting in Malta” (1976), and in 1980 I published “Wishbone News” meant to record the ever increasing windsurfing activities.
Encouraged by the success of this latter publication I ventured on into the organising side of the sport. Presented under my ‘pet project’, WISHBONE Windsurfing Promotions, memories recall events like the Camel Windsurfing Open Class Championships, the Comino Fun Board Regatta, the participation of Maltese sailors in the ‘Giro d’Italia di Windsurf’ and in the Europa-Africa Windsurf Race, the organisation of the Boardsailor (Male/Female/Youth) of the Year Awards, and the Dunhill Windsurfing Calendar.
Backed by the technical support of Jovin Rausi and his Għadira Sailing Club team – always staunch collaborators to Wishbone Events – the 1st Wishbone Open Class Boardsailing Championships (October 1981) were born. Indeed the eighties and early nineties were the golden years of the sport of windsurfing in the Maltese Islands where the local bays were beautifully alive with hordes of windsurfers riding the waves and challenging the wind.
On the 2nd October 1982 two Maltese board-sailors, Peter Bonello and Paul Ellul, registered the first ever successful windsurf crossing from Sicily (Porto Palo) to Valletta Malta (54.3n.m.) in 9hrs 31min. On this first Wishbone Sicily-Malta windsurf expedition one escort vessel was involved – Rockline – made available by its owner Philip Attard and skippered on this occasion by Jeff Poulton. Furthermore we had one support vessel, Kerenya, skippered by George Leakovic. Roland Darmanin Kissaun who, together with Jeff, supported this venture wholeheartedly missed being on the crossing because of an overseas business commitment.
The success of this experience and the desire to move on to the next step of having the event on a race basis necessitated some structural consolidation to the organisation set-up.
An Organising Committee was set up, namely; Jovin Rausi (Principal Race Officer), Jeff Poulton (Navigation Officer), Roland Darmanin Kissaun (Support Fleet CoOrdinator), Victor Calleja (Liaison Officer Pozzallo Harbour), Joe Bugeja (Liaison Funding), Frank Galea (Logistics Co-ordinator) and myself as General Organiser. It is worth mentioning that this Committee saw no changes throughout the whole 10 years of the Event’s existence. Unfortunately Roland, Victor and Joe are today deceased.
Malta and Sicily were the ‘protagonists’ of the Race. Valletta, Malta’s capital city and Pozzallo, situated in the south east of the Sicilian coast, and forms part of the province of Ragusa, were established as the pre-determined start and finish lines (or vice versa) – the start and finish alternated annually.
The lifespan of the International Malta-Sicily Windsurf Race was 10 years (1984-1994) and while the 1st Edition had a cluster of sponsors the remaining 9 editions always had the Bank of Valletta (Malta) and the Banco di Sicilia (Sicily) as the official sponsors of the Race. Besides supporting the sporting aspect the two Banks also took the initiative to promote trade, commerce, tourism and banking opportunities between the two Islands.
To keep the enthusiastic Maltese-Sicilian spirit prevailing two sailing clubs were included as collaborators – the Għadira Sailing Club from Malta and the Circolo Nautico Scirocco from Marina di Ragusa Sicily.
The Comune di Pozzallo extended its outright collaboration to the Event throughout its existence. The International MaltaSicily Windsurf Race was also endowed with other distinguished patronage, namely, that of H.E. the President of Malta, La Regione Siciliana (Assessorato al Turismo e Spettacolo), and the Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of Tourism (Malta).
The 1st Edition Malta-Sicily Windsurf Race was held on the 14th April, 1984 having the direction Pozzallo (Sicily) to Valletta (Malta).
There were four competitors on the day: Peter Bonello (Malta), Franco Civello (Italy), Jean Paul Fleri Soler (Malta), and Alberto Paladino (Italy).
The final result was – 1. Jean Paul Fleri Soler (Malta); 2. Peter Bonello (Malta). The other competitors retired prior to the end of the Race. The time taken by Jean Paul was 5 Hours 56 Minutes 35 Seconds, a Record Time challenged on many occasions yet remained unbeaten up till today.
The final result was – 1. Jean Paul Fleri Soler (Malta); 2. Peter Bonello (Malta). The other competitors retired prior to the end of the Race. The time taken by Jean Paul was 5 Hours 56 Minutes 35 Seconds, a Record Time challenged on many occasions yet remained unbeaten during the years of the Event. However in 2015, 30 years after Jean Paul’s record, Paul Ellul on a solo effort set a new national record crossing from Malta to Sicily on a windsurf in 4 hours 47 minutes 34 seconds.
The success of this 1st Edition made the Event more popular. Over the years surfers from Malta, Italy, the United Kingdom, Austria, Germany, the United States of America, Switzerland, Belgium, the Netherlands, Sweden, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain and Liechtenstein had participated in the International Malta-Sicily Windsurf Race which was acknowledged as the longest single stage windsurf race in the world.
The organisational structure of the Race included the participation of a supporting fleet made up of a considerable number of craft that carried out various duties. The competing windsurfers were the protagonists, the stars of the show; however the people who made the Race possible to happen and grow in importance were the yacht owners who made up the Support Fleet. An HQ Vessel- flag ship – led the fleet Boat, the Press/TV Boat, the VIP Boat, Fast Rescue, and Equipment Carrier – all important function where enthusiasm and the willingness to be part of ‘the team’ was a winning factor.
Each participating surfer was assigned an escort vessel. These were normally fast motor-cruises averaging 11-metres in length. A Race Official was stationed on each escort vessel while the competitor’s helper was also hosted on board.
One of the most challenging editions was that of 1989 (6th), contested by ten competitors hailing from ten different countries – Switzerland, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and Malta. The winner was Bruce Kendall (New Zealand), Bronze medal winner at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and Gold medal winner at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. Second placed was Paco Wirz (Italy) who was also at the Seoul Olympics where he placed 10th. Third placed was John Van Der Starre (Netherlands) who had won the 3rd Edition of the Race in 1986. On that 1989 edition a supporting fleet of more than 25 boats was involved.
“Of all the races I’ve ever done, including 24-hour solo windsurfing races and the Olympic Games, this was physically the toughest. It took me three days to recover”, remarked Bruce Kendall a few years later when writing about his participation and victory in the International Malta-Sicily Windsurf Race.
The 1989 edition of the Event also incorporated a Seminar involving the Chambers of Commerce of Malta and Ragusa. This was attended by the President of the Region of Ragusa, Dott. Giuseppe Sammuti. Others activities held in Sicily during the ‘Pozzallo’ Race ten years span also included a Maltese Beer promotion, a TV Show with guest star Maltese singer Sonny Monte, and even a photographic Exhibition of Maltese photographers works.
Peter Bonello and Paul Ellul can be looked upon as successful veterans of the Race having even tasted victory – Peter won the event in 1985 and Paul won in 1987. Besides they were the protagonists of the 1982 ‘experiment crossing’. Fleri Soler is a myth in the history of the Race having won two editions, in 1984 and 1988 and moreover he is even the holder of the 93Km Race record time – 5hrs 56mins 35sec which he established on the first race-edition of 1984.
The Race had a prize fund of Lm1850 – €4309 – awarded as follows: €1864 (overall winner), €1165 (2nd placed), €699 (3rd placed) and €349 (4th placed). A bonus of €233 also went to the overall winner if the best ever record time (5hrs 56mins 35sec) was bettered. If the record time was not bettered the prize of €233 was equally divided between the surfers finishing in 5th and 6th positions.
Today being seventy I feel lucky to have had so many friends who believed and supported me in my dreams, memories of which are bound to bring more then one grin to our faces.