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22 maltatoday, WEDNESDAY, 2 DECEMBER 2015 Sport SAILING 22 Sport BY WILFRED SULTANA WITH registrations closed it is now confirmed that this month's 16th edition of the MAPFRE/Mid- dlesea EUROMED Regatta will see a super record entry, namely 263 sailors from 18 nations - the previ- ous record that established in 2013 was 145 sailors from 10 countries. Having 17 foreign countries rep- resented is definitely a remarkable achievement for organisers, the Malta Young Sailors Club, who managed with their enthusiastic and fervent efforts to give the Mal- ta event a truly international di- mension. The young sailors will be travailing for the 2015 MAPFRE/ Middlesea EUROMED Regatta from Austria, Germany, Great Brit- ain, Greece, India, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Latvia, Moldovia, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Slovania, Sweden, Ukraine, and the USA. Hosting country Malta, presenting 21 Opti- mist and 15 Laser sailors, makes up 18 nations. How it all began At such a gratifying moment I re- call an interview I have had some years back with a main protagonist in the setting up of the Malta Young Sailors Club and the organisation of the EUROMED Malta Champion- ship. I am referring to John Ripard Jr., who then looked upon these two experiences enchantedly. "Certainly I look back on both the Malta Young Sailors Club as well as the EUROMED with a sense of achievement, not so much just per- sonally, but more of having man- aged to put together enough par- ents and individuals who really felt the same need as I did, and that was to start a competitive children sail- ing club. The MYSC was born out of necessity, it filled a blank in our local sailing scene, and in a sense that blank was the lack of a com- petitive and numerous class of sail- ing dinghy for kids, hence the birth and success of the local Optimist Class. This is the ever important seed of sailors in Malta - our sailing nursery - and of course this is now so evident in graduated MYSC sail- ors who populate the Laser fleet as well as provide invaluable crew for Rolex Middle Sea Race yachts". A big challenge to all Fifteen past editions, the first in the year 2000, which saw our young local sailors gain experience and victory too, and the MYSC as organisers attain respect and rec- ognition, with the event establish international status. Indeed the first Euromed title to a local sailor came in the third edi- tion, 2002, and this was achieved by 14-year-old Matthew Fleri Soler. Four years later saw the beginning of a hat-trick of Maltese victories. In 2006 it was 12-year-old Thomas Zammit Tabona, who again won the 2007 edition, thereby establish- ing a double feat record, with 15- year-old Ella Fleri Soler making it a Maltese three in a row by winning the 2008 event. In 2011 15-year- old Edward Fleri Soler made it five wins for Malta. With five wins to their credit Mal- tese sailors have won the highest number of Euromed titles. Russian youngsters have won three editions with Italian and Swedish having won two editions each. A victory each by British, Irish and Turk- ish sailors complete the contested fifteen, 2000-2014, Editions. The youngest winner ever was Russian Nikita Ushkov who was 11 years old when she won the title in 2009. The MAPFRE/Middlesea EU- ROMED Regatta racing fleet will be made up of 220 sailors - under the age of 16 years - in the Opti- mist Classes and 43 Laser dinghy sailors where participation is not constrained by an age limit. Com- petitors, both boys and girls, are being split up into five categories namely the Optimist Cadet Class, the Optimist Open Class, the Op- timist Novice Class and two Laser Dinghy Classes - Laser Radial Class and Laser 4.7 Class. 'Malta only has two to three events per year that we invite In- ternational Judges to. We try to invite different officials each time with hope that they can spread the word and act as good ambassadors of ours. I think that they are always flabbergasted with our warmth, both of character and temperature. A common factor is that they are always surprised with our ideal sailing conditions and crystal clean sea. They always speak highly of the organisation and this is a great compliment, especially coming from such people who literally go from event to event. The Malta Euromed Regatta, in honesty, does have a great character' observed Malta's International Judge Peter Valentino who in most Editions has been Chairperson to EuroMed's International Jury . The year's Euromed panel of In- ternational Jury, again chaired by Peter Valentino, will comprise 3 International Jury members Nigel Vicks (United Kingdom), Bence Borocz (Hungary), Mirko Ukas (Croatia) and one National Judge, Jovin Rausi. Peter Dimech is the Championship's Principle Race Officer with International Race Officer Michal Pasik (POL) to as- sist him The Malta Young Sailors Club organise the 3-day event, between the 19th and the 21st December, with the cooperation of the Kunsill Malti għall-iSport, the Mellieħa Local Council and held under the patronage of the Malta Sailing Fed- eration. The racing arena of the 16th MAPFRE/Middlesea EUROMED Regatta will once again be Mellieha Bay. Two racing courses are being set because of the large number of competitors. The Optimists will be having an exciting programme with 9 races a day. The db Seabank Resort + Spa of Mellieha is the of- ficial hotel of the Regatta. Record entry for the 16th edition of the MAPFRE/Middlesea EUROMED Regatta DAY The Christmas spirit is bountiful both on land and at sea during the MAPFRE/Middle- sea EUROMED Regatta NEXT ISSUE OUT NEXT SUNDAY TODAY