MainSail September 2015

mainsail >> FEATURE: A Race with a Fascinating Story!

- Spotlight on the Rolex Middle Sea Race p.14 >> Exclusive interview: Ensuring a Long Term and Sustainable Growth - Interview with Sig. Antonio Palumbo, CEO, Palumbo Shipyards and Palumbo Superyachts p.20 >> Sailing narrative: Voyage of (Self) Discovery - Story by Emma Bamford, ex-journalist at the Independent (UK) p.30

september 2015

issue 2

Welcome to Death Island p.06 MALTA’S PREMIER BOATS & YACHTING MAGAZINE www.mbrpublications.com.mt

Newspaper Post

MAINSAIL SEPTEMBER 2015

issue 2

MAINSAIL MAIN STORY p.06 >> FEATURE p.18 >> REAL WORLD p.30 >> EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW p.48

september 2015

Contents

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06

Cover Story

Welcome to Death Island

MAINSAIL turns its attention on the humanitarian tragedy taking place in the waters of the Mediterranean with a chilling report from Lampedusa by AA Gill

Welcome to Death Island

by AA Gill MALTA’S PREMIER BOATS & YACHTING MAGAZINE www.mbrpublications.com.mt

Story of the Month

10

Heat and Calmness Hit 600-mile ‘Bailli’...

Yet Lelantina Takes the Sword

Wilfred Sultana chronicles why the C&N Trophée Bailli de Suffren regards the ‘Bailli’ regatta is more than just a race

14

Features and Interviews

A Race with a Fascinating Story!

Spotlight on the Rolex Middle Sea Race with a remarkable history which raced over the past 46 years bringing together some of the world’s most talented sailors

20 Ensuring a Long Term Sustainable Growth Sig. Antonio Palumbo, CEO, Palumbo Shipyards and Palumbo Superyachtsdiscusses the challenges the industry faces

22 Following the Right Procedure

Alex Chumillas, Partner with Tax Marine Barcelona tells us why it is advisable for yacht owners and operators to have independent advice

24 Fostering Good Business Advice

Ms Anastasia Budykho, Head of the Malta Russian Chamber of Commerce, discusses the opportunities that Malta can offer to the super yacht owners

30

Sailing Narrative Voyage of (Self) Discovery

Emma Bamford, ex-journalist at the Independent (UK) shares what she has learntas she decided to sail off into the wide blue yonder

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Note

Features

16 Great Ancient Naval Battles of the Mediterranean

In one of my finest, intense yet fleeting employment as an International Business Development Manager, I was on the road travelling every month attending and overseeing important trade exhibitions. As I travelled the world, I met an amazing number of people who were truly happy.

You might be surprised to find out who these people are and where they live.

MAINSAIL chronicles some of the most epic naval battles fought in the Mediterranean Sea

44 Brief History of the Passenger Ship &

Visiting my bank recently, I listened to a customer bemoan the state of the world. He was downhearted about all the disasters he kept hearing about in the news, tsunamis, fires, floods, earthquakes and now waterspouts, not to mention daily reports about illegal migrants, robberies, riots and wars. Sometimes it seems as if every time we turn around, we hear about another awful incident. Bad news bombards us from newspaper headlines, TV screens, radios and our newsfeeds.

Cruise Industry

From Black Ball Line in New York, in 1818, to the comfort moderncruise liners, we bring you a summary outling the history of cruise industry growth

50 Armed Forces of Malta Looking to

Expand Maritime Squadron’s Assets

Michael Carabott chronicles The Armed Forces of Malta’s long range off shore patrol boat expansion

Anniversary

54 Land and Sea Measures Taken in Expectation Of Another Major Ottoman Attack

A commemoration of the 450th anniversary of the Great Seige

FRIDAY, 2ND OCTOBER, 2015 VENUE: THE ROYAL HALL, THE PALACE, SLIEMA

In my travels I have noticed that some people are happy no matter where they are, and others are never truly happy no matter what. For example, I recently visited Sicily, shuffling through extremely poor neighborhood in Catania, where a time-warp seems to subsist. The locals seem to be unfamiliar with technology, and several wide-eyed youngsters looked on in fascination as I held a small GPS-guided drone connected to my mobile apps. When I asked these kids what they thought about happiness, they laughed, waving my question away as if it were absurd. To them, happiness was a Western phenomenon not even worthy of discussion. What was important to them was living their lives.

In our cover story this month, we present a different, highly controversial, sad and divisive story highlighting the agony and torment illegal migrants face in their journey to freedom, and the misery and anguish they face when they reach the mainland Europe. AA Gill journeys to Lampedusa to report on the recent tragedies that have occurred, charting the atmosphere of distress and helplessness, and recording one migrant explain that despite his affliction, happiness meant having the whole family together.

The Mediterranean, instead being a sea for peaceful navigation, has become a highway of illegal abuse of migrants and for many, their unwanted graveyard. So what are we to do? Are we doomed to feelings of inadequacy and despair? I don’t think so. But I do think we need to be more thoughtful about what is happening.

We need to act more humanely, however, at the same time we must urge Governments and the EU to curb the surge of asylum seekers risking their lives and invading European countries, which is leading to rising anti-immigrant sentiment and even more widespread problems. Governments must enforce firmly better policy goals for advanced industrial societies than denying the importance and resilience of immigration.

New alternatives with better chance of bearing the desired policy fruit than the policy status quo. And in doing so, the win-win outcomes that well regulated international migration promises will have a better chance to grow and mature.

Brought to you by MBR Publications Limited

Quote of the Month

“[T]hen all collapsed, and the great shroud of the sea rolled on as it rolled five thousand years ago.” - Herman Melville, Moby Dick

MAINSAIL including Creek Developments Ltd, Grand Harbour Marina, Harbour Marina, Kalkara Boat

Publisher - MBR Publications Limited Editor - Martin Vella Technical Advisor - Wilfred Sultana Sales Director - Margaret Brincat Sales Executive - Katie Smith & Nasreen Dahmani Art & Design - Mark Mercieca Advertising - 9940 6743 / 9926 0164

Email: margaret@mbrpublications.net; bobby@mbrpublications.net;

Contributors - Emma Bamford; AA Gill; Michael Carabott; George Carol; Mariella Galea; MBR Publications Limited

Disclaimer All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by copyright may be reproduced or copied

the publisher’s consent. The opinions expressed in Mainsail are those of the authors or contributors, and are not necessarily those of the editor or publisher.

Katie Glass; Wilfred Sultana; DOI; Frontex; Grand Harbour Marina; Heritage Malta; The Independent on Sunday; Malta Institute of Management; MAPFRE Middle Sea; New York Times; Standard Publications Ltd; Steamship Lines; Tax Marine Spain; Palumbo Shipyards; Palumbo Superyachts; Paradise Diving Malta; Royal Malta Yacht Club; The Interview People; The International Organisation for Migrants I.O.M Missing Migrants Project European Commission; The Malta Russian Chamber of Commerce; United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; Print Production - Printit 41B, Wayne, Triq il-Herba, Birkirkara, BKR 2322 Telephone - +356 2149 7814 Special Thanks -

www.mbrpublications.net

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Cover Story

Welcome to Death Island

By AA Gill

Last April, more than 700

African refugees drowned when their boat capsized in the Mediterranean. French President Francois Hollande said that it was, “the worst catastrophe in recent years,” hours after news surfaced that up to 700 migrants had drowned when their boat capsized in the Strait of Sicily just off the Libyan coast. AA Gill makes his own journey to the island of Lampedusa to report on Illegal Immigrant raises his hands in delight after being rescued by Italian Coastguard near Lampedusa

its tragedy — and humanity.

On the morning of 18th April, a fishing boat leaves Tripoli. It is a small wooden boat, like a child’s drawing, with a high wheelhouse. It is old, worn out; no one can remember its name. Fish are scarce, and its owner would have been happy to get rid of it for a handful of sticky notes. On board are 520 passengers; they pack every inch of the hold, a biblical human fish, and they stand crammed on deck. Each has paid about US$1,600 for the one‐way trip. It is a calm, warm day. The tide-less Mediterranean is blue, the rickety engine warbles and chokes, slowly pushing north. Its destination is Lampedusa…

They would not normally have expected to get this far: as a practiced rule, the Italian coastguard tracks, like its Maltese counterparts from the Armed Forces of Malta (AFM Operations Centre in Luqa) and picks up the trafficking boats at sea and transfers the refugees to the small port in the town. These arks usually call ahead on satellite phones or short‐wave radios. It is an organised and familiar run, except not this time. There was no call and somehow no one noticed the blip of 500 Africans on the radar. The boat began to drift towards the cliff. Someone set fire to a blanket to attract help. They could see lights on the shore. The passengers

This is the last journey, whatever the outcome. The boat is a disposable bark with a disposable cargo: Eritreans, mostly, some Somalis and Syrians, with a couple of Tunisians, men and women and children. There are over 61 unaccompanied minors — the youngest is 11. They look back at their last view of Africa. The distinction between an economic migrant and a refugee is simple: are you running from or to? All these souls are escaping.

were tired and frightened and so close to the promised land. They panic and move

Lampedusa is a crumb of an island that has fallen off the end of Sicily. It is closer to Africa than it is to mainland Europe.

listened to. “This is not a new crisis. It is not a crisis at all,” she says, emphatically.

to one side of the ship, which swayed, yawed, lost its slippery balance and capsizes: 700 Africans drown.

Giusi Nicolini, the mayor of Lampedusa, spares me a couple of minutes. She’s on her way to Rome to talk to the prime minister about the refugee crisis. She smells strongly of nervous cigarette smoke and the frustration of someone who’s not been “We have been taking in refugees every week for 15 years. They are not the problem. They are not the fault.”

IT IS OUR ELLIS ISLAND, WHERE THE

Nicolini is exasperated with Rome’s maudlin and politically opportunistic

HUDDLED MASSES — THE TIRED, THE POOR,

reaction to the sinking. “It’s all very well to be moved by nearly 400 coffins,” she

THE WRETCHED, REFUGEES, HOPELESS AND TEMPEST-TOSSED — COME TO BE FREE. On a rocky southern shore above a crumbling coastal gun emplacement there is a modern sculpture, a slab with a door called, grandly, the southern gateway to Europe. It’s not a very grand monument; it’s not a very big door. Lampedusa is the year‐round home of about 5,000 people. Once it lived off fishing, but the fish are all eaten, the coral dead. Now it catches tourists. A baking hot summer getaway, one and a half hours from Rome, set in the most iridescently clear sea. Someone with nothing better to do has designated one of its beaches as one of the most beautiful in the world. You reach it down a long, rocky path surrounded by wild thyme, marjoram and fennel. A kestrel darts overhead. It’s a short curl of soft white sand, where the turtles lay their eggs and the dolphins and whales come up for air.

Next to the beach is another bay. This one is surrounded by a steep wall of cliffs and it was here, on the night of April 19th, that the old fishing boat, with its exhausted passengers, ran out of steam and fuel.

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says, “but how do you deal with the survivors? That’s what matters. It’s not tears for the dead, but tears for the living.”

Lampedusa has a remarkable and surprising relationship with its immigrants.

They care about them, they wish them well, they hope for the best. They don’t resent them or complain that they don’t learn the language or customs. When, at the start of the Arab Spring, in December 2010, around 5,000 Tunisians turned up uninvited, outnumbering the indigenous population, stealing chickens and setting fire to the reception centre, the locals called the rocks on which the Tunisians camped the Hill of Shame. Not the Tunisians’ shame, mind, but the Italians’ shame: the shame of making the desperate and the needy sleep out in the open.

The people of Lampedusa are good — if slightly unusual — Europeans. When the refugees turn up dead, and an awful lot of them do, the locals bury them next to their own fathers and grandmothers in their little cemetery, as unnamed sub‐Saharans, with numbered wooden crosses, and year after year, each has flowers laid beside them.

Cover Story It’s not a sentiment that’s shared by the Italian authorities in general. When the refugees are brought ashore they are given a medical check and their names are given a medical check and their names are taken, then they are bused to a camp on the outskirts of town that’s been pushed into a thin, dead‐end valley: two‐storey blocks of dormitories and an administration building, surrounded by a chain‐link fence. There are Italian soldiers with side-arms and clubs guarding the door and it’s patrolled by riot police. The dormitories are packed, there is barely enough room to walk between the beds, the walls are covered in hopeful, religious graffiti and names, the place smells of sewage and sweat. There are no dining facilities. Refugees squat in the open or eat on their beds. There is a small area aside for nursing mothers, otherwise there is only one lavatory for 100 women.

