Two young teams from Birzebbuga Sailing Club will be participating in the forthcoming RS Feva World Championship in Hayling Island, an event taking place two hours drive away from the London 2012 Olympic Sailing venue at Weymouth.
The Championship will be taking place between 22 and 27 July, thus giving the local sailors ample advantage to get to the finish line, days before the Olympians.
The RS Feva sailing dinghy class, though not yet an Olympic class, is a very successful two handed sailing boat and includes an asymmetric spinnaker. The class has been introduced to Malta only the previous April, following an initiative taken by Birzebbuga Sailing Club, supported by some members who increased the fleet count by purchasing their own dinghy.
The teams, who will be participating in the UK, helm Andrew with his sister Michela Mifsud as crew and helm Mattea Ciantar with Anthony Khazmi as crew, have made rapid progress in sailing this class in these 14 months.
This could only be possible through their love for this sport, mutual commitment between sailors and instructors, devotion of their parents and especially to the dedication of their instructors in particular Neil Borg, who has been a catalyst for their progress and who have accompanied these sailors throughout since, in all weather conditions permitting sailing, during weekends and holidays.
Mattea and Anthony also participated in an international training camp at l’Estartit in Spain last April after which they were eager to share their learning with the rest of the teams .... what a sport spirit!
Besides teaching the art of sailing and competition, Birzebbuga Sailing Club aims also to cultivate the other benefits deriving from such sport which include teamwork, socialisation, last minute decision making, crew management and personal improvements in attempting to challenge one’s own limits. Through the sport the club aims in raising kids in responsible successful adults.
Though the participating teams’ performance level has improved considerably, it will be the first time that club sailors will be competing in foreign waters in an international event attempting to get a favourable slot among two hundred boats on the same start line.