Euromed Regatta at Malta Young Sailors Club

Euromed Regatta in Malta © Clive Wright

Euromed Regatta in Malta © Clive Wright

Whilst most dinghy sailors in the UK were waiting out yet another frozen week of no sailing, six UK sailors were in Malta as part of an informal GBR team enjoying for three days training in warmer weather, followed by four days of spectacular racing in the full atmosphere of an international regatta.

The Euromed is now in its 11th year and is organised by the Malta Young Sailors Club. This year’s regatta was held in Mellieha Bay from 18th to the 21st December. The Euromed is a fantastic opportunity to compete as part of a GBR team without having to be selected. Other countries participating included Malta, Italy, Russia, Denmark, Israel, United Arab Emirates and Somalia, with over 100 competitors overall sailing either Laser 4.7 or Optimist classes.

For the first few days Malta experienced the tail end of a storm, bringing strong, colder winds, and unusually large swell. During the regatta the wind speed ranged from 8 knots to a challenging 32 knots and with temperatures from 8 to 20 degrees centigrade, creating a variety of conditions for the sailors.

The group of sailors had a wide range of experience and ability. Naomi Beckwith in the Junior Optimist Class had completed her RYA stage 2 just this last summer, whilst Karyna Manuel who was 3rd girl and 11th overall in the Main Optimist fleet is ranked as the 3rd girl in the UK in the Optimist Class. Drew Wright, aged 9, came 13th in the junior fleet and is a West Zone Optimist Squad sailor within the RYA scheme.

For Harri Seaman, aged 13, and Harry Beckwith, aged 15, both in Laser 4.7s this was to be their first race outside of club racing at their home club of Wimbleball Sailing Club in Somerset. They both improved throughout the regatta, keeping in touch with the main pack in most races, ultimately to just be beaten by their newly found team mate and more experienced Alicia Manuel. This is how Harry Seaman described the first day:

”We met for breakfast at 8am, we then assembled at the boat park at 9am. At the boat park, we found our boats, which had been loaned to us by the locals. We used our own lower mast, foils and sails. We rigged up the boats and sorted them out, we then had a briefing and talked about the wind direction wind speed, etc. It was force 3 with 12 foot swell. We then launched the RIB, Oppies and Lasers.

We got used to the boats on the sea, it was the first time for me, Harry B and Naomi. We followed each other and if someone was going faster than someone else, we would work out why. Then we came in for lunch and had lovely chips and plenty to drink.

After lunch, we sailed out the middle of the bay, and practiced some mark roundings. Then we sailed around two marks, which we left to port, and we also practiced getting our boats up to their maximum speed from head to wind.

A really useful thing we learnt was how to surf the waves and go up them diagonally and back down them straight. Doing this keeps your boats speed up. In doing this exercise we learnt how sitting in different places in the boat also keeps the boat speed up. We also learnt the rule that downwind you can pump once on each wave to get the boat up on the plane, which again, is faster.

After this long but fun day we came back in and put the boats to bed. We had a debrief at 5pm and talked about what went well and not so well, so that we could improve for next time. At 6pm, we all met up for dinner and lovely food and plenty to drink. We then chilled out and had a game of pool and then we went off to bed at about 8.00pm, not too late.”

For the last 6 years Steve and Maureen Witty have supported the Euromed. They play a significant role helping to run the event along with their son, Chris Witty, the Euromed GBR Team Coach. With their help and through their contacts the GBR families had a very enjoyable week or so of great competitive sailing, excellent coaching, good food, like minded company, a great hotel and eventually some good weather, to make it a fantastic holiday overall.

Not to be left out, the younger members of the group Skye Wright aged 4, and Mia Mannual, aged 10, were quick to jump into an empty Optimist on a calmer day and enjoyed a few hours sailing around in the sun close to the quay whilst their older siblings were out racing. They also enjoyed a big boat sailing trip after the regatta when some members of the group were asked to help move six yachts, usually chartered out for match racing, by sailing them around into the next bay - well someone had to do it! Mia say's she's going to come back and race an Optimist next year.

If anyone is interested in the Euromed for 2011, look out for details on the Malta Young Sailors Club web site using the Euromed tab.