Malta will be hosting a racing fleet of 138 sailors from 10 countries for what has now become an annual appointment for the Optimists Class EuroMed Malta Championship.
The event, the 14th in the series and this year with a record entry, is organised by the Malta Young Sailors Club with the cooperation of the Kunsill Malti ghall-iSport and the Mellieha Local Council and held under the patronage of the Malta Sailing Federation.
The Optimist Sailing Dinghy is acknowledged as a one design single handed sailing craft where only sailors under the age of 16 years are eligible to contest in this class racing. This is the largest junior class in the World and a recognised ISAF International Class.
The international racing fleet participating in the Malta 4-day event – from 19 December to 22 December- includes both male and female sailors with ages ranging from 8 to 15 years old, the youngest being Malta’s 8-years-old Richard Schulteis.
The Malta Championship is also an attraction to Laser dinghy sailors where participation is not constrained by an age limit. This year 18 sailors will make up the Laser Class with 120 sailors competing in the Optimist Class.
The Euromed is not only a big challenge to Maltese young sailors but a great opportunity to participate in an international event against other foreign sailors on home waters thus without the need to travel overseas.
This year the Maltese contingent, with sailors from the Malta Young Sailors Club and the Birzebbuga Sailing Club will be made up of 40 competitors.
But how do sailors prepare for such an important contest?
"Our young sailors look upon taking part in such a multinational and high level event with great pride. For a good number of weekends leading to the event a strict preparation programme is followed by prospective Euromed competitors,” said Jean Paul Fleri Soler, who has been the coach of the Malta Young Sailors Club for the past fourteen years.
“This is normally made up of two, morning and afternoon sessions of class room work related to theory and tactics briefings with about five hours of on the water training interrupted only with a 30 minute break for lunch. From the end of November training is held on Saturdays and Sundays in Mellieha Bay to help the sailors get used to the conditions of the Championship racing arena. Looking back Maltese sailors perform confidently well having won five of the thirteen Euromed competitions", Mr Fleri Soler said.
As usual the Malta Euromed championship will be held under the jurisdiction of a panel of four International jury members.