A Syrian complains that she has not been able to go to the loo for days because the door doesn’t have a lock and there are always men there. Sanitary towels are difficult to get and are handed out, two at a time, usually by a man. There is no sewerage system on the island and no standing water. A bowser comes daily from the desalination plant. This facility was built for 200 refugees who would spend no more than 48 hours here, but it is now inhabited by more than 700.

Most have been here for nearly a month.

The men sleep on sodden foam rubber outside, under shreds of plastic, wrapped in pauper’s blankets, dressed in the bright polyester tracksuits that are given to them. They look like a school production of Montagues and Capulets.

The have also a coat, a child-sized blanket and cigarettes. The fags are a bribe to forestall arguments. The North African seem, in particular, to suffer nicotine withdrawal, according to the camp’s bureaucrat. But they don’t get detergent.

It’s wet and it’s cold, the wind snaps and flaps at the hastily tied plastic tents.

There is nothing to do. Boys cut each other’s hair into silly shapes out of a deathly boredom. Technically, they are not confined, despite the presence of soldiers and the police – they have committed no crime. However, the authorities will not open the gates, so the inmates escape through a convenient hole in the fence, to walk aimlessly around the blustery, paper-blown, bordered, pedestrianised, wet town, dreary in the off-season- Margaret on the Med, without the slot machines. Little knots of Eritreans and Cameroonians huddle over their mobile phones in the empty street, or stare at the brown football pitch beside the graveyard of dead and splintered freedom boats piled in a tangled, rusting pyre of flip-flops, life vests, like the sad bones of beached sea creatures.

The Africans stamp their feet and shout and wait without or expectation. This is as bad as ineptly septically organised a camp as I have seen – worse than Syrians can expect in Jordan, worse than the Sudanese camps in Chad, or for Afghans in northern Pakistan. It’s not run by the UN, because technically it’s

not a refugee camp, it’s a reception center. The UN is here, but only to inform the newly arrived of their rights and how to claim political asylum.Newspaper headlines constantly refer to these people as illegal immigrants. They are not, they are refuges. They are already victims, most in ways that sear you with pity and shock. A group of Eritrean boys in their twenties, survivors of the shipwreck, lounge on their beds, flicking lighters, sharing fags, and they tell me how they got here. Natneal Hail carefully writes his name in my notebook. He is a delicate and handsome boy with a bright smile. The paranoid military dictatorship conscripts all men from the age of 15 up until they are 50. You could spend your entire life in uniform waiting for a war or a coup, for barely $20 a month.

These journeys are far more intrepid and dangerous than climbing a mere mountain or trekking to a pole. They are made of the poorest people in the world, who leave their villages, communities, cultures and families knowing, in all likelihood, they will never see them again. They are funded by parents who understand they are sending their children away forever, that they will never hold their grandchildren, and that they may hear nothing but silence for ever.

But still, no one wants to stay in Italy, and that’s a problem, (although Greece, Spain and Italy claim this is unduly onerous on them). Refugees have to be fingerprinted to be processed, and most of them refuse. Not being criminals, they cannot be forced, so there is a stand-off. Some of the refugees have gone on hunger strike, and not all nationalities are treated the same. Syrians are now almost automatically taken in by other countries because the civil war is hot politics. A few years ago, Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi came to an agreement with Colonel Gaddafi that the Italian coastguard could simply tow migrant boats back to Tripoli, even though this was illegal and deeply immoral. No other European raised a complaint, or even an eyebrow! The reason the refugees don’t want to stay in Italy is because this is the most overtly, casually, critically, racist country – at least opportunity. It is also operatically sentimental. The sinking of the boat was the cause of a hand-wringing bout of pathos in the Italian press. The centre-right interior minister, Angelino Alfano, famous for instigating the law that put the holders of the top four government posts above prosecution, decreed a state funeral for the tragedy that had befallen Italy and held it in Agrigento, which happened to be his home town and constituency.

But he wouldn’t permit the survivors, their families or friends to be there, nor the coffins either. He did, though, invite members of the Eritrean government from which they had fled. It was a state funeral without any bodies or mourners, a photo opportunity for a politician and an allegory for Europe’s engagement with its most needful neighbours. The people of Lampedusa were embarrassed, upset. They held their own service with the survivors and the seekers of asylum

Libya: Main Transit Hub for African & Syrian Refugees Many of the refugees begin their journey in the backs of trucks, which smugglers use to transport them through the desert and into Libya.

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Cover Story

The Italian Navy spotted the medium-sized wooden boat that carried the refugees and migrants some 85 miles from Lampedusa.

on a rocky bit of their island, which looks out to sea. Each planted a tiny tree for every for every drowned soul.

We are joined by Costantino, 56 a local construction worker, originally from Puglia.

He has a pleasure boat, and he went fishing with friends at 7.30am and he sailed into the bay at about the same time as the coastguard got there ad there were bodies everywhere. He picked up 11 survivors and thought there was no one else alive.

Costantino is very affected by her, she was very young. He went to the hospital to see how she was. Her name is Luam. He have her some money and a phone, made sure her parents knew she was alive. She had damaged lungs and was transferred to a hospital in Sicily, from where she discharged herself and slipped away, disappeared into the great Diaspora of refugees in Europe. This is what most of them do: vanish to continue their journey illegally in the hands of traffickers and gangs who exploit, enslave, rape and bully. Constantino says he knows where she is, but he won’t say. She asked him for one last favour. Her friend, a girl she travelled with perished in the sea. Could Constantino make sure she was remembered at the service? He took the number recording her death off the small tree and replaced it with the girl’s name, Sigerreda.

Mohammed and Constantino make an unlikely couple, sitting side by side, tensely distracted by the unresolved horror and sadness of that night, the bodies floating beside one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. “Knowing what you know, would you do it again?” I ask Mohamed. Misunderstanding, he says

people are doing it now. “They are at sea right now”. No would you go through it again? He looks ar me with a pitiful disbelief. “No, no, I couldn’t. “I can’t help thinking about it,“ says Constantino. “You know, we were meant to go out fishing at 6.30am, but I was late, so we went at 7.30. I can’t help thinking how many more could have lived if I’d been on time.”

The reason the Lampedusans are kind and good to these desperate visitors is because they can be. They have met them and they see them; the reason we can talk about “them” as a problem, a plague on our borders, is because we don’t see them. If any of these refugees knocked on any of our front doors and asked for help, we would give it. We would insist they be protected and offered a chance to be doctors and civil engineers, nurses and journalists.We would insist they be protected and offered a chance to be doctors and civil engineers, nurses and journalists. We would do it because we are also good ad kind. It is only by not looking, by turning our backs, that we can sail away and think this is sad, but it is not our sadness.

The divers went down to the deep wreck and the boar revealed its last speechless, shocking gasp of despair, The body of a young African woman with her baby, born to the deep, still joined to her by its umbilical cord. In labour, she drowned.

Its first breath the great salt tears of the sea. The sailors who formed a chain to bring the infant to the light, used to the horror of this desperate crossing, sobbed for this nameless child of a nameless mother that was born one of us, a European.

All Rights Reserved / Copyright 2015 Courtesy: AA Gill / The Independent on Sunday / The Interview People Sources: Frontex, International Organization for Migration, I.O.M. Missing Migrants Project, European Commission, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees; New York Times

Editor’s Note According to UN Refugee Agency report, a record number of 137,000 refugees have crossed the Mediterranean Sea into Europe in 2015. In August countless hundreds have died crossing over from Libya. The civil war in Libya has made it easier for smugglers to transport people through the country. As a result, the number of people fleeing war and poverty in Africa and the Middle East to reach Europe via the Mediterranean Sea has surged since last year. So far this year more than 1,800 migrants may have drowned attempting the journey. Many refugees sought asylum in countries like Germany and Sweden, which have been relatively open to immigrants. As the refugee surge continues, debate is growing in the European Union about the lack of unified immigration policies and funding for migrant rescue operations. European foreign and defense ministers agreed on May 18 to use naval forces to intercept and disrupt ships used by smugglers. The United Nations called the current crisis in the Mediterranean “a tragedy of epic proportions,” in a statement issued in April. It also called for a more comprehensive response by the European Union.

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>> Story of the Month

Heat and Calmness Hit 600-mile ‘Bailli’ ...Yet Lelantina Takes The Sword

By Wilfred Sultana

The Proud Ones - Captain Patrick Gibert and his crew of yacht Lelantina winners of the 14th Edition of the C&N Trophée Bailli de Suffren 2015 Henri-Christian Schroeder, Commodore of the C&N Trophée Bailli de Suffren regards the ‘Bailli’ regatta more then just a race. Above all it is a gathering of friends who want to spend time sailing together, partying, and racing from one stopover to an other, each one more beautiful than the last.

The C&N Trophée Bailli de Suffren regatta is the only offshore race in the Mediterranean for classic yachts - 600 miles where the charm and character of the participating classic yachts blend gracefully with the natural beauty, cultural heritage, passion, glamour and style of the host destinations. From Saint-Tropez in France to Porto Rotondo in Sardinia, then the yachts cross over to Trapani in Sicily and from there the final run to Malta, experiencing wonderful voyages, day and night, as well as meeting each other at the local yacht club at each stopover.

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Definitely, an intro divulging complete serenity and

favourable shore and sailing conditions but as sailors well know no day at sea is the same - and no edition of the ‘Bailli’ will never look like another. This 14th Edition was characterized with unusual bad weather - predicted since early June for the entire month, an unprecedented heat wave in 60 years and without wind throughout the Northern Mediterranean.

Yet, although the original race programme had to be repeatedly adjusted and the withdrawing of a

Story of the Month <<

THE ONLY OFFSHORE RACE IN THE MEDITERRANEAN FOR CLASSIC YACHTS

The Winner Takes All – French 25m classic yacht Lelantina - even the stunning backdrop of the Valletta bastions! (Photo: Kurt Arrigo)

number of participants was unfortunately experienced it was an edition garnished with an exceptional great atmosphere, full of lessons both tactical and strategic. Gatherings in a good mood, showing humor and smiling happy crew however determined to challenge the elements and keep their lookouts aligned on the horizon where their dreams and future glory awaited them.

The send-off from the start-line in the Golf de SaintTropez was as bold and dynamic as ever with the distinguished presence of the Commissioner General of the national French navy Jacques Bourrier, the pastor of St. Topez the Bishop Michael Hayes, and Admiral Alain Dumontet of the Nautical Club of the Navy in Toulon leading the eminent gathering of guests and various sailing enthusiasts to the sound of jazz music provided by the band of the French Navy in Toulon!

-recorded by France-3 TV cameramen for broadcast on France-3 and TV France World.

Clive Aguis the outgoing Ambassador of Malta to France, Christian Benoit, President of Marenostrum Racing Club, and Godwin Zammit, Commodore of the Royal Malta Yacht Club.

The overall honour of the 14th Edition of the C&N Trophée Bailli de Suffren - the prestigious Sword of Honour of Admiral Satan – went to 25m French yacht from the Vintage Class Lelantina Overall Winners by category: Vintage LELANTINA (French, 25m, 1937); Classic ADRIA 1934 (Dutch, 25m, 1934); and Spirit of Tradition TIOGA of Hamburg (Germany, 18m, 2013)

“I am very happy and proud for having won again the Sabre of Honour of Admiral Satan after I was the first one to win it 14 years ago at the 1st edition of the race, and to bring it bring back to our club, the Yacht Club of Monaco, where it belongs!

A welcome parade of sounds and colors of the ‘Guard of Honor of the Knights of Malta’ welcomed guests and crew of participating yachts attending the Awards Evening of the 2015 ‘Bailli’ held at the Malta Maritime Museum.

This race is not only the longest distance off-shore race for classic yachts in the Med, but it is also one of the best adapted for big boats like Lelantina for which some other more traditional regattas can be sometimes a little bit boring.

Master of ceremony on the night was Commodore HenriChristian Schroeder, prudently assisted by Caroline Navarro, Sales and Marketing Manager at the Grand Harbour Marina.

Here Mr Schroeder welcomed guests, introduced celebrities and eventually announced the winners.

The ’Bailli’ is a unique race where you always have to be as much patient as attentive, anticipating your strategic as well as your more tactical choices, because of changing weather conditions...

H.E Mrs. Béatrice Le Frapper De Hellen, the new Ambassador of France to Malta, H.E Mr Vincent Camilleri, Ambassador of Malta to Paris, and Dr. Gavin Gulia, Chairman of the Malta Tourism Authority, all had words of congratulation to the international fleet of participants hailing from 6 nationalities as well as for the organisers and sponsors for their efforts and contribution to make this particular challenging sea adventure more popular and delightful.

