Brian Flahive and Fabio Galea claim victory on Juniper as the RMYC’s 2025 season sets sail

The Royal Malta Yacht Club’s 2025 sailing season kicked off over the weekend with the Double Handed Round Comino Race.

Starting under the watchful eye of Race Officer Mark Napier, the fleet faced a slow and tactical race as light, shifty winds dominated most of the day. Some boats struggled near St Paul’s Bay, where the breeze all but disappeared, but conditions improved early in the afternoon when a westerly wind filled in near L-Aħrax, Mellieha.

Brian Flahive and Fabio Galea aboard Juniper secured their first victory of the year. Reflecting on the race, Flahive remarked, “It was a hard task to keep the boat moving sometimes. There was a split in the fleet, with some boats staying close to land and others venturing out to sea, but by Mellieħa, the fleet had merged again.

“We had a nice spinnaker run after Comino, and the steady breeze inside the harbour allowed us to make fast progress to the finish, gaining an advantage on the boats ahead.”

The contest for second and third place was a true display of tactical and strategic sailing,  with Lartista (Anton Calleja/Renato Camilleri) and Vivace (Andrew Agius Delicata/Kevin Anastasi) sailing in close contention downwind.

Calleja said: “Although we feared a long race, it turned out to be a lovely one. Our strategy to stay close to Vivace paid off, and we managed to take second place.”

Meanwhile, Agius Delicata described the finish as “a thrilling, nail-biting battle that decided second and third place.”

The Royal Malta Yacht Club’s next event will be the Thomas Smith Triple Handed Night Race, which will take place on Saturday, February 15.