The Royal Malta Sailing Club said it has been evicted from its long-standing premises in Ta’ Xbiex and is operating out of shipping containers.

In a statement issued Saturday, the RMYC said that talks to delay a court-ordered eviction or find a new home have failed, with the club forced to find an alternative solution to continue to provide services to its members.

The use of shipping containers have allowed it to store equipment and remain in business, but the club believes that the situation will have a negative impact on the sailing community and damage Malta’s reputation as an international sailing destination.

The club runs a sailing school and has hosted several high-level races, including the Middle Sea Race, held in autumn every year.

The eviction arrived after a 2009 decision taken by the government to expropriate land at Ta’ Xbiex and hand it to the club for a 49-year lease. The intention was to rehouse the club which had been moved out of its historic Manoel Island location after the land was passed on to the Midi Consortium.

In 2014, a court ruled that the Ta’ Xbiex expropriation was illegal, with an appeals court confirming the decision and deciding that the club had to leave its premises by 13 December.

In a letter it sent to its members on Saturday, the club said that it will do its best to remain operations and find a long-term solution.

The situation the club is currently in “has tarnished the reputation of not just the club but of Malta as a host country for such events,” the club said. 

The club said that recent study concluded that the Middle Sea Race alone contributes around €5 million to the country’s economy, with a further €2.6 million worth of promotion to Malta.  

Apart from its struggle to find itself a new home, the yacht club must also contend with a civil lawsuit filed by the Malta Playing Fields Association, which is seeking compensation from the club for its forced eviction back in 2009.