Also present for this Grand Finale were Sean Purdy, Marketing Director at Camper & Nicholsons Marinas, Mr

And as a ‘Tropézien’ captain, I really love to think about the fact that I am sailing the same route that the Bailiff of Suffren of the family of marquis of Saint-Tropez - general captain of the ancient Order of Malta’s navy, and our hero, - did when he was sailing his caravans” enthusiastically remarked Captain Patrick Gibert skipper of winning yacht Lelantina.

The Organising Authority of the C&N Trophée Bailli de Suffren was made up of yacht clubs in the host ports namely the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez, the Yacht Club Porto Rotondo and the Royal Malta Yacht Club, an Authority coordinated by the Marenostrum Racing Club of Saint-Tropez. www.mbrpublications.net

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>> Volvo Ocean Race

MAPFRE Middlesea and MSV Life host guests at Volvo Ocean Race - Gothenburg

Last June MAPFRE Middlesea and MSV Life had the honour of welcoming their VIP guest to the Volvo Ocean Race in their final destination in Gothenburg.

The MAPFRE Middlesea and MSV Life guests were delighted to experience this ultimate mix of sporting competition and world-class adventure, with a unique finish that involved an In-Port Race in the entrance to Gothenburg harbour.

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Mr Keith Mallia Milanes, Mapfre Middlesea Assistant General Manager commented “What made this event unique for our guests is that they could feel part of the competition since MAPFRE owned one of the boats taking part in the competition, so everyone could cheer the MAPFRE boat in and join in the celebrations.”

The Volvo Ocean Race is the world’s toughest round-the-world boat race. It started in Alicante on 4 October 2014 and the final destination was Gothenburg on 21 June 2015.

The race concluded with an In-Port Race in the entrance to Gothenburg harbour, giving everyone a ringside view of the final sprint.

The party continued in the Race Village in

Frihamnen, the heart of Gothenburg harbour, which is currently being redeveloped. The seven boats berthed there once the race was complete.

By the end of the race the seven boats covered 39,000 nautical miles and visited 10 ports around the world. This was the twelfth Volvo Ocean Race since the first took place 40 years ago, and it was the third time the race came to Gothenburg.

One of the guests, Mark Vassallo, who is a sailing enthusiast, said “This was a dream come true, since I was a child I followed this race and I always dreamt about being part of this fabulous event”.

>> Rolex Middle Sea Race

A Race With A Fascinating Story!

By Wilfred Sultana

Main factor to make it a winning boat is the crew…every crew member just excels in his role and together the right formula evolves…. Artie’s Rolex Middle Sea Race 2014 proud winning team made up (from left to right) Sam Pizzuto, Tommy Ripard, Christian Ripard (Co-skipper), Seb Ripard (2nd Co-Skipper), Lee Satariano (owner-skipper), Jake Satariano who was not with daddy on the race, Matthew Gusman, Tim Davis and Gordon Bugeja. Not in photo Mathieu Almekinders. (Photo: Kurt Arrigo)

The cannons of the Saluting Battery at the Upper Barrakka gardens will fire the start signals to the 2015 Rolex Middle Sea Race on Saturday, October 17. A Race with a remarkable history which in its past 35 Editions raced over the past 46 years brought together some of the world’s most talented sailors and so many exceptional yachts.

A memorable photo indeed - the 43 foot Swan Tikka (Sail 4704) Runners-up in 1969 and Winners in the 1970 Middle Sea Race. A ‘typical’ crew of Tikka (left to right), Paul Ripard, Paul Micallef, John Fiorini Lowell, Eddie Zarb Cousin, Arthur Podesta, John Ripard (ownerskipper) and George Fiorini Lowell. (Photo: Hector Borg Carbott)

The largest number of entries ever in the Rolex Middle Sea Race was 122 yachts from 24 different nationalities and this was established last year.

The current course record for the 606-nm legendary racecourse is 47 hours 55 minutes and 3 seconds established in 2007 by two remarkable skippers Ken Read and George David on Rambler.

A race with so many stories, of achievements and disappointments too, so many records of participation and of victories. 35 Editions which gave 15 Wins to Italy, 7 Wins to Malta, 4 Wins to the USA, 2 Wins each to France, Germany and to the United Kingdom and 1 Win each to South Africa, Austria and to Greece.

7 Wins to Malta which brought satisfaction and pride not only to the people who actually lifted the prestigious Trophy but also to so many others sailing enthusiasts in our small maritime country.

The protagonists in these moments of local glory were: Year

Yacht - Entrant Name

Owner/Skipper

1968

Josian

John Ripard Sr

1970

Tikka

John Ripard Sr

At the prize-giving of an early edition of the Middle Sea Race, Jimmy White being complimented by Sir Anthony Mamo, then President of Malta. White together with his friend Alan Green came about with the concept of the Middle Sea Race. (Photo: Hector Borg Carbott)

1996 Bigfoot Christian Ripard 2001

Strait Dealer

Christian Ripard

2002

Market Wizard

John Ripard Jr & Andrew Calascione

2011

Artie

Lee Satariano - Christian Ripard

2014

Artie

Lee Satariano - Christian Ripard

Truly a great honour for all winners, owners, skippers and crew members for having their names inscribed in the historic archives of this sensational Race - where Christian Ripard with Four Wins (1996, 2001, 2011, and 2014) is the Champion with the most number of victories followed by the Italian Nello Mazzaferro who skippered Nita IV to three consecutive wins in 1978, 1979 and 1980.

Meanwhile in these weeks leading to the 2015 Big Day - October 17 - the distinct fleet of participants for the 36th Edition of the Rolex Middle Sea Race, organised in style by the Royal Malta Yacht Club with the prestigious sponsorship of Rolex, is steadily growing and already includes many highly rated boats as well as some large multihulls.

Another Record Entry? .....maybe too early to confirm yet on course to predict!

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The imposing Rolex Middle Sea Race Trophy was originated and clay-modeled in 1968 by Chevalier Emvin Cremona (1919-1987), acknowledged as one of the pioneers of modern art in Malta. Once finalised the model was passed for production at the Francis Abela and Sons foundry, a firm established in 1890.

>> Naval History

Great Ancient Naval Battles of the Mediterranean For several millenium the Mediterranean has been theatre to many great battles at sea, sieges of coastal towns and simple acts of piracy, plunder and rape. The cruising sailor can enrichen his travels by learning the local history of his troubled past and thus pay homage to the many persons who gave their lives to make the world as we know it today. Had Greece not succeeded in defeating the Persians, its culture may not have reached the greatness that it did; had the Ottomans not been defeated at Lepanto and at Malta, Western culture and our very languages would have been very much different today. Below are some of the battle sites the cruising sailor will encounter while navigating the Med, where he should take a moment to ponder on the innumerable watery graves and sunken gallies that lie peacefully in the depths below his keel.

The Trojan War - 12th Century BC Greek mythology tells of a war waged against the city of Troy (now in Turkey) by the Achaeans (Greeks) after Paris of Troy took Helen from her husband Menelaus, the king of Sparta. The city was originally a coastal town, but the coastline has since retreated, leaving the ruins of Troy several kilometres inland.

They besieged the city for ten years and finally it fell to the ruse of the Trojan Horse.

Aeneas, one of the surviving Trojans is supposed to have fled and ended up founding the city of Rome.

The Battle of Athens - 480 BC A politician and general, Themistoclese advocated a strong Athenian navy, and in 483 BC he persuaded the Athenians to build a fleet of 100 triremes, which would prove crucial in the forthcoming conflict with Persia. Threatened by Xerxes’ vast Persian army, the Athenians sent to the Oracle at Delphi enquiring about the inevitable confrontation and the news they got back was devastating, “’Why sit you doomed one? Fly to the ends of the earth. All is ruin for fire and the headlong god of war shall bring you low.” Near panic, the Athenians asked for a subsequent message. The Oracle replied cryptically, “’Though all else shall be taken, Zeus, the all-seeing, grants that the wooden wall only shall not fail.” Conflict over interpretation ensued, but it was Themistocles who prevailed. He convinced his fellow Athenians that their “wooden wall” was their fleet of triremes, ships that had been built at his emphatic suggestion. He then convinced the Athenians to evacuate Athens.

So over 100,000 Athenians fled and when the Persians arrived they found an abandoned city and put it to fire. Themistocles then sent a messenger to Xerxes telling him that the Greeks were intent on escape and that if he acted quickly he could destroy

them. He “took the bait.” As Xerxes watched from shore, his fleet that had entered the narrow channel between Salamis and the Greek mainland in the dark of night, and he thought “undetected,” was attacked. The Athenian triremes (much more manoeuvrable in the narrows) soundly defeated the Persians. It was reported that while the Persians lost more than 200 ships, the Athenians lost only 40. Persia’s ally Egypt had sent a fleet to try to cut off the supposedly fleeing Greeks, but a Corinthian fleet “handled” the Egyptians. Unable to supply his army, it was now Xerxes turn to flee. (Cleisthenese)

The Siege of Halicarnassus (Bodrum) - 334 BC Alexander the Great, who had no navy, was constantly being threatened by the Persian navy. It continuously attempted to provoke an engagement with Alexander, who always avoided it. Eventually, the Persian fleet sailed to Halicarnassus (now Bodrum in Turkey), in order to establish a new defense there, so Alexander sent his army south to confront the Persians.

Alexander’s army captured the city and the Persians following the order of their king, in their retreat destroyed the whole city by fire, except for the monumental tomb of king Mausolos (origin of the word mausoleum).

Issue 2 >> 16

Naval History << The Battle of Carthage - the Third Punic War - 149 BC After two previous Punic wars, a young Roman consul, Scipio, finally defeated the Carthaginians in a field battle, besieged the city, constructing a mole to block the circular inner harbor. After the victory, the Romans ordered all the populace to leave the city while they razed it to the ground: “Cartago delecta est” was the official report to Rome (Carthage hs been deleted). This put an end to a long reign of the descendants of the Phoenicians over all the Western Mediterranean and a new dominance of the Roman Empire over what they can now truthfully call “Mare nostrum” (Our sea).

The Battle of Actium - 21 BC Mark Antony and Cleopatra had set off from Alexandria with 500 ships to attack Rome, but were forced to take refuge from a storm at Actium, a convenient safe harbour in Greece on the Ionian Sea. Octavian got word of their arrival and advanced south from his base in Corfu with his 400 ships and managed to defeat Mark Antony, while Cleopatra fled back to Egypt with her treasure laden ship. The sad epilogue to this conniving romance was suicide for both Mark Antony and Cleopatra. This last naval battle of the Roman Republic definitively established Octavian as the sole ruler over Rome and of the Mediterranean world.

The Siege of Rhodes - 1522 This was the second and ultimately successful attempt by the Ottoman Empire, Suleyman the magnificent, to expel the Knights of Rhodes from their island stronghold and thereby secure Ottoman control of the Eastern Mediterranean. They consequently abandoned their other stronghold at the castle of Bodrum and retreated to Malta. During the 16th century, a native of Caria Region, Turgut Reis raised to one of the highest ranks in the Ottoman Navy and became one of the captains of Barbarossa. His fame as Dragut spread all over the Mediterranean world, a vicious pirate who terrorised much of the Mediterranean, including Sardinia. His home-town in Turkey now honours his name “Turgutries”, not far from Bodrum.

The Conquest of Tunis - 1535 Piracy was considered fair game by everyone and was rife throughout the Mediterranean.

A champion at this sport was Barbarossa, (Khair ad-Din) and his brothers, who in only three years from 1512, had captured as many as 56 ships! All crewman surviving the assault were made oar salves.

In 1534 Barbarossa, had ousted the local pro-Spanish ruler of Tunis, and established a strong naval base there, to be used for his raids in Spain Sardinia, Sicily, mainland Italy and Malta. There was hardly a coastal town in Sardinia and mainland Italy that hadn’t been sacked at some time or another.

To put an end to this critical land base in Tunis, Charles V of Spain set off with 300 galleys and 24,000 soldiers, made a supply stop-over in Malfatano bay, south of Cagliari, Sardinia, then stormed Tunis, which was quickly abandoned by Barbarossa. Undeterred, he continued to advance his pirating career at the service of the Ottoman Empire, together with his notorious captain Dragut, wreaking havoc on the Italian coasts and in the Greek islands.

At one point he operated from his private castle in Capri, which still carries his name today.

