The Malta Canoe Federation (MCF) kicked off its long distance racing season with a new concept for local kayak racing.

A relay race was organised on Sunday for teams of three canoeists. Each canoeist had to complete a lap of Manoel Island starting and finishing from the Marsamxett ferry area, each lap covering a total distance of a approximately 3km.

The relay format allowed the forming of teams giving the opportunity for canoeists with different levels and techniques to unite and form interesting synergies. The MCF also introduced this concept to encourage the participation of the budding local canoeing clubs.

The sea and weather conditions for this first race were perfect, and this led to a very fast race with tight competition between the leading teams.

The team led by an outstanding Gerald DeGaetano finished the relay first with a time of 60m 23s. DeGaetano was followed closely by the now established leading local front runner Christopher Camilleri that stopped the clock for his team at 63m 10s having recovered part of the lag that was created by his team members.

The second race will be held with a similar relay format on 20 November from 8am onwards. This time each athlete will have to complete two laps of Manoel Island rendering a total race distance of approximately 18km per team. The start and finish of the race will be held at the same area, close to the Marsamxett ferry landing point in Valletta.