Echoes of the outstanding victory of Polish sailor Kamil Manowiecki, in the Enemed Malta-Sicily Windsurf Crossing – 40th Anniversary Edition (1982-2022) held last year in May, have still not faded away as signs of potential challenge to this record begin to emerge.
This was disclosed by Wilfred Sultana, general organiser and originator of the event 40 years ago, when Enemed executive chairman Kevin Chircop presented the Polish windsurfer with a certificate of merit, to affirm his achievement.
On the day, twenty-year-old Kamil Manowiecki covered the 54.8 nautical mile from Valletta (Malta) to Pozzallo (Sicily) Crossing in the best recorded time of two hours 13 minutes.
The other four participants in the commemorative event, and their recorded time on the day, were Karl Miggiani 2hrs 45mins, Tom Zammit Tabona 3hrs 33mins, Shaun Miggiani 3hrs 51mins, and Paul Ellul 6hrs 17mins.
This remarkable record time further strengthens the reputation of this legendary event, already recognised as the ‘longest single-stage windsurf race in the world’, which in its years-gone-by editions saw participants and winners like John Van Der Starre (Netherlands), Paco Wirz (Italy), Stefan Verwisch (Belgium), André Hauschke (Germany), Frank Luneteau (France), Boet Brinkreue (Luxembourg), Dick Hoekastra (Netherlands) and the 1988 Olympic gold medalist Bruce Kendall (New Zealand).
To these names one must add Malta’s windsurf trio of Paul Ellul, Peter Bonello and the winner of the first race of 1984 Jean Paul Fleri Soler, who all have a special legacy with the event.
First winner
The record-time established by Fleri Soler as winner of the first Malta-Sicily Windsurf Race in 1984 was 5hrs 56mins 35secs, a record which was never bettered in ten editions of the race.
Thirty-one years later in 2015 Ellul, one of the two windsurfers on the first-ever windsurf crossing from Sicily to Malta in 1982, improved this record on a sole crossing, covering the distance in four hours 47minutes 35 seconds.
Pozzallo was always the start or finish end of the event in Sicily.
The Enemed Malta-Sicily Windsurf Crossing – 40th Anniversary Commemorative Edition (1982-2022), was organised by Wishbone Windsurfing Promotions with the cooperation of the Malta Young Sailors Club and the relevant logistic support in Pozzallo of the Lega Navale Italiana (Sezione di Pozzallo).
The Commemorative Event was held under the patronage of the Comune di Pozzallo Sicily, with Enemed as the “Official Fuels Partner” as well as the title sponsors.
The other official partners of the event were GasanMamo Insurance, S&D Yachts, Blye, Medcomms Marine Electronic, Cisk, and Roland Marina.
A significant contribution to the success of the event was given by owners/skippers of the yachts and fast ribs making up the support fleet.
The event was also held with the esteemed support and recognition of the Malta Sports Journalists Association.