Barbarossa (known as Hayreddin Pasha by the English) established Turkish supremacy in the Mediterranean which lasted until the Battle of Lepanto in 1571. continues pg 42

www.mbrpublications.net

>> 17

>> Gadgets VIRB® Elite GME launches the ET100 Waterproof Emergency Torch With ‘Twist to Charge’ Functionality GME, a market leader in safety, communication and entertainment products, has launched an innovative product which solves the problem of the torch batteries being flat when you need it most – in an emergency.

The solution comes in the form of the ET100 Emergency Torch. The ET100 is an ideal tool for people who love outdoor activities such as boating, fishing, bushwalking, 4WD-ing, and camping.

MEDCOMMS GADGETS 4, Msida Road, Gzira | Tel: 2133 5521 info@medcomms.com.mt | www.medcomms.com.mt

Fastfind 220 The FAST FIND 220 is small and light enough for you to carry on your person at all times. Using advanced technology, the FAST FIND 220 transmits a unique ID and your current GPS co-ordinates via the COSPAS-SARSAT global search and rescue satellite network, alerting the rescue services within minutes.

Once within the area, the search and rescue services can quickly home in on your location using the unit’s 121.5Mhz homing beacon and flashing LED SOS light.

VIRB Elite records true HD 1080p video that lets you relive every minute of your adventure in full, high-contrast, undistorted detail. In addition to 1080p@30fps, you can adjust resolution and filming speed for crisp, dramatic slow motion up to 120fps.

And it’s all processed through a 16 megapixel CMOS sensor so you get the highest quality video and a more manageable file size for editing and sharing. Multiple HD video modes: 1080p@30fps, 960p@48fps, 720p@30/60fps, 848x480@120fps.

Smartfind E5 Epirb (Manual Bracket) Designed to meet the requirements of both the commercial and recreational user, the E5 features transmits on 406 and 121.5MHz and includes a high brightness LED light which helps rescue services locate you at night or in poor visibility. Location is determined within 5km (3 miles) by measuring the doppler shift of the EPIRB’s signal through the COSPAS-SARSAT network.

Once in the area, rescue services are then able to pinpoint your precise location using inbuilt 121.5Mhz homing transmitter.

TDK Life on Record A33 Wireless Weatherproof Speaker Delivering the best in audio quality and functionality, the TDK Life on Record Wireless Weatherproof Speaker with Bluetooth® wireless technology offers the new standard in portable speakers wrapped in a stylish and durable design. With wireless Bluetooth streaming, this speaker system lets you unplug your device and get a truly wireless experience without missing a beat. The built-in microphone provides speakerphone functionality, while the auxiliary input makes it compatible with almost any device. Compact and rugged, the TDK Life on Record Wireless Weatherproof Speaker system is built to move, no matter what the forecast.

Thuraya XT The world’s toughest satellite phone for use in the most challenging environmentsThe only satellite phone to meet the most demanding criteria for splash resistance, dust resistance and shock proofing, Thuraya XT combines its unparalleled phone functionality with the dependability of the Thuraya satellite network. Thuraya XT is ideal for users who operate in remote areas and harsh environments where local networks are unreliable.

Issue 2 >> 18

>> Super Yacht Symposium

Ensuring a Long Term Sustainable Growth

By Martin Vella

MBR: What is the significance of Palumbo Malta Super Yachts Ltd participation in the MIM Super Yachts Symposium?

In this exclusive interview Sig. Antonio Palumbo, CEO, Palumbo Shipyards and Palumbo Superyachts, tells us why the firm believes and embraces an educational marketing policy, the importance that government incentivises further in this sector and addresses the challenges the industry faces.

AP: Conferences and other similar events offer us an opportunity to meet people, to learn, understand changing market expectations and the possibility to share our current and future projects. Conferences are also an important marketing channel for the country and industry. Indeed , we supported this event as it is the first of its kind in Malta that brings the industry players together to discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the sector in Malta. This also through the participation of foreigners within the conference Thus our decision to participate and sponsor the conference was a natural decision as part of our marketing and human development strategy. Given the overwhelming success of the symposium with the organisers we agreed that we will support this as an annual event MBR: Can you tell us why is it important to have such conferences and also to sponsor this event?

AP: Most of what persons know, we have learned with and from others. Our learning, understanding and knowledge are developed in participation with others. Social learning occurs through several platforms especially during conferences where grounded interactions and engagement with others takes place.

Conferences also offer an exceptional networking platform.

It is amazing how a short conversation over a coffee or a light lunch can be the window to a long and prosperous business relationship. Conferences are also key to promote the country and industry. We believe and embrace an educational marketing policy where we reach out to the market by bringing key stake holders over and provide them with correct and an overall picture of the country and industry. Associating ourselves to such events through sponsorship offers us the right medium to promote what we are good in. It also offers us the possiblity to send the correct message about us to the market.

MBR: What were the highs and lows for Palumbo Super Yachts Ltd in 2014 and what has 2015 had in store till now?

SOCIAL LEARNING OCCURS THROUGH SEVERAL PLATFORMS ESPECIALLY DURING CONFERENCES WHERE GROUNDED INTERACTIONS AND ENGAGEMENT WITH OTHERS TAKES PLACE

Issue 2 >> 20

AP: Several developments on the international market combined to increasing competition and a constant changing maritime market presented us with a very challenging scenario last year which could only be overcome thanks to a strong and experienced team mixed with a unique business philosophy that distinguish us in the sector. The measures taken during 2014 have ensured a better structure to handle the market effectively. In fact, the first half of 2015 have presented us with positive results which should see a further growth in the next half of the year and the coming years.

MBR: Can you discuss future plans on any restructuring and whether you are you planning to diversify the business at all?

AP: 2014 was a transitory year during which we spelt out our strategy for the coming years. The strategy called for

several operational and structural changes which will ensure the company is in line with the constantly evolving maritime industry and the increasing demanding market it carries.

The changes have lead to an intake of new team members in strategic positions, the implementation of a more aggressive sales and marketing campaign as well as the implementation of new communication structures. The measures adopted last year are already giving their fruit and can fairly say we can look at an exciting future for the company.

MBR: What does Palumbo offer as a super yacht facility?

AP: Palumbo may be defined as a one-stop shop for any kind of maintenance including ordinary to prominent refitting, furnishings, and painting. Over the past decades, we have earned a reputation for excellence in the industry thanks to a strong team that includes project managers that ensure undivided attention and assistance to the daily requirements of our customers. Project managers are supported by an experienced technical team of naval architects, engineers and procurement staff. In order to ensure the best support to our clients, we do also work closely with a list of approved subcontractors. This unique team of specialists in the sector ensures a constant edge over our competition.

MBR: What is the situation with the super yacht industry in Malta and what would you wish to see changed?

AP: Capitilising on the island’s natural and infrastructural assets that have long made it a sheltered and secure base for vessels, Malta’s booming shipping and yachting sector has grown in strength to become a global leader in servicing the super yacht and wider maritime industry. Yacht owners are attracted by the excellent reputation of Malta’s ship registry, the high level of personal service and the variety of maritime facilities.

It is imperative that the government incentivises further in this sector especially in niche areas such as training and education. Indeed Malta offers an excellent and ideal hub for luxury yacht industry training. Moreover, there must be a stronger branding of Malta as a hub for yacht and super yachts yet this will definitely require the joint effort of all private investors in the industry so as to ensure larger vessels see the island as a natural home to berth here permanently, We also feel that to a certain extent we are not competing with each other in Malta as if addressed properly the international market is huge. In this context, we do appeal to colleagues in Malta to try and collaborate more for the common benefit. On the other hand, we do understand that in certain moments there might be competition which at all times we feel that needs to be dealt with in a fair and just manner. Only this will strengthen the industry in Malta and ensure a long term sustainable growth.

MBR: Do you consider the super yacht industry as

Super Yacht Symposium <<

Aerial View of the Palumbo Malta Superyacht Facilities

having a super-charged atmosphere that requires the best leadership decisions?

AP: Every industry is evolving in a way were the requirements call for stronger decision taking. The yachting industry is part of this changing world where expectations, challenges as well as decisions call for good leaders and decision takers. Malta has a strong reputation of good leaders which opens a niche opportunity both in terms of recruitment as well as training.

Long standing organisations and institutions like the Malta Institute of Management can play a critical role in such direction.

MBR: Would you be willing to partner MBR Publications and host a super yacht show in Malta?

AP: It is our policy to be actively involved in as many events as possible. If there are the necessary preconditions for a successful collaboration with any local entity, we would be more than happy to consider.

MBR: How does Palumbo understand and deliver what the super yacht market needs?

AP: We do heavily invest in Human Resource development as well as R&D so as to ensure the company is constantly in

line with the requirements of the industry. It is for this specific purpose that we do actively participate in local and foreign conferences as well as regularly effect outreach visits to the market. Such events and activities provide us with a regular overview of the industry as well as a SWOT analysis of the market itself. Every event or activity is an opportunity to learn from the market, to understand where you need to improve and to map your way forward for the future.

Our vision has been an open one since the foundations of Palumbo Group. Some competitors may have misinterpreted this flexibility whilst other collaborated with us as understood this concept. Collaboration leads to growth and fair competition is healthy. The industry in Malta may need to think more in the long term than to the short term. As previously said together we can render Malta the true leader in Superyacht services. To achieve this one needs to think in a different context than the way in which certain people thought to date.

THERE MUST BE A STRONGER BRANDING OF MALTA AS A HUB FOR YACHT AND SUPER YACHTS YET THIS WILL DEFINITELY REQUIRE THE JOINT EFFORT OF ALL PRIVATE INVESTORS

It is thanks to such policies that the company was able to grow and expand of the past decades.

All Rights Reserved | Copyright 2015 www.mbrpublications.net

>> 21

>> Super Yacht Symposium

Following the Right Procedures

By Martin Vella

Martin Vella caught up with Alex Chumillas, Partner with Tax Marine Barcelona during the recent Superyacht Symposium 2015, organised by the Malta Institute of Management at The Westin Dragonara Resort. In this interview, Martin finds out why it is advisable for yacht owners and operators to have independent advice about the latest changes.

MBR: What can you tell us about the changing EU Tax landscape and how it affects super yachts?

AC: The EU tax landscape has been subject to many changes since the entry into force of the new VAT regulations on January 2010 and the resolution of the ECJ â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Bacino case â&#x20AC;&#x201C; which brought VAT into the charter operations, exempt until that time of VAT. These changes together with the recent challenge of the French Commercial Exemption regime in France by the European Commission has brought additional uncertainty. This is not positive for a sector such as the super yacht. We must bear in mind that the assets involved in this market are of high value and very sensitive to uncertainty, specially tax uncertainty. In my view it would be necessary to revise harmonization of the tax regime and simplification of the rules.

MBR; There is a lot of talk about security and a pretty crowded market too. Tell me more about the security aspect of your audit? What makes it unique?

AC: Our firm specialises in tax support to the yachting industry. Nowadays with the continuous tax changes in the tax regulations it is advisable for yacht owners and operators to have independent advice about the latest changes and provide guidance on the right procedures to follow.

Issue 2 >> 22

Our firm has been involved in the yachting industry for more than 15 years. Our team of lawyers and economists can provide advice on all the matters surrounding yachting in Spain. Beside this Tax Marine is part of Easytax network, an European network covering fiscal services from Spain to Croatia and expanding, so we can provide assistance to our clients all across the Mediterranean.

MBR: How would the superyacht industry benefit from an independent auditor?

AC: My view nowadays is that it is advisable to have independent and professional advice capable to provide guidance in this difficult legal environment provided the great number of regulations affecting superyachts operations and the continuous changes the industry is subject to.

MBR: What type of super yacht customers should Malta attract and from which countries?

AC: Malta has done a great job I the last years; it became the first destination for superyacht

registration in Europe. We look with lot of interest the progress made by your country from Spain. We are trying to learn from you. Certainly a client minded authorities make a difference. In my view Malta has a great potential to keep attracting superyacht owners and is the perfect entrance for non EU yacht owners wishing to bring their vessels to Europe.

MBR: Do you think Malta can become a home to superyacht professionals from all sectors within the industry?

AC: As I said Malta is a hub for superyachts.

Beside the favourable tax and legal frame, you count with the right facilities and a fantastic climate and people. For sure more and more professionals are tempted to move in. The growth of facilities and the increasing demand for high quality services in the sector will attract professionals from all sectors. I am pretty sure the future only can be more and more promising for Malta.

All Rights Reserved | Copyright 2015

CORPORATE BRIEF Director of Tax Marine Spain. More than fifteen years of experience as tax & legal consultant in yacht tax matters. Member of major associations in Spain CEC, CGAC and member of the British YBDSA. Founding member of the Barcelona Nautical Cluster. Regular speaker at international conferences and lecturer at several Spanish universities.

