Joan Domingo, winner of the Euromed International Championship. Photo: Alex Turnbull
Whilst the forecast for the final day of the Mapfre Euromed International Championship was deemed to be promising in that a few races would take place, the wind gods decided otherwise and the light winds that prevailed on Mellieħa Bay today made for a very frustrating day on the water.
With wind speed varying from anything from 4 to 6 knots, and the knowledge that the likelihood of more than one race was not going to happen, the enthusiasm by the Optimist fleet to race meant that several boats were over the line at the start, thus resulting in several general recalls.
Optimist Class
The biggest fleet in the Mapfre Euromed International Championships saw 141 sailors in the Senior and Cadet fleets and 19 sailors in the Beginners’ Class.
Throughout the Championships, the Senior and Cadet Class saw a thrilling encounter between two of the Championships’ favourites Joan Domingo (ESP), and Sviatoslav Madonich (UKR).
Both were challenging each other throughout leaving everyone guessing as to who will take the final title. Madonich emerged victorious on the first day when a first place in the final race saw him take the provisional lead over Domingo.
On the third day of the Championship Joan Domingo (ESP) topped the leaderboard with eight points, having knocked off Madonich from first place. With just one race taking place on Tuesday, and both vying for the final attempt to claim the top prize, it was Domingo who clinched victory, two points ahead of Madonich.
Emmanouil Anastasios Vomvylas (GRE), who did not feature in the top three rankings on the first day, worked his way up to the third place, having garnered four wins in eight races. Timmy Vassallo, remained the highest-ranked Maltese sailor in this class, finishing in fifth place.
In the Beginners’ Class, Malta’s Matteo Mamo retained his first place throughout the championships, having garnered the most wins in the fleet. He was followed by Michael Galea, who yesterday climbed up to second place and retained this position today. In third place was Marcello Morace (ITA).
ILCA Class
The ILCA Class, which saw increased participation in previous years, was able to race throughout the four days of competition, though not without its challenges. Once again, the ILCA 4 had to shorten its course since the light winds were going to prevent the fleet from finishing the full course. The ILCA 6 class was able to complete the course as planned.
Race favourites Benjamin Vassallo (MLT) and Mariyan Shangov (BUL), competing in the ILCA 4 Class, kept everyone guessing until the end. Vassallo had been provisionally leading the Class throughout but was pipped to first place by Shangov this afternoon. Despite finishing with equal points, Shangov’s four first places enabled him to win the Class. Matthew Cachia Debono gave another good account of himself, winning the only race of the day to finish in third place.
In the ILCA 6 Class, Ukraine’s Dmytro Karabadzhak proved to be the sailor to beat in this class with five wins to his name. Behind him was the only Maltese on the podium, Matthew Flores. Flores was leading the Class on the second day of competition but slipped to second place yesterday, nevertheless, he maintained his position until the end. Spain’s Irene De Tomás Perelló, retained her third place. Although she had a bit of a difficult start in the first days of competition, two wins yesterday enabled her to take her place on the podium.
“We cannot express our satisfaction at how the Mapfre Euromed International Championship progressed. Despite the challenging weather, which provided some frustrating moments, we can safely say that these Championships were a success on all fronts. A strong fleet representing sixteen countries, competitive stance on the water, friendly banter on land is the kind of mix we all aim to achieve for our Championships” remarked Christian Bajada, Commodore, Malta Young Sailors Club.
“We are grateful to all those involved in the organisation of this event, officials, volunteers, parents, and sailors. We now look forward to a short break before we start working on the twenty-third edition”.
Malta Young Sailors Club expressed their gratitude towards Race Committee Chairman Peter Dimech, Principal Race Officer (Optimist) – Peter Farkas, Principal Race Officer (ILCA) Bojan Gale, and Jury Chairman Giorgio Davanzo for their impeccable contribution.
A Prize Giving Evening took place in Mellieħa in the presence of Mark Vassallo, representing Mapfre Middlesea, and Jonathan Borg, Chairman of Yachting Malta.
The Mapfre Euromed International Championships are being hosted by Malta Young Sailors Club under the auspices of the Malta Sailing Federation. The Championships are supported by Mapfre Middlesea, Yachting Malta, Zhik, Greens Supermarket, S&D Yachting, Kellog’s, and Farsons.
