The 58th edition of the Malta - Syracuse Race, hosted by the Royal Malta Yacht Club and the Lega Navale Italiana (Sezione Siracusa) saw a fleet of nearly forty boats leave the start line just outside Marsamxett Harbour. Dating back to the sixties, this race is the oldest race on the Club's calendar and always attracts a good number of boats. The start of the 85 nautical mile race alternates each year, one year starting from Malta and the next starting from Syracuse.  

Typically, Sicilian boats make up most of the fleet, however Maltese boats do join in the make the most of the opportunity to compete against international crews. The race always combines an interesting mix of past and present, receiving crews whose names have been on this race's fleet list for a number of years and welcoming into the fold new names and faces.

Names like that of Alberto Piazza are thoroughly familiar having raced on this circuit for many years on boats like Spirit of Shardana and Nautilus. This year Piazza raced on Meltem. His infinite knowledge of Maltese and Sicilian waters was put into the test which he passed with flying colours having won the Overall ORC and Gran Crociera Categories. Amongst the fleet was Massimo Savoca's Dreamer Tech, current record course holder. The weather gods seem to want to keep the current record, which was established in 2014, firmly in place. From the local side, amongst the participants, Club Commodore Godwin Zammit (Inspiration) continued to add another edition of this race to his racing CV.

This year saw a slow start in light North Easterly winds, where all boats headed towards a windward mark followed by a straight route towards Syracuse. As predicted light conditions persisted throughout the day and the wind dropped completely at sunset for about two hours, testing the patience of the fleet. As forecasted, a new wind from the West filled in enabling the fleet to resume good progress towards Capo Passero and up along the coast. Closer to Capo Murro di Porco the wind veered back to the North East and the fleet had to beat the last 15 miles to the finish off Syracuse.

The leading group of eight boats finished between 8:40 and 9:00hrs on Sunday morning. The first to claim line honours was Maurizio Mancuso's Ottovolante, another regular participant of this race.  He crossed the finish line in Syracuse at 8:41 after 22 hours of racing. The remaining boats followed throughout the rest of the morning with the last boat finishing at 13:10hrs.

The Prize Giving was held at the Lega Navale in Porto Piccolo on the Sunday Evening.

The Club would like to thank Peter Dimech, Race Officer and the Race Management Team composed of Richard Dennis, Edward Gatt Floridia, John Horn, Clive Phillips, Anna Rossi and Paul Warren.  

58th Malta - Syracuse Race Results

IRC

1st - Squalo Bianco (Concetto Costa)
2nd - Inspiration (Godwin Zammit)
3rd - Time Out (Mario Sant)

ORC Regata-Crociera A

1st - Ottovolante (Maurizio Mancuso)
2nd - Safran Rouge (Oliviero Emaldi)
3rd - Skin (Giovanni Pavia) 

ORC Regata-Crociera B

1st - Capitani Coraggiosi (Federico Arcucci)
2nd - Squalo Bianco (Concetto Costa)
3rd - Inspiration (Godwin Zammit)

ORC Gran Crociera A

1st - Meltem (Alberto Piazza)
2nd - Duc in Altum (Francesco Giacalone)
3rd - Isola (Alessia Di Trapani)

ORC Gran Crociera B

1st -San Mary (Roberto Galli)
2nd - Mayda (Luigi Consoli) 
3rd - Mizzica (Giuseppe Petrolito)