>> Superyacht Seminar

A

Yaching Industry Seminar

International Alliance for Superyacht Seminar!

‘Malta, A Better Destination For Superyachts!’, the Seminar related to superyachts in general and the local yachting industry in particular will once again have the endorsement and cooperation of the International Superyacht Society, whose involvement will not only be that of providing speakers of standing but will be giving the local activity a more global exposure through their esteemed marketing network. Transport Malta are again supporting and collaborating in the Seminar’s organization structure.

The International Superyacht Society, based in Florida USA, is recognised as the sole organization serving and representing the large yacht industry worldwide. Society members are individuals and companies who have been recognized for their leadership and dedication in raising the standards of design construction, maintenance, repair and operation of large yachts.

‘Malta, A Better Destination For Superyachts!’, to be held at the Grand Hotel Excelsior on Wednesday 11th September, is being organised by Wilfred Sultana & Associates publishers of ‘Yachting in Malta’, the Directory to Malta’s yachting services and facilities since 1976. This will be the third such Seminar organised on biennial basis since 2009.

The September Seminar will be given further international standing with the participation for the first time of the authoritative Professional Yachting Association (PYA) and the Mediterranean Yacht Brokers Association (MYBA).

The PYA is the global Professional Body for Yacht Crew having an established international regional network with representatives in Australia, Gibraltar, Greece, Italy, Malta, Montenegro, New Zealand, South Africa, Spain, Caribbean, Turkey, United Kingdom and the United States.

MYBA - The Worldwide Yachting Association is an internationally renowned professional organisation, founded in 1984, whose members are involved at all levels within the Superyacht Industry. Members of MYBA are widely represented in all fields of brokerage, charter, technical management and construction of large yachts with branch offices in France, Monaco, Spain, Italy, Great Britain, Germany, Switzerland, Hong Kong, and the US. Dr. Chris Cardona, Minister for the Economy, Investment and Small Business, responsible for maritime affairs in general will be the main speaker in the Seminar and will be presenting the winding-up comments.

The names of the local and foreign speakers to make the podium are to be announced shortly. A new concept in this year’s Seminar will be a 30-minute open discussion by a panel of three experts who will have the opportunity to expose their arguments immediately following a number of presentations by guest speakers.

The main sponsors of this third Yachting in Malta Seminar are Kirton & Co Ltd, Medcomms Ltd, Melita Marine Group, Palumbo Malta Superyachts, S&D Yachts Ltd, the International Yachting Management Ltd and the Grand Hotel Excelsior.

Creditline: Wilfred Sultana & Associates Co. Limited www.mbrpublications.net

>> 23

>> Super Yacht Symposium

Fostering Good Business Relationships

By Martin Vella

Ms Anastasia Budykho, Head of the Malta Russian Chamber of Commerce, discusses the opportunities that Malta can offer to the super yacht owners, the Malta Russian Chamber of Commerce contributions and leadership issues.

MBR: What is the importance of the presence of the Malta Russian Chamber of Commerce at this conference?

AB: The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation promotes the growth of the Russian economy and its integration into the world economic system and provides favourable conditions for the advancement of all business sectors. As representatives in Malta we encourage a flow of trade and commerce between the two countries.

Russia is very much present in the Yacht and Superyacht industry and many fairs host diverse Russian owners. Malta is an ideal location for registration, maintenance and other services. In this context, we felt the need to collaborate with this unique event in Malta that brings the industry together to actually to encourage them to approach the chamber even more to attract Russians to their businesses. It was also an opportunity to highlight services and products that could be offered by Malta in this same industry.

MBR: What is the importance of adaptive evolution for super yachts in a post-recession marketplace?

AB: The concept of adaptive evolution is relevant to all industries. The industry can not ignore the political and economic developments unfolding in different regions of the planet and their inevitable impact on the sector. Moreover, the impact is not to be restricted to the industry itself but must be seen from a macro perspective, keeping in mind the other sectors it has a spill over effect on such as real estate, and tourism. I believe, the industry had to take stock of the current situation in key

countries such as Greece and Russia, and adapt itself accordingly. The industry had to also take note of the current instability in key regions including the Mediterranean and adapt its priorities primarily security in accordance with the nneds of the sector.

MBR: Do you consider “leadership” as being a real development need in the industry?

AB: It is said that a leaderless organisation is like an army without generals. Every industry depends on leadership. Indeed, leadership acts as the catalyst that makes all other elements work together; without leadership, all other business resources lie dormant.

The constant developments in the yachting industry call for skilled and experienced individuals to provide guidance and a single direction to the industry. It is thus essential that local educational institutions groom more leaders to spearhead the yachting industry in the years to come.

MBR: What is the Malta Russian Chamber of Commerce outlook on the opportunities that Malta can offer to the super yacht owners?

AB: Malta is scoring well internationally with its approach particularly with respect to legislation and maintenance services. We have also seen private investors offering new services which were important for the development of the industry. There are areas in which one needs to improve particularly in servicing this luxury industry. This means that we need to attract more investment in related areas in providing luxury items and services.

There is also a requirement of human resources if the industry is to serve the potential growth. Like other European countries Malta is experiencing a shortage in crew members. Malta needs to invest

in promoting Maltese to take these activities or else to import resources from other countries. This also means that there is yet another opportunity in the training sector.

IT IS SAID THAT A LEADERLESS ORGANISATION IS LIKE AN ARMY WITHOUT GENERALS To my mind, the Maltese industry is very receptive to the needs to its international clients. In this context, I believe the industry will grow even further. I also believe that this approach may attract a considerable number of Russian Superyachts.

MBR: And how can the Malta Russian Chamber of Commerce contribute toward making Malta a more attractive hub for super yachts?

AB: We are here to encourage business. Any organisation, entity or company that is interested to be introduced to Russians is more than welcome to contact us. We will ensure that when possible we will assist and facilitate business even in this sector. As a representative office we also organise networking events as well as information sessions in both Malta and Russia. We also offer one-to-one advice on how one can go about dealing with Russia and Russians. Most important we can direct persons to the appropriate regions for certain business. Russia is a large country made up of various states. It is important to understand which state offers which opportunities.

All Rights Reserved | Copyright 2015

CORPORATE BRIEF The CCIR is a non-governmental and non-profit organization a member of the World Chambers Federation, the Association of European Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Eurochambers), amongst others. One of its objectives is to foster good business practices and encourage business growth and represents the interests of small, medium and big business and encompasses all business sectors – manufacturing, domestic and foreign trade, agriculture, the finance system and services. The presence of the CCIR in Malta augurs well for the enhancement of business between Russia and Malta.

Anastasia Budykho Malta’s representative for the CCIR

Issue 2 >> 24

>> Rolex Middle Sea Race

100 Entries for Rolex Middle Sea Race

The 2015 Rolex Middle Sea Race starts on Saturday 17th October.

Deadline for entries is Friday 2nd October 2015.

T

he Royal Malta Yacht Club is proud to announce that 100 yachts have now entered the 2015 Rolex Middle Sea Race. The 36th edition of the race has attracted competitors from at least 22 different countries from all over the world.

The 606-mile race starts and finishes in the spectacular surroundings of Malta’s capital city, Valletta. The Fortress City is named after its founder, the Grand Master of the Order of St. John, Jean Parisot de la Vallette and its impressive bastions date back to the 16th century. From the Grand Harbour, the race is blessed with unsurpassed scenery with its course, taking competitors close to a number of stunning islands around Sicily and Malta, before returning to the Royal Malta Yacht Club for a fantastic welcome.

Since the first race in 1968, the race has attracted a wide variety of competitors and yachts and this year’s race is no different.

World Champions and professional sailors from the Volvo Ocean Race and America’s Cup will be taking part, as well as passionate Corinthian sailors. The yachts are just as diverse, from elegant classics to the world’s fastest multihulls. The Rolex Middle Sea Race has an appeal that satisfies a wide variety of sailors.

Last year proved one of the toughest in the history of the race with storm force winds across the race course in the latter part of the race. Lee Satariano’s Maltese J/122, Artie was the overall winner of the 2014 Rolex Middle Sea Race. A phenomenal achievement and Artie will be back this year to defend their title.

Lloyd Thornburg’s MOD 70 from St. Barths, West Indies.

Photo Credit: Team Phaedo/Rachel & Richard

Issue 2 >> 26

Lee Satariano’s Artie - winner of the 2014 Rolex Middle Sea Race Photo Credit: Rolex / Kurt Arrigo

”We started the preparation work immediately after last year’s race and now we are focusing on fine tuning the boat. We are once again very much looking forward to this year’s Rolex Middle Sea Race, which will be the sixth for Artie”, enthused skipper Lee Satariano. “Christian Ripard will return as co-skipper, and the crew will be more or less the same as of last year with one or two possible changes”.

Three of the world’s fastest multihulls will be racing this year, capable of demolishing the race record. MOD 70, MusandamOman Sail, will be the first entry from Oman in the history of the race. The multi-national crew racing Musandam-Oman Sail blends established and world-renowned sailors with exciting young Omani talent. In 2014, skippered by Sidney Gavignet, MusandamOman Sail set the race and course record for the Round Britain and Ireland Race. Hitting a top speed of 43 knots, Musandam-Oman Sail rarely dropped below 25 knots in completing the 1800 mile course in four and half days.

From St. Barths, West Indies, Lloyd Thornburg’s MOD 70, Phaedo3, will also be making its Rolex Middle Sea Race debut.

Earlier this year, the lime green trimaran has been smashing records in the Caribbean including the RORC Caribbean 600 multihull record, which has stood since the first race in 2009. Multiple world record holder, Brian Thompson, leads the all-star crew and will be keen to beat MusandamOman Sail, which was faster on the water than Phaedo3 in this year’s Rolex Fastnet Race.

Californian solar energy expert, Peter Aschenbrenner, will be racing his Nigel Irens 63’ Trimaran, Paradox. After MOCRA time correction, Paradox beat both MusandamOman Sail and Phaedo3 in the Rolex Fastnet

Race and was the Open Class winner for the 2015 Transatlantic Race. Paradox crew includes skipper, Jeff Mearing, crew of the record breaking Hydroptere and Paul Larsen, the fastest man on water with Sail Rocket; 65.45 knots! Neither Peter Aschenbrenner, nor Paradox, have taken part in the Rolex Middle Sea Race before.

“Malta is an amazing place, a crossroads of civilizations for three millennia.” enthused Peter Aschenbrenner. “Mid-October is my favourite season for the southern Mediterranean and we are thinking about taking a couple of extra days after the race to cruise around Gozo. For the race, I love the 600 mile format, which is long enough to be a proper ocean race with lots of tactical challenges but an approachable commitment time-wise for those of us who take the occasional week off of work. I am really looking forward to sailing past Etna, the Messina Strait, around Stromboli and also the Aeolian islands, around the Egadis and Pantelleria. I have been to many of these places as a visitor, but never under sail.”

Godwin Zammit, Commodore of the Royal Malta Yacht Club is looking forward to welcoming over a thousand sailors to the club. “The staff and volunteers that organise the Rolex Middle Sea Race have been working diligently to make ready for our guests from overseas.. The Rolex Middle Sea Race is the flagship race of the Royal Malta Yacht Club and we will be doing everything possible to ensure that the race will run as smoothly as possible. The Royal Malta Yacht Club has excellent facilities and we wish all of the participants a warm welcome and fair winds for this year’s race.”

The 2015 Rolex Middle Sea Race starts on Saturday 17th October. Deadline for entries is Friday 2nd October 2015. For more information: www.rolexmiddlesearace.com

>> Scuba Diving

Scuba Diving in Malta Dive Site: Ten Wreck & St Michael Location: Zonqor Point Description: Tug wrecks Depth: 18 - 22 metres (60 - 72 feet) Visibility: 30 metres (100 feet) Rating: *** There are two wrecks of tug boats at Zonqor Point: St Michael and the Ten Wreck. St Michael lies in 22 metres of water and is pictured here. It is a short swim out from the shore on a 270 degree bearing. The Ten wreck is about 30 metres further around the reef from St Michael at 18 metres depth. The visibility is normally good enough that you can easily find one wreck from the other. The Ten wreck is so called because it has ‘No. 10’ painted on it.

Rik Vercoe, BSAC Advanced Instructor

Dive Site: Blenheim Bomber Location: Coast of Delimara, 800 metres (2600 feet) off Xrob l-Ghagin Description: Plane Depth: 42 metres max (138 feet) Visibility: 35 - 40 metres (115 - 130 feet) Rating: ***** The Blenheim Bomber is one of the best dives in Malta! Its history is unclear, but when it crashed inot the water it landed on its belly, loosing the front of the cabin and nose wheel. It is dived by boat, but not all dive Centers know of its exact location.

