For an enthusiastic cluster of youngsters aged 7 to 12 years, June 29 was the start of a much awaited commitment on their summer 2006 holidays program.

This now established annual appointment on the local sailing calendar is a beginners’ sailing course organized by the Malta Young Sailors Club at their St. Paul’s Bay’s Clubhouse. An encouraging number of 80 cadets enrolled for this year’s course, the same quantity as for last year’s lessons, yet after a few weeks’ practice one Club official remarked that “This year’s group seem to be keener and it seems that we will have a good number of them who will carry on, because after all, that is what we aim for”.

One of the main characteristics which have established the Malta Young Sailors Club as a reputable and quality sailing organisation is their approach and manner of handling their commitments.

On this occasion the club secured the service of Chris Witty, a qualified RYA instructor brought over especially from the UK.

The Beginners Course involved five full days of theory sessions in the Club’s new premises followed by daily practice sessions on the water. Following their introduction to the sport, these new sailors attended twice weekly sailing sessions with Mr Witty who on the occasion was enthusiastically assisted by a number of local instructors, some of Malta’s competent young sailors who are keen to pick up coaching techniques.

The skillful locals were Zak Borg, Benji Borg, Jan Rossi, and Nadia Maniscalco. Nadia, an ex optimist sailor, is the Club’s Junior Instructor and coaches the B Team under the guidance of Jean Paul Fleri Soler, the national Optimist Class coach and also the Malta Young Sailors Club senior coach.

All sailing equipment, including a fully-rigged Optimist and safety equipment was provided by the club, and the Beginners Programme was made possible through the kind sponsorship of Mitsubishi Electrics.

The Malta Young Sailors Club, whose appealing annual calendar of events may be viewed on their web-site at www.maltasailing.com, concluded yet another year of successful coaching sessions on September 20 with a certificate-awarding ceremony and barbeque at the club.