Hot tension in cold waters at Enemed Malta-Sicily Windsurf Crossing qualifiers

The second of four qualifying races to determine the participants of the Enemed Malta-Sicily Windsurf Crossing, scheduled for Saturday, May 5, continued with a coastal race on the north east coast of Malta.

This time though the wind didn’t quite play its part and Mark Vassallo, the race officer for the day, had no option but to shorten the course to approximately half the originally planned distance of 13 miles.

In fact, at the start, the wind was 12 knots, but dropped to five right as soon as the fleet of competitors left the bay, for the breeze to pick up, eventually for the wind to pick up to a 13-knot breeze.

For long stretch, the ‘IQFoil’ equipped windsurfers struggled to keep the board up on the foils so the speed was then much slower.

The wind started coming up again as the competitors entered around halfway into Mellieħa bay and at that stage, the foiling boards started to average around 20 knots of speed.

The fleet of 10 boards left the start line outside the Malta Young Sailors Club in St Paul’s Bay at 12:53pm.

The route was to take the sailors into Mellieħa Bay for a couple of loops between the special mark on the reef and a buoy laid outside Selmun and to round the cardinal mark at Għallis before returning to the finish outside the MYSC.

Naturally the north westerly winds of winter generate coldness both in and out of the sea, but this is of secondary importance to the participant whose high competitive element is keeping them hot even in cold waters.

This determined factor is bound to increase amongst the top challengers as the qualifying races goes on.

Irrespective of unfavourable wind conditions for most of the race once again the absolute confidence and skill of the Polish windsurfer Kamil Manowiecki were undisputed.

He cruised into first place again on this second qualifying race registering the top speed of the day, 26.7 knots.

The event is promoted and organised by Wishbone Windsurfing Promotions in association with the Malta Young Sailors Club who are providing their technical experience in the running of this 40th Anniversary Commemorative Edition.

On this second selection race the ‘most senior’ sailor was 59 years old Paul Ellul with the youngest being 17 years old Nicholas Drescher of German nationality.

Drescher and Polish national Kamil Manowiecki are both active members of the Malta Young Sailors Club.

The Enemed Malta-Sicily Windsurf Crossing – 40th Anniversary Commemorative Edition (1982-2022), is being held with the collaboration of the Comune di Pozzallo (City Council of Pozzallo) Sicily, having Enemed as the “Official Fuels Partner” as well as the main sponsors.

The other Official Partners of the Event are GasanMamo Insurance, S&D Yachts, Blye, Medcomms Marine Electronic, Cisk, u Roland Marina.

The event is also being held with the esteemed support and recognition of the Malta Sports Journalists Association.

CURRENT STANDINGS

VETERANS

1. Jean Paul Fleri Soler; 2. Paul Ellul.

NEWCOMERS

1. Kamil Manowiecki; 2. Karl Miggiani; 3. Tom Zammit Tabona; 4. Shaun Miggiani; 5. Enrico Bradamante.

DID NOT START: Nico Drescher; Zach Zammit, Robert Fenech, Patrick Pace, Matthew Fleri Soler.