There is sometimes a current running so it is important to descend as quickly as possible holding onto the shot line which will be provided. This is a dive for more experienced divers only.

Jeffrey Pappalardo, Dive Guide

On the swim to the wrecks there were a couple of freeswimming little moray eels. After 15 mins we found the wreck but unfortunately the viz was not so great. A few goatfish were swimming around. This wasn’t the most interesting dive and there are definitely a lot better in Malta. Be very careful on exiting the water; I got pulled off the rocks and was close to cracking my head open by a freak wave, which was my bad luck I guess. I did manage to safely escape with just bruised legs. Once back on the rock though I did have to be held onto while taking off my fins. A lot of the diving in Malta is shore based on rocks like this so a lot of care is needed. - Carina Hall, PADI Divemaster Nice easy dive with plenty of nudibranchs - Adrian Hart, BSAC Advanced Diver Didn’t find the wrecks (bad viz) but saw two stingrays, morays and an octopus. Nice easy dive! - Lars Hjørnholm, PADI OWD

After a 10 minute boat ride from Marsascala we dropped down the anchor line and slowly but surely the Blenheim Bomber came into view - it was spine tingling! Both wings (a span of 17 metres) were clearly visible along with the two engines. One engine still has its propeller. The pilot’s seat and joy stick were also still amazingly in place.

The rear section of fuselage has somersaulted in front of the plane after impact but the middle section is totally missing. Much of the fuselage was covered with brightly coloured sponges and hydroids, as well as tube worms, anemones and soft corals. There was a resident spiny lobster and on the day I dived the bomber there was a large green back turtle also visiting -mind you, we were told that this is not a regular visitor!

The bomber is one of those rare wrecks that everyone must see if they get the chance, this is a deep dive so you should really have training in deep diving before doing the dive. This is one of my best dives, everytime I visit Malta I dive this wreck. There is a sad thing about it though in the last 5 years I have noticed the wreck breaking apart, this is due to the dive boat putting the shot through a wing, I think it is time to invest in a proper mooring bouy.

Other than that it is rare to be able to get to these depths with crystal clear water and very flat bottom some years back there was a pilots seat but that has been removed which is a shame. - John Smart I dived this wonderful plane wreck, it was realy fantastic, my deepest dive ever 41.5m.

It realy tells you the history, like the Thislegorm. My divemaster told me that the plane slowly disapears year after year. Please don’t move, or bring up any parts of it! - Norbert91 | 29/06/2009

Dive Site: HMS Maori Location: Marsamxett Harbour, Valletta, Malta. 30 degrees from entry point Description: Destroyer Length: 35 metres (115 feet) still intact Depth: 8 - 16 metres (26 - 52 feet) Visibility: 10 metres (30 feet) Rating: *** The Maori was bombed on February 14th 1942 whilst in Valletta Harbour, receiving a direct hit to the engine room which killed one person. Fortunately the rest of the crew were not on board. It is of historical importance as it helped crack the code to sink the Bismark. Originally it blocked a major shipping lane so was towed out of the way, but it broke into two. Only one section is now diveable, which is heavily broken up. The guns were removed, but the rings they were mounted on can still be seen, as can some torpedoes. It is buried deeply by sand and the bridge is the only part still to remain intact. The sand is easily stirred up, but the swim through is never the less straightforward. Despite the lack of visibility for Maltese waters this still makes a good dive. There are lots of fireworms, a John Dory, eels and perhaps octopus on and around the wreck and in the sand nearby sea horses are found. As with most Maltese dives, entry is from the shore. A very relaxed, easy dive.

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The Maori lies at a 210 degree bearing from the archway on land. It’s a beautiful wreck with lots of swim throughs and holes to investigate; I swam the length of it inside.

I saw a flat fish, and on the way back an octopus that shot his ink at me.

Rik Vercoe, BSAC Advanced Instructor Excellent dive! I completed my holiday task of finding an octopus: he was brilliant and squirted ink at me as he was being photographed, then scurried along the rocks and into a hole! As for the wreck, it is reached after a short swim across a sandy bay, just the bow and midships are left. The wreck is open making it easy to enter and fun to explore and go in and out of various holes and passages. I saw quite a few jellyfish here, a little nudibranch and a flatfish hiding in the sand Carina Hall, PADI Divemaster Courtesy: Dive site Directory, UK

Diving

Wreck Diving <<

the wrecks off Malta and Gozo’s Coastline Karwela and Cominoland

The P29 Minesweeper Patrol Boat

The P29 minesweeper patrol boat is Malta’s latest wreck. The Kondor Class minesweeper was orginally built for the German navy but later used by the Armed forces of Malta as a patrol boat.

The sinking of the Patrol boat as a diving attraction was arranged by the Malta Marine Foundation and sponsored by the Malta Tourism Authority. A sister ship is due to be sunk later off Comino.

The P29 was sank quite some distance from shore but can be dived by the fit. It is much more easy to dive this wreck by boat and it has been a huge hit with our diving clients. The wreck is around 52 metres long and hit the bottom end on before lying flat at 37 metres.

The superb photos of the sinking were taken by Welsh diver Susan Davies from shore with an Olympus camera.

Of course as soon as the P29 was sunk, we couldn’t wait to dive it. Our instructors went that same afternoon to familiarize themselves with the wreck before taking clients. The first row of underwater photos of the wreck were taken by our instructor Willem Weeseman and the second row by our client Prof. Ernst Luecker.

Two of Malta’s latest wrecks, Karwela and Comino Land, were scuttled very near us at at IxXatt l-Ahmar, Gozo during August 2006. The ex ferry boats have provided new artificial reefs for divers. We have already made several trips to these wrecks with our diving boats, as they are already very popular with our clients, having had lots of publicity in diving magazines and forums. Air-filled buoyancy tanks, were used during the scuttling to ensure the ships remained upright at 35 metres below the sea.

The photos which follow were taken by our Dutch clients, BJ and Nathalie t’ Jong. The VW Beetle is on the deck of the Karwela. Some people just have to park, right at the dive site!

The Rozi Tugboat

The Um El Faroud

We keep the wreck of the Um El Faroud up our sleeve for when the North West wind blows strong over the Maltese islands. Sheltered by the valley named ‘Wied iz Zurrieq, the Um Al Faroud usually be dived when many of the other sites are blown out.

The Um El Faroud was the scene of an explosion in Malta Drydocks which resulted in the tragic loss of nine dockyard workers in 1995. The wreck was sank off Wied iz Zurrieq (Blue Grotto) in 1995, as a diving attraction. At over 115 metres in length it certainly warrants more than one dive. The main deck lies at 25 metres with a further 10 metres to the sand. The photos that follow were taken in the summer of 2004. I’m ashamed to say I have lost the details of the photographer. If you recognize them as yours please let me know so I can acknowledge your work. - Alison

The Rozi tugboat wreck was sunk in 1992 as an underwater attraction by a company offering submarine trips. The submarine trips fizzled out but the wreck of course remained as an outstanding diving attraction. Lying in a depth of almost 40 metres, the wreck can be seen complete due to the exceptional visibility which is frequently over 30 metres. This wreck can be dived from shore but during summer we prefer to dive it by boat, gaining precious extra minutes on the wreck and avoiding the crowds at the shore entry point. The photos which follow were taken by our client Rob Allen during the summer of 2005.

Monochromatic shot of the Rozi were all taken during May 2005 by Sue Baines, of the UK; a regular visitor to Malta.

Courtesy: Paradise Diving Malta www.mbrpublications.net

>> 29

>> Sailing Narrative

Voyage of (self) Discovery prosperity = having enough. As long as I have a roof over my head and a warm, dry bed ( and often on a boat it’s neither of those), then nothing else matters

Emma Bamford was a journalist at the Independent when she decided to walk away from it all and sail off into the wide blue yonder.

She crewed on various boats and travelled the world, from Borneo to the billionaires’ playground of the Amalfi Coast. As the book of her adventures is published, she shares wat she learnt at sea 1. Not all captains seeking crew are axe-wielding murderers When I told my family and friends that I had answered an advert on the Internet for ‘crew wanted’ and was off to live on a boat with a stranger, they were pretty surprised. When, after questioning me further, they discovered that the stranger was a man – a single man -and that he lived – alone – on a boat anchored in the Borneo jungle, they were horrified. ‘ Have you seen Dead Calm?’ they asked, shrieking.

As it turned out, Steve wasn’t an axe murderer. And anyway, Billi Zane’s weapon of choice in Dead Calm was his bare hands, not an axe.

Of course, it definitely pays for anyone thinking of doing something similar to do their research. After I answered that ‘crew wanted’ ad, I emailed, Googled, Facebooked and Skyped my new shipmate and also spoke to him on the phone. He understood the fears tat a single woman might have, he said, and offered me a two week trial on his yacht. I even went so far as to ask him outright if he was an axe murderer. ‘Not lately’, he replied. I thought that I’d covered all the bases, but I did forget one vital question – do you want a crew mate or a bunkmate? I lived and learnt…

2. Going back to basics is important I left the UK with 30kg of luggage, thinking that I had hardly any belongings with me.

Of course, I’d take far too much. IPads weren’t really in the public consciousness when I left (only four years ago ) but, if I went off sailing round the world today, I’d need to take even less with me – no separate netbook, phone or paperbacks. Just one mini tablet and I’d be set.

Living on a boat can be like going back in time. If you’re lucky – and I was on my first boat, Kingdom – there’s running hot water, air-con and a TV. But other boats had only a bucket for a cold shower, rainwater to drink and no fridge – so limited fresh food.

My fellow crew-members and I dragged 20l jerry cans of diesel from land to the boat via the little rubber dinghy, dashed out at the first sign

Issue 2 >> 30

of rain to catch as much water as we could and hand-laundered our bed sheets in tubs.

The was no electricity, either, beyond what we could generate with a few solar panels and our engine, if it was running. So watching films on the laptop became an occasional treat while the battery lasted, checking Facebook was out of the question and even dinner became a strictly daylight affair, to save using up battery power running the lights. Living that way attuned me to my circadian rhythm and, interestingly, science is now tuning into the role that plays in good health.

I increasingly realised that a lack of creature comforts really doesn’t matter – it adds to the sense of adventure when travelling. Also, not having my thumb glued to my IPhone or my attention focused on a computer freed up my time to do more worthwhile things, such as taking a good look at the world around me, for example, watching the sun go down or spending hours talking to my crewmates after dinner by starlight. We told each other the stories of our lives. Undistracted by the ding of a lastorders bell in the pub or the beep of What’sApp message, we bonded as communities would have done thousands of years ago. In the same vein, albeit with less profundity, I also discovered that the optimal number of pairs of shoes a person who’s travelling needs is two – flip flops and trainers.

3. Fish-head curry is actually not that bad OK, so I didn’t actually try it – I wielded my ‘ I am a vegetarian’ badge – so I can’t vouch for the taste, but surely it can’t be too horrid, or people wouldn’t actually eat it, would they?

By this point, what I mean is that it is all too easy to carry your expectations, perceptions and prejudices with you when you visit somewhere new. Sometimes it can bring a sense of fun to travels – we’ve all giggled at those lost-in-translation signs – but it can also be smallminded and, frankly, embarrassing.

When I was new to Borneo, we visited a small kampong (village) not far from Kota Kinabalu. The houses were wooden shacks built over the water, there was no glass in the windows and, from what I could see through the open doors, precious little furniture inside. The road was just a strip of sand and there were hardly any cars about. I assumed it was a slum village. But on second viewing my eyes adjusted – here’s an expensive

Sailing Narrative << FOR MANY OWNERS, THEIR SUPERYACHTS, MORE THAN ANYTHING ELSE IN THEIR LIVES, ARE A FORM OF CREATIVE FULFILMENT

4x4, there’s a satellite dish, here are children fresh out of school, dressed in football shirts, munching on crisps and more than happy to pose for photos. The brick terraces of Coronation Street it wasn’t – but it was a working-class suburb of the city, just with the architecture and infrastructure that fit the conditions and traditions of that land. After several years away, I now know what the saying ‘travel broadens the mind’ means – and I’ve learnt that it’s OK if you can’t speak the language. Pick up ‘Hello’, ‘Thank you’ and ‘Goodbye’, and practise the international language of smiling and pointing, and you’ll be fine. But first remember to check I it’s rude to point with a finger ( Malaysians point with their thumb).

