Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/646116
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 28 FEBRUARY 2016 Sport 50 THE annual Malta Optimist Dinghy Association Regatta was organised in St Paul's Bay as the Maltese team is finalising its preparations for the World Championship in Portugal and European Championship in Italy. Express Trailers was the offi- cial sponsor of the 2016 regatta organised by the Malta Young Sailors Club of St Paul's Bay. The MODA Regatta is one of 8 regattas per year held in Malta. The competition saw the par- ticipation of two main f leets namely a Laser f leet for children who are older than 15 years and the Optimist f leet for children aged from 8 to 15 years. Each f leet is divided into oth- er categories according to age. Around 40 young sailors partici- pated in very challenging condi- tions where winds reached up to 27 knots. "We are very proud to have as- sociated the Express Trailers brand with this event which was the first association with a nau- tical competition. As a logistics and transportation company specialising in land, sea and air freight which already supports sporting events on land and is also a proud sponsor of the Mal- ta air show, we are now proud to bring our support to a sea-based competition. We are also de- lighted to have had the oppor- tunity to help a competition for children and youths as we believe that they are the future of sport in Malta," Chairman and CEO of Express Trailers Franco Azzo- pardi said. Thanking Express Trailers for the support, the president of the Malta Optimist Dinghy Associa- tion Robert Farrugia Vella, ex- plained how the whole Optimist class in Malta is made of about 30 sailors and that from the age of 16, most of the sailors in Malta move to the Laser class, which is also an Olympic class. "This year we have a Maltese team who is preparing to par- ticipate in the World Champion- ship being held in Portugal and the European Championship be- ing held at Crotone in Italy. Last year 14 year old sailor Victoria Schultheis placed 3rd in the Eu- ropean Championship and this year during a pre-Europeans re- gatta at Crotone another sailor Craig Farrugia Vella placed 2nd. Sailors are trained locally on a weekly basis by local and for- eign coaches and in view for the Worlds and Europeans, sailors are traveling regularly to be able to sail in all kind of conditions and with international sailors. Recently we have also been to Oman sailing with World Cham- pions and Malta managed to get very good placing." "The support from reputable companies such as Express Trail- ers can only contribute to help- ing us achieve higher standards and more recognition towards this sport in which Malta pos- sesses a lot of potential," Robert Farrugia Vella concluded. The sailing community for children and teens in Malta cur- rently consists of the Optimist class, in which kids from the age of 7 till 15 start sailing and also competing. Within this class the Novices are sailors who would have just started competing and the Cadet class, if they are younger than 12 years old. Sail- ors at the age between 12 and 15 years start in the Senior class. There are three clubs in Malta, namely the Malta Young Sailors Club in St Paul's Bay, Birżebbugia Sailing Club and Vikings Club in Ta' Xbiex. TENNIS may not be the most popular sport on the island but it has experienced a constant increase in interest and we may soon be watching our own tennis stars gracing the world circuit. Tennis offers the opportunity for both physical fitness and ap- preciation for a competitive and exciting sport. Tennis lessons at TennisLine academy are designed for both adults and kids. Operating 12 months of the year, adult classes are available at the academy to suit any schedule. New members are offered a physical fitness analysis and a test of their sport skills, allowing lessons to be customized according to their needs. All programs are high in- tensity programs that not only improve game skills but also en- hance physical performance. Many people are of the opinion that tennis in Malta is expen- sive and to an extent they may be right. Tennis lessons are ex- pensive when compared to, say, football. TennisLine ensure that students have access to all the required equipment – members can join and start playing with- out having to commit to buying their own gear. For children under the age of 10, the tennis academy offers lessons adapted to three dif- ferent age groups. Because the children are taught in groups no larger than four players, les- sons are personalized and offer members the chance to interact with fellow players, building an appreciation for teamwork. In- structors keep young learners active throughout their sessions, without having to wait for their turn to play. Qualified international coach- es run the summer training pro- grams. The present head coach is from Czech Republic and her tennis coaching is unrivalled among all the coaches that oper- ate in Malta. Lessons are in line with the latest coaching tech- niques, formulated by Interna- tional Tennis Federation (ITF). More and more people are now getting interested in getting ac- tives and tennis in particular, which is where TennsLine comes in. As the top tennis academy in Malta, it has already helped some players compete internationally. Visit www.tennisline.com.mt, facebook.com/TennisLineAcad- emy , email on info@tennisline. eu or call on 7759 0232 for more information. SAILING TENNIS Physical fitness and social development through tennis Malta's leading tennis academy, TennisLine, offers classes for both kids and adults Sailing regatta held in preparation for World and European championships