Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/717204
maltatoday, SUNDAY, 21 AUGUST 2016 10 PAUL COCKS THE sun is setting behind the Sen- glea bastions as members of the Cospicua Regatta Club carry yet an- other boat down the ramp into the calm waters of the waterway between Senglea and Cospicua. This boat takes four rowers, it is known as "tal-pass", and I am told that this very same boat came in first in the 31 March regatta. The rowers settle in their positions and with a couple of strong pulls at the oars, the blue-and-white-striped boat is soon away from the jetty and picking up speed quickly as it heads down the creek into the busier waters of Grand Harbour. The rowers are training for the 8 September regatta, the most impor- tant annual event for Maltese rowers that each year sees seven towns and cities around the harbour area and beyond battle it out on the waters along Valletta opposite Senglea, Vit- toriosa and Kalkara. Meanwhile on television, the world watched Britain row to a historic gold medal in the coxed eight and grab a silver in the double sculls at the Olympics. In Rio, rowing greats like Great Britain, the US, Australia and Ger- many competed in the heats against relative unknowns like Zimbabwe, Chinese Taipei, Thailand and Mex- ico. Malta – despite our great rowing tradition and the passion of the re- gatta and other rowing clubs – was not represented in the rowing com- petitions in Rio at all. Training in the Harbour The Cospicua regatta club was not the only one training hard in prepa- ration for the Victory Day regatta; across Grand Harbour, boats from all the other participating clubs could be seen going to and fro as the row- ers tried to find the perfect rhythm and balance. Across the waterway from the Cospicua club, another crew low- ered some more boats into the sea; these boats were painted green, and they belonged to the Kalkara regatta club, which was using a boathouse on the Senglea side of Dock 1 tem- porarily while work was carried out on their premises. Each club's boats are painted in the traditional colours of the local- ity they represent: Birzebbuga – red, white and blue; Cospicua – light blue; Kalkara – green; Marsa – red and blue; Marsamxett (Valletta) – yellow; Senglea – red and yellow; and Vittoriosa – red. The various clubs frequently send their rowers to compete in compe- titions abroad, often featuring boats similar to those raced in the regatta. And the Malta Rowing Associa- tion, of which all regatta clubs are members, is working hard to pro- mote traditional Maltese sports while also slowly introducing inter- national disciplines locally. Racing the sleek boats (sculls) like those seen in the Olympics is inher- ently different to what Maltese row- ers are used to. Joe Grima, the association's presi- dent, explained there were two ma- jor differences. "Maltese rowers are used to fixed- seat boats, and those are the type of boats used locally in the regatta and other competitions," he said. "And the association sends a number of rowers abroad every year to partici- pate in fixed-seat rowing competi- tions." The boats used in major interna- tional competitions like the Olym- pics use sliding seats, so Maltese rowers would have to adapt to a new style of boat and technique. "The second difference is that in traditional Maltese rowing, the ath- letes use their back and arm muscles mostly, as opposed to sculling, where the legs of the rowers take the brunt of the effort," Grima said. This notwithstanding, the associa- tion had already facilitated the way for a number of Maltese rowers to participate in sliding-seat rowing competitions abroad, and they had performed well. Participation in such international meetings was not always easy, as the rowers would need to arrange for leave off their full-time work in order to be able to travel abroad. Grima said the association was continuing to strengthen its relations with clubs and associations abroad that focused on fixed-seat rowing, while at the same time was explor- ing ways and means to increase the exposure of sliding-seat rowing in Malta. For that to happen, Maltese row- ers would inevitably have to change some of their training habits, as row- ing in the low and sleek sculls would only be possible very early in the morning or late at night, even in the sheltered waters of Grand Harbour, so as to avoid the swell caused by sea traffic. This will be a slow process, but al- ready some have taken it upon them- selves to further promote sliding-seat rowing in Malta. Scullling: a different game The Cospicua club itself in 2015 sent two of its young rowers for a week-long training camp in Germa- ny where they were – like the row- ers sent abroad by the association – quick to master the intricacies of sculling. The two rowers, Max Mamo and Rosario Brignone were quick to find their pace on the double sculls and went back to Germany earlier this year to compete in a regatta where they too performed exceptionally. Mamo told MaltaToday that the week's training, intensive as it was, was very exciting as he and Brignone tried to adapt a lifetime of technique learned rowing the Maltese boats to the vastly different world of sculling. "We adapted quite quickly to the new boats, especially after mastering the sliding seats used in sculling, and we quickly realised why sculling was so popular," he said. "When we went to compete this year, it took us very little time to get reacquainted with the sculls and we were very proud of our performance in the races." Mamo said he wished he could continue training on sculls in Malta but expressed concern as to whether the open waters of Malta would be Feature The shield beckons… yet again As seven towns and cities around Malta get into top gear in their final preparations for the 8 September regatta in Grand Harbour, MaltaToday laments the absence of any Maltese rowers in the Rio olympics, despite the island's strong rowing culture Terms and conditions apply. All interests are gross of tax. Issued by APS Bank Limited, a credit institution licensed by the Malta Financial Services Authority. Nothing provided in this document constitutes investment, tax or any other form of professional advice. 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STABLE RETURNS, NO CAPITAL RISK. facebook.com/apsbank values you can bank on 2122 6644 apsbank.com.mt KAPITAL PLUS GUARANTEED CAPITAL AND ANNUALISED INCOME AUGUST 2016 MINIMUM DEPOSIT €5,000 LIMITED OFFER 18412 APS Kaptital Plus Advert.indd 3 19/08/2016 11:20 AM "We would love to have the opportunity to learn and be able to compete internationally" Max Mamo wants to train on sculls in Malta but questions whether the open waters of Malta would be suitable for such boats