4. Nature is awesome Living right on London’s busy South Circular Road, the closest I got to the wildlife for many years was pigeons, squirrels and stocky Staffies. I grew up in the suburbs of another large urban sprawl, Nottingham, and always thought that I was a city girl, through and through.

And then I ended up in the rainforest, slap bang in the middle of nature. There were birds, crocodiles, elephants, frogs, monkeys, snakes and flies. In clearer waters there were corals in the thousand colours, turtles, starfish, shell and wobbly chameleon cuttlefish. When we sailed at night, dolphins kept us company. On anchor up the Kinabatangan River in Sabah, there were trees and plants in more shades of green that I thought imaginable.

There was the sunrise and sunset everyday; moonrise and moonset, too. There were more stars than I had ever seen – there was a Milky Way! There were tides, currents, waves, wind and rain to watch out for. The movement and behaviour of all of these informed our daily lives – and I’m not talking about whether I needed to sling an umbrella in my handbag. Rain meant we could wash and drink; tides and waves brought either difficulties or ease; wind meant variously relief (‘Great – we can sail’) or danger. We lived among nature, with nature and in nature. We became part of the natural world.

Back in the UK, I was back in the city. Then, one evening last July, I saw the red sun drop over the New Forest in Hampshire and I realised, sadly, that this was the first sunset I had seen in nearly six months.

Something clicked and I realised that I couldn’t bear to be trapped in the middle of a city any longer. So I upped sticks to the sticks. Now I live in a tiny village in the Derbyshire Dales. Bumblebees tap against my windows, pheasants croak their way across my front garden and lambs play together in the field I can see from my study window.

Sail away with me: Emma on board the catamaran Gillaroo

I am a 30-minute round trip from the nearest shop if I run out of milk but I don’t feel isolated at all. There’s so much activity going on around me all

the time – it just might not be of the human variety.

5. Peace, love and prosperity are the most important things By that, I don’t mean that I’m going to make a Miss World-style appeal for a global armistice or that I want to have my $12m Disneyland-style nuptials featured in a high-gloss magazine (I’m looking at you, Mrs Kardashian-West).

In my old life, in London, I was angry that I was single; that I worked harder than anyone I knew yet earned less; and that I was always stressed. I tried to fix the second problem by working even harder, which led to even more stress and even less time to find a partner. Wising up/going totally bonkers (delete as appropriate) and running off to sea forces me to break out of the rut that I Had dug for myself.

Granted, it’s not very stressful in paradise and you don’t need much money, but I also found that, away from perceived societal pressures, and mixing with different kinds of people, I no longer minded about being single or poorer than the Joneses. We are, I realised, responsible for putting pressure on ourselves and only we can remove it be readjusting our focus.

On a trip to Malacca, on the west coast of Malaysia, I stopped at a knick-knack shop in Chinatown. A rotating wire-rack stand holding a series of cards containing different words written in calligraphic Chinese caught my eye.

On the back of each was a sticker giving the English translation. I was drawn to ‘peace’, to ‘love’ and to ‘prosperity’ ( At least I hope I was. I could have easily bought ‘gullible’, ‘gullible’ and ‘gullible’).

Peace, love and prosperity are, for me, spelled with lower case p and l. peace = calmness and a sense of security. For me that means not living in a noisy city or enduring a commute on a Tube, and knowing I can go off and have mad adventures and come back if I want to, and I’ll be OK. love = for myself, my friends and family, the world around me.

A big part of self-love ( don’t snigger!) is accepting that it’s fine not to fit into a conventional, 2.4 life. prosperity = having enough. As long as I have a roof over my head and a warm, dry bed ( and often on a boat it’s neither of those), then nothing else matters.

I don’t need a new watch, a flash car, yet another gadget. And having the freedom to do what I love is much more valuable than pounds in the bank.

So I’d urge anyone who feels the itch to put on their flip flops and head off on an adventure. Just remember that, if you’re thinking of crewing on a boat, make sure you ask the bunkmate question first.

‘Casting Off – How a City Girl Found Happiness on the High Seas’ by Emma Bamford Creditline: Emma Bamford / The Independent / The Interview People www.mbrpublications.net

>> 31

>> Charter

Great time

Malta in

on board the yacht “Ashley St. Mary”

• to celebrate birthday • to give a surprise to dear ones • celebration (wedding and honeymoon)

Issue 2 >> 32

Charter <<

Captain Vladimir Agents: MBR Publications Ltd call: + 356 9926 0162 or email: martin@mbrpublicationcs.net

MBR Publications Limited

www.mbrpublications.net

>> 33

>> Promotion

New exciting promotion from Cisk Lager Beer

An innovative and exciting on-pack promotion has just been launched on the market.

C

isk have teamed up together with Papaya Electronic Money to bring you 50 Cisk branded Prepaid Mastercards®, each worth Ð500 which can be used at over 60 outlets located at The Point Shopping Mall, Tigne, are waiting to be won by loyal Cisk consumers. 4 cards are up for grabs every week until Friday, 23rd October 2015. All participants need to do is purchase a Cisk Lager promotional 8-pack, log onto cisk.com/cisktime and enter the promotion code found under the red tab on each can in the pack.

Mr Karl Bondin, Brand Manager – Beers at Simonds Farsons Cisk plc said, “The idea behind this promotion was inspired by the history of the Cisk brand. The nickname ic-Cisk was given to the Giuseppi Scicluna himself following the introduction of cheques in Malta by his bank in 1840. At the time, the Maltese mispronounced the word cheques changing it to “Cisk”, and unknowingly gave the name to one of the most iconic Maltese brands .”

“As Giuseppe Scicluna introduced cheques in the past, we feel that we are keeping the tradition alive by introducing the Cisk prepaid card for this innovative promotion. The association with the MasterCard is unique and prestigious and we are extremely proud to be able to collaborate with such a global brand ,” he continued.

Issue 2 >> 34

Every week, four codes will be selected at random and participants with the winning codes will be contacted and asked a skill question. If the question is answered correctly the participant wins a Cisk and MasterCard co-branded prepaid card, in association with the local company Papaya Ltd., worth Ð500 to be spent at any shop found at The Point Shopping Mall.

The Cisk card cannot be used to withdraw cash or to pay for purchases outside The Point Shopping Mall and can only be used in shops which operate an electronic POS system. For full terms and conditions please see www.cisk.com/cisktime.

The cards are valid until 31st December 2015.

The Cisk Prepaid Card is issued by IDT Financial Services Limited pursuant to a license from MasterCard International Incorporated.

MasterCard and the MasterCard Brand Mark are registered trademarks of MasterCard International Incorporated. IDT Financial Services Limited is a regulated bank, licensed by the Financial Services Commission, Gibraltar. Registered Office: 57-63 Line Wall Road, Gibraltar.

Registered No. 95716. All communications should be sent to Papaya Ltd, 31 Sliema Road, Gzira, Malta. ©2013 Papaya Ltd.

>> Marine Art

Washington Awards Dinner

Art Gallery 2015

This year, six internationally renowned marine artists exhibited their original works at the Maritime Art Gallery at the Washington Awards Dinner, Thursday, 23 April at the National Press Club. Here’s a preview—and a chance to purchase unsold painting following the event. Best of all, 25% of the purchase price benefitted the Society and the Naval Historical Foundation, and is a tax-deductible contribution! The Society is grateful to Charles Raskob Robinson, a Fellow of the American Society of Marine Artists and its former president, for chairing the Marine Art Gallery. For more information and to order your painting, call (800) 221-NMHS (6647) Ext. 0, or email nmhs@seahistory.org and support the Art Gallery today!

Morning Fog by Hiu Lai Chong Oil on Linen, 18” x 24” - Price: $2,300

A Chance to Invest in Great Marine Art – AND Support the National Maritime Historical Society and the Naval Historical Foundation

Sunset Race by Hiu Lai Chong, Oil on Linen, 24” x 24” - Price: $3,500

Martha on the Rails by Lisa Egeli, Oil on Linen, Mounted on Panel, 9” x 12” - Price: $950

Hurry South by Lisa Egeli Oil on Linen, Mounted on Panel, 9” x 12” - Price: $900

Alone in Front by Lisa Egeli Oil on Linen, 8” x 16” - Price: $1,200

The Cisne Branco Entering Baltimore Harbor

by Lisa Egeli, Oil on Linen, 8” x 10” - Price: $800

Oars and Sails by Peter Rindlisbacher Oil on Canvas, Framed, 16 x 20” - Price: $3,400

Squally Day on the Chesapeake by William Storck

Stepping Out on the Silver Heel

Washington, D.C. 1905 by Patrick O’Brien

Out to Sea by Lisa Egeli Oil on Linen, 9” x 12” - Price: $950

by Charles Raskob Robinson, Oil on Canvas, 18” x 24” - Price: $4,500

Oil on Board, Framed, 8” x 12” - Price: $3,000

Oil on Panel, Framed, 8” x 10” - Price: $3,200

You can purchase these original paintings by calling (800) 221-NMHS (6647) Ext. 0 or by emailing nmhs@seahistory.org. Purchased works will be displayed as SOLD at the 23 April, 2015 Washington Awards Dinner and can then be picked up or delivered. (Shipping is included in the purchase price.)

Issue 2 >> 36

Courtesy: Seahistory.org

>> Yacht Chartering

Dedicated to Sailing

By Mariella Galea

Malta Yacht Charters, managed by Capt. Michael Gauci, a veteran sailor who has been in the maritime business since he completed his nautical training at the Maritime College of Vigo Alicante & Cadiz (Spain) in 1979, is able to offer a complete range of high quality and affordable Yacht Charter Services given its varied range of fleet including a Beaneteau Cyclades 50.5 Bavaria 36. All of our boats are commercially certificated and fully fitted with all required safety equipment.

Charters can include everything from day charters around the wonderful and enchanting islands of Malta, Gozo and Comino up to one week charters. Most importantly, all skippered charters are handled by RYAcertified instructors.

Companies. It meets any sailor’s level of experience and aspirations. While students enjoy the satisfaction of growing their skills, they also move towards achieving recognised certification proving a skipper’s experience and competence.

Besides private charters, Corporate Sailing is ideal for those who may be interested in holding a differentiated executive function, treat clients or encourage staff team building or reward their diligence.

The Academy also offers exclusive training with oneon-one tuition tailored to your needs, and is open to sailors from other parts of the world who can come to Malta to complete their training. Malta’s all year round sailing grounds enhance the tourism aspect of such initiative. Not to mention that yachting is becoming more popular for its sportive principles with locals.

Whether you are an experienced sailor, would like to start learning how to sail or are already a sailor but would like to sharpen those skills, Malta Sailing Academy (MSA) offers the provision of various courses that cover different sailing interests. MSA is certified by the Royal Yachting Association (RYA), a reputable UK-based certifying training center operating in over 20 countries worldwide, the Maritime & Coastguard Agency (MCA) and locally recognized by the competent authorities Transport Malta (TM).

The course choices are endless. The Academy takes you through all the ropes to learn the skills necessary to manoeuvre a boat with ascertation. Courses start from total beginners through Day Skipper courses to the full Yachtmaster Offshore and Ocean certificate of competence. All certificates are recognized worldwide by Maritime authorities, Charter Operators and Insurance

Issue 2 >> 38

Malta Sailing Academy is also able to offer the VHF/ DSC Short Range Radio Operators Certificate, which is valid not only in Malta but throughout Europe and beyond. In addition, it has now been certified to conduct the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) sea survival courses.

Let us not forget that “it is not the ship so much as the skilful sailing that assures the prosperous voyage” – George William Curtis.

Yacht Chartering <<

‘2015 Retrace Maritime Silk Road’ The famous Chinese artist and sailor Mr Zhai Mo, who was the first Chinese to circumnavigate the globe solo on a sailing boat, arrived in Malta on Thursday 13th August 2015, leading an expedition of three sailing boats. These boats are on a journey to “Retrace the Ancient Maritime Silk Road”. This initiative was launched in response to a call by Chinese President Xi Jinping to accelerate the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

M

r Zhai Mo will be accompanied by a media crew including the well-known South East TV, who will be broadcasting on Chinese TV, newspapers and internet, giving Malta wide publicity as a key location on the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

The inclusion of Malta on this sailing route was the result of contacts between Mr Zhai Mo and Malta’s former Ambassador to China, Dr Clifford Borg Marks.

In a letter to the Prime Minister of Malta, Premier Li Keqiang confirmed that China considers Malta as a part of the Mediterranean segment of the 21st Maritime Silk Road infrastructural plan which is being promoted by China.

