Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1019972
maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 29 AUGUST 2018 22 SPORTS SAILING GASANMAMO Insurance re- newed its sponsorship agreement with Comanche Raider and will be sponsoring the racing yacht, Comanche Raider III for the next three years. Guided by Maltese prominent sailor, Ramon Sant Hill, Comanche Raider III was bought from its previous owner in Novem- ber of 2017 and since then has been undergoing a major overhaul. "We have extended our agree- ment with Comanche Raider and are delighted that we will be sail- ing with the new racing yacht in this year's upcoming events. As GasanMamo we are excited to support the Maltese boat and crew in the next sailing events, namely the Bay regatta which will be held on 1st & 2nd September and in October, the 50th anniversary of the Rolex Middle Sea Race. We have been admiring the hard work, dedication and collective team ef- fort shown by the crew since 2001. We have followed the imposing progress shown by the crew of Co- manche Raider II and we are now thrilled to extend our support to the new Comanche Raider III," said Mark Mamo, General Man- ager at GasanMamo Insurance. Comanche Raider III is a Bruce Farr Design 14-metre racing sail- ing boat (Farr 45). The boat was constructed in Maryland USA, by Carrol Marine, in 1997. 20 identi- cal Farr 45's were constructed over a period of a few years and to date all twenty are still racing, and quite interestingly all 20 still sail with their original carbon masts which proves the quality of these boats. "Following the success of Co- manche Raider III in Camilleri Marine Ragusa Regatta, the crew is thrilled with the performance of the boat and we have high hopes for the upcoming events," said said Jonas Diamantino and Ramon Sant Hill. For the 2018 Middle Sea Race the team will be led by Jonas Diaman- tino, Melle Boersma (Holland) and Ramon Sant Hill who will be mak- ing their 14th attempt together to win this most prestigious race. The total crew compliment for this race will be 10. GasanMamo Insurance sails with Comanche Raider III UNICA's hat trick at Solaris Cup THE Solaris Cup, since its in- ception in 2014, brings together Solaris owners from all over the world to race in the Solaris Cup. Crews congregate at the Yacht Club Porto Rotondo in Sardinia for a weekend of racing and one thing in common – all own a So- laris yacht – the perfect setting to see the entire Solaris range in action! The Solaris Cup generally at- tracts over 30 Solaris yachts that bring together a good mix of professional and Corinthian crews. For the third year in a row, Jamie Sammut's Unica was on the fleet list and with it a person- al challenge to retain the Solaris Cup and bring it home to Malta for the third year in a row. Unica's crew has proven to be a winning formula. The addition of Christian Ripard – an interna- tional sailor with so many nau- tical miles of racing experience under his belt further comple- mented the determined crew. From the outset, Unica was go- ing to be the yacht to beat. An- other Solaris 42 – Swiss Nautic Two was certainly going to ramp up their efforts having narrowly missed the Cup the previous year. Added to the pressure that Swiss Nautic Two attempted to inflict on Unica was that of a Solaris 50 – Paola 3, crewed by a host of America's Cup sailors. On the other hand Swiss Nautic Two chased Unica until the very end, racing seconds away from each other until the very end – despite their valiant efforts, once again Swiss Nautic Two had to settle for second place. "This year was definitely more competitive than previous years. Swiss Nautic Two was on our case having lost first place last year, whilst the skipper of Paola 3 personally came up to me to challenge me before the start of the race – naturally this added some pressure especially when one saw the calibre of the crew on board - having said that they fared much better in the Gira- glia," Jamie Sammut, Skipper – Unica. These races always provide unforgettable moments – mo- ments such as the camaraderie on board and the social aspect of such events where all crews meet to have dinner together be- fore they start racing are hard to describe, but Jamie explains that one of the best moments after the race was the sighting of a 40 foot whale – nearly as big as Uni- ca, a mile away from the coast of Sardinia. "We take this opportunity to thank all those organisations who support us, namely Iso- mat, Endo Fuel, Johnnie Walker, Mastervolt, Veneziani Paints, Medcomms Ltd., Manoel Island Yacht Yard and Action Sails Malta" With this adventure well and truly over Unica will take a short break before gearing up for the Rolex Middle Sea Race in Octo- ber when it will be raced double handed by Jamie Sammut and John Cachia. Unica Crew | Jamie Sammut, John Cachia, Christian Ripard, Alan Sammut, Nicky Sammut, Alex Sant Fournier, Joseph Vas- sallo, Michael Albanozzo and Jeremy Gravina.