Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1037099
30 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 7 OCTOBER 2018 SPORTS YACHTING WILFRED SULTANA ON Saturday 30 November 1968, the Royal Malta Yacht Club in collaboration with the Royal Ocean Racing Club introduced a new race to its calendar of offshore sailing, the Middle Sea Race, which has since always presented a grand challenge and a sensa- tional spirit of adventure to hundreds of talented skippers and passionate crew members. Described as the 'Mediter- ranean Sailing Everest', the 606-nautical mile race had only eight boats on the start line in Marsamxett Harbour in its first edition. It went on to grow in repute and numbers to mature into an offshore clas- sic, a must-do event where besides the confrontation with the elements, participants ex- perience a course of unique charm which makes it a legend on the global yachting scene. The 2014 edition was a record year with 122 entries, a total number of participants fore- seen to be further enhanced in this year's '50th Anniversary Edition'. Over the past 50 years, save for a break between 1984 and 1995 the event has been held annually, where 38 editions were raced which produced 35 different winners from 10 odd countries. Italy won 17 editions with 15 different winners while Malta won it seven times with five winners. Third in the list of winners by country comes the USA with four wins while France, Germany and the United Kingdom won two edi- tions each. Austria, Greece, Russia and South Africa in- scribed their name once on the famous trophy. Truly a great honour to all winners, owners, skippers and crew members for having their names inscribed in the histor- ic archives of this sensational Race – where Christian Ripard with four wins (1996, 2001, 2011 and 2014) is the skipper with the most number of vic- tories followed by the Italian Nello Mazzaferro who skip- pered Nita IV to three consec- utive wins in 1978, 1979 and 1980. The fastest time finishing the Rolex Middle Sea Race was established by George David's Rambler (USA) in 2007 – 47 hours 55 minutes and 3 sec- onds. However, one item that re- mained unchanged through- out the years was the prestig- ious trophy, proudly lifted by the various winners on occa- sions where the victors always receive more attention than the award itself. Though it has been 50 years since the race's inception, some people still have bold memories of the actual story behind this distinguished tro- phy. "In the 60s my father's stu- dio was on the top floor of our residence in Valletta. The light entering the studio came through an enormous window from the Grand Harbour side, rightly enough from where the concept of the Middle Sea Race trophy was inspired," re- calls Marco Cremona, son of the late Emvin Cremona who originated and clay-modelled the trophy. In fact, Chevalier Cremona (1919-1987), acknowledged as one of the pioneers of mod- ern art in Malta, was commis- sioned to produce the trophy by the Royal Malta Yacht Club and the Malta Government Tourist Board. Four men who were heavily involved in the process were Sir Maurice Dorman (1912- 1993), then Commodore of the RMYC, and also Gover- nor General of Malta, Colo- nel Godfrey 'Tabby' Zam- mit Tabona (1916-1999) then Vice-Commodore of the club, Lt. Cdr. Terrance V. Lavarack (1914-1996), Chairman of the Race Committee, and John C. Polacco (1921-2005), then Chairman of the Malta Gov- ernment Tourist Board. Marco Cremona, today an established artist himself, known for his exclusive style of combining the arts of sculp- ture and painting in many of his production, says that his interest was discernible since childhood. "I do not just remember the trophy being done but I actu- ally helped in the clay-mod- elling" he said. "My father invited me to give a helping hand which I accepted with enthusiasm... a memory I still cherish." Once Chevalier Cremona finished the model, it was passed on to the Francis Abela and Sons foundry, a firm es- tablished in 1890. Paul Abela, today 82 years old, who together with his brothers under the guidance of their father Francis (1908- 1983) handled the job then, still has memories of the pro- cess adopted. "The original model was produced in wax and then encased and covered with a suitable material to produce a void which was later filled with melted bronze to pro- duce a faithful copy of the original," he said. "It was then touched up to the artist's satis- faction and approval. The sails in the trophy were cut out and formed by hand out of brass sheet." That was 1968. In 1995, the trophy was returned to the Ħamrun foundry to be refur- bished and restored. Since its introduction the firm engraves the names of winners on the trophy every year. John Ripard is the current Honorary President of the Royal Malta Yacht Club and winner of the first edition of the Middle Sea Race 50 years ago. He also won the third edi- tion in 1970. "What makes this Trophy so unique is that it has served to impress and remind all that have received it – as well as the hundreds of international- ly renowned sailors who have competed for it during the last half century – that the race starts in Malta in what is argu- ably the most beautiful natural harbour in the Mediterranean, our Grand Harbour!" he said. And as the Middle Sea Race celebrates its 50th anniver- sary, future generations of yachtsmen will continue to look with respect upon the story of the event and with admiration upon its imposing winning trophy. A stunning trophy for an offshore classic! The Rolex Middle Sea Race Christian Ripard – the skipper with the most number of Rolex Middle Sea Race victories – proudly lifted the prestigious Trophy in four (1996, 2001, 2011 and 2014) editions (Photo: Kurt Arrigo/Rolex)