The event, which is being held from 5pm on Friday to 7pm on Sunday,will take place at the club at Hay Wharf, near the Armed Forces of Malta Maritime Squadron’s headquarters. A number of sailing boats will be used during the event, all of them supervised by qualified sailors.
A barbecue followed by a disco party will create the idea atmosphere for a charitable event on Saturday evening, while the sailing continues through the night. There will also be a treasure hunt around the Marsamxett Harbour on Sunday morning.
Apart from offering a lot of fun to many people, the event is about raising money for the Muscular Dystrophy Group that was set up in 1980 by a group of parents of children with various forms of muscular dystrophy, with the primary aim of sharing experiences. The group now offers a range of services to its 50 members.
It has a budget of over Lm22,000 a year and has a van driver seconded from and paid for by government. As with all other charities, fund-raising is the name of the game for the association to continue offering its services to its members (www.mdgmalta.com).
The Vikings Sailing Club was set up in 1984 and has over 200 members, ranging from young children to people in their 80s. The calendar of events includes long-distance adventure cruises, exciting racing and international competitions as well as sail training courses for beginners and intermediate sailors alike, open days, and typically includes a separate class in its regattas for beginners. There is also a very active social calendar.
The club is an accredited training centre for Skolasajf and Skolasport, the Education Ministry’s Youth Training Scheme, and organises 10-week sailing courses for over 100 youngsters each year.
The club is based at Hay Wharf, close to the public library in Floriana.
Parliament recently granted it title to the premises, paving the way for an ambitious expansion and improvement programme. The annual membership fee is Lm5 for single people and Lm8 for a family.
For further information or to book groups, people wishing to sail during this marathon for a worthy cause may contact John Sammut on 7906-8740.