The stop-over in Malta is coordinated by the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Malta Tourism Authority, Transport Malta Valletta Cruise Ports, Yachting Malta and the Malta-China Friendship Society with the support of the Ministry for Justice, Culture and Local Government; Department of Information; Public Broadcasting Services Ltd.; Grand Harbour Regeneration Corporation; Malta Chamber of Commerce, Enterprise and Industry; Malta Enterprise; Malta Freeport Corporation; Heritage Malta; St John’s Co-Cathedral Foundation; and Tug Malta.

A Chinese junk is seen anchored in Hong Kong harbour.

Chinese sailor Zhai Mo sets off from China’s southeast province of Fujian, sailing through the Indian Ocean, crossing Bab el-Mandeb Strait to the Red Sea and then Egypt’s Suez Canal to the Mediterranean Sea. EPA The General Public is invited to the Upper Barakka Gardens to view the arrival of the sailing boats into the Grand Harbour accompanied by a Gun Salute at 5pm, followed by the Opening Ceremony at the Saluting Battery at 5.30 p.m.

www.mbrpublications.net

>> 39

>> Heritage

Malta Maritime Museum The Museum aims at illustrating Malta’s maritime history from prehistory to the present day and to illustrate the fascination of the sea within a

one single artifact in 1988. Today the museum houses a unique collection of over 20,000 artefacts belonging to Malta’s Maritime past.

Nowadays the museum is proud to showcase some unique artefacts including the largest known roman anchor in the world, the earliest known ex:voto on the island, the largest ship model belonging to the Order of St John, the largest collection of cannons on the island, the Napoleonic figure head of the 110 gun ship HMS Hibernia, a 1950s working marine steam engine, and a collection of 60+ boats.

The Malta Maritime Museum at the Marina Grande helps visitors chart 7,000 years of history under one roof.

Reasons to Visit 1. Malta’s largest museum, housed in Malta’s first ever industrial revolution building.

2. Stunning exhibits, including the largest Roman lead anchor in the World weighing 4 Tons.

Housed within the Old Naval bakery, the Malta Maritime Museum charts Malta’s maritime history and lore within a Mediterranean context. It also illustrates the global nature of seafaring and its impact on Malta’s society. The museum houses numerous artefacts highlighting the different epochs of Malta’s history that is inadvertently tied to the sea.

Issue 2 >> 40

Mediterranean context, without neglecting the overall global nature of seafaring.

These aims are achieved by the constant search for, identification, and acquisition of artefacts related to the museum’s mission. This task has been aided by the constant donations over these past years by the Maltese general public, foreign individuals, companies, corporate bodies, foreign maritime and naval museums, foreign navies, and Maltese and foreign ambassadors and high commissioners. This is a large achievement when one considers that the museum didn’t even have

3. Awe inspiring artefacts, such as a large working 18th century ship of the line instruction model.

4.

Unique collections synonymous with Malta, such as the 60+ full size traditional Maltese boats.

Official Patron

The Grand Harbour Marina P.L.C. is funding part of the acquisition of an eight-bell memorial chime that is going to be installed at the Malta Maritime Museum.

Narrative <<

Glass House:

Give me a pink limo and an infinity pool - I want to holiday like a rock star

By Katie Glass

Duran Duran Our dream holiday is a 1980s music video starring George Michael on Duran Duran’s yacht

Duran Duran’s ‘Eilean’ “he could never have imagined that it would become one of the most famous and iconic yachts in the world…”

It is a universally acknowledged truth that everyone would live like a millionaire rock star if they could. Where holidays are concerned, my friends take this dictum to heart. In their real lives, they may be borderline bankrupt, lugging student loans, worrying if they’ll make the rent, or even be working next week.

But when we go away, we act like the Rich Kids of Instagram.

We want to stay in designer lofts with circular beds and seafront penthouses with surroundsound systems. We want to get picked up at airports by pink limos and driven to villas with an infinity pool, crowded with blow-up dolphins. We want not just minibars, but bespoke breakfast baskets and chi-chi cocktails, delivered to our sun loungers by Chippendale-esque staff. We want log fires in ski season, and pools on the roof for city summers. We want swim-up rooms, swim-up bars, swimup nightclubs. Our dream holiday is a 1980s music video starring George Michael on Duran Duran’s yacht.

IT’S NO WONDER WE EXPECT TO TAKE HOLIDAYS STRAIGHT OFF GLOSSY TRAVELMAGAZINE PAGES

My friend W and I are the worst (or best) at this. Last year we took a holiday in Berlin’s Nhow hotel, where your room comes complete with electric guitars, which we played while dancing on a bed, necking champagne until we felt sick. The year before, W insisted we stayed in a hotel because it was on a volcano with its own nightclub. This year he has demanded a villa in Gran Canaria with a hot tub, even though he’s 5K in debt.

We are like this partly because we’re a generation of mature travellers with childish tastes. Unlike our grandparents, who watched the first hotel chain, Holiday Inn, open in 1952, we are children of cheap travel: confident, globe- hopping. We may have grown up in families content with a week in the Costa del Sol, but we expect at least a fortnight in Thailand and a few city breaks a year.

Meanwhile, as our lives are saturated with cheap flights, bucket lists of dream destinations and Instagrammed beaches, it’s no wonder we expect to take holidays straight off glossy travel-magazine pages. We want to travel to jetset locations: Christmas in Cambodia, the new year in Goa, weekends clubbing in Berlin. I might settle for a week caravanning in Somerset but only if we’re glamping at Glastonbury in an Airstream.

How do we afford this? Good question. Like Azealia Banks, we are broke with expensive taste, yet somehow we are working with it. For a start, we don’t have babies, other halves or mortgages, so unlike any generation of twenty- and thirtysomethings before us, we can be selfish about our disposable cash.

Besides, we’re good at mixing things up. So W and I may book posh villas, but we’ll economise by travelling Ryanair and living off Pringles and duty-free gin. We’ll take a weekend in Manhattan but share a bed. Or (as I did last summer) go partying in Ibiza by crashing on a sofa in a villa rented by a richer friend.

We revel in these contrasts because we have a different concept of what luxury travel is. Not a stuffy, old-school holiday at Sandals or the morgue-like Four Seasons, but unique experiences. And we revel in contradictions. As my friend said when we blagged a free night in a hotel room in London: “I bet this won’t be as much fun as when we can afford it.”

Holidays embody aspirations. A week of pretending we are who we hope to become. So we holiday like rock stars, because we want everything, but never want to grow up.

Courtesy: Katie Glass / The Sunday Times / The Interview People www.mbrpublications.net

>> 41

>> Naval History >> Continued from page 16

The Great Siege of Malta - 1565 The Ottoman Empire in mid-May and in overwhelming numbers, attacked the island, held by the Knights of Malta, in one of the bloodiest and most fiercely contested in history, but were defeated. The island’s position in the center of the Mediterranean made it a strategically crucial gateway between East and West, so expecting to be attacked sooner or later, the knights strengthened the three formidable fortresses, which proved crucial to their successful resistance.

The Turkish armada arrived with 193 vessels, with a total of 48,000 men, compared with a mere 6000 defenders of Malta. They managed to take fort Saint Elmo, but it cost the Turks 6000 men and Turgut himself. Queen Elizabeth I expressed the general sentiment in: “If the Turks should prevail against the Isle of Malta, it is uncertain what further peril might follow to the rest of Christendom”.

By September the weather was turning and the Turks prepared to abandon the siege and were hurried on with the arrival of help from the mainland. Malta survived the Turkish assault though suffering many losses, enduring bombardment of some 130,000 cannon balls, and throughout Europe people celebrated the last epic battle of the Crusader Knights, which halted Turkish encroachment in Europe.

The Battle of Lepanto - October 1571 The Ottoman forces, of 278 vessels and 47,000 hands, sailing westwards from their naval station in Lepanto, Navpaktos, met the Holy League forces, coming from Messina, with their 212 ships and 41,000 men. The Christians had a superior armaments, guns and cannons.

Some heavy artillery galleasses had been towed half a mile ahead of the Christian line. When the battle started, the Turks mistook the Galleasses to be merchant supply vessels and set out to attack them. This proved to be disastrous, as the galleasses, with their many guns, alone were said to have sunk up to 70 Ottoman galleys. The Spaniards managed to storm the Turks commander’s ship and kill their leader, Ali Pasha, which contributed to destroy the Turkish morale. The battle turned against the Turks and they started to run out of weapons and lost 210 ships. The Christians had lost 50 ships.

This major decisive victory protected Italy from further Ottoman invasion, heralded the end of Turkish supremacy in the Mediterranean and prevented the Ottomans from advancing westwards towards Europe.

Courtesy: L. Camillo/ Medyachting.com

Issue 2 >> 42

Editor’s Wine Choice <<

Viognier...

Rare White Grape, Discerning Taste Viognier grapes in July 2015 before the process of veraison has begun

A

Award winning 2014 vintage Grand Vin de Hauteville Viognier D.O.K. Malta Superior

relatively new grape variety to the Maltese islands, Viognier has quickly established a loyal following amongst discerning dry white wine drinkers. Most of the Viognier grapes are grown in the central part of Malta and are performing very well. The vines have adapted nicely to the Maltese soil and climate and optimum ripeness is reached about the second or third week of August. The yields are slightly above average and the quality of the grapes has a rich level of concentrated, aromatic fruit and they have good varietal characteristics. It is a fairly hardy grape that is less susceptible to disease and it retains good acidity whilst obtaining good natural sugar levels. It is a thick skinned variety with good structure and slightly more productive than other white varieties like Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.

The resulting wine also has a style of its own. It produces a full flavoured, aromatic, fragrant, dry white wine that has refreshing acidity and good weight. The 2014 Grand Vin de Hauteville Viognier D.O.K. Malta Superior, which was entered into an international wine competition for the very first time, immediately pick ed up a Diploma di Gran Menzione at the 2015 Concorso Enologico Internazionale, held in Verona, Italy. Another defining feature about Viognier based wines are their ageing potential. Whereas they are delicious when young and fresh they also age very well and take on a wonderful, more mature, fatter but smoother consistency, that has an aging potential of many years, if stored correctly.

Worldwide Viognier is still a comparatively rare white grape, grown almost exclusively in the northern Rhône region of France (of Condrieu fame) and further

south in the Languedoc. In 1965, the grape was almost extinct when there were only eight acres in Northern Rhône producing just 1, 900 liters of wine. However since then the popularity and price of the wine have risen and the number of plantings has increased considerably over the last decade. The New World has also cultivated it, albeit in minimal amounts, with countries like the United States, Canada, Chile, Argentina, Australia, Brazil and Uruguay trying it to see how it will perform.

Perfect handpicked Viognier grapes from the 2015 harvest www.mbrpublications.net

>> 43

>> Maritime History

History

Brief

The earliest ocean-going vessels were not primarily concerned with passengers, but rather with the cargo that they could carry.

Black Ball Line in New York, Advertisement in 1818, was the first shipping company to offer regularly scheduled service from the United States to England and to be concerned with the comfort of their passengers. By the 1830s steamships were introduced and dominated the transatlantic market of passenger and mail transport.

English companies dominated the market at this time, led by the British and North American Royal Mail Steam Packet (later the Cunard Line). On July 4, 1840, Britannia , the first ship under the Cunard name, left Liverpool with a cow on board to supply fresh milk to the passengers on the 14-day transatlantic crossing. The advent of pleasure cruises is linked to the year 1844, and a new industry began.

During the 1850s and 1860s there was a dramatic improvement in the quality of the voyage for passengers. Ships began to cater solely to passengers, rather than to cargo or mail contracts, and added luxuries like electric lights, more deck space, and entertainment. In 1867, Mark Twain was a passenger on the first cruise originating in America, documenting his adventures of the six month trip in the book Innocents Abroad. The endorsement by the British Medical Journal of sea voyages for curative purposes in the 1880s further encouraged the public to take leisurely pleasure cruises as well as transatlantic travel. Ships also began to carry immigrants to the United States in “steerage” class. In steerage, passengers were responsible for providing their own food and slept in whatever space was available in the hold.

of the Passenger Ship and Cruise Industry

By the early 20th century the concept of the superliner was developed and Germany led the market in the development of these massive and ornate floating hotels. The design of these liners attempted to minimize the discomfort of ocean Advertisement travel, masking the fact of being at sea and the extremes in weather as much as possible through elegant accomodations and planned activites. The Mauritania and the Lusitania, both owned by the Cunard Line of England, started the tradition of dressing for dinner and advertised the romance of the voyage.

Speed was still the deciding factor in the design of these ships.

There was no space for large public rooms, and passengers were required to share the dining tables. The White Star Line, owned by American financier J.P. Morgan, introduced the most luxurious passenger ships ever seen in the Olympic (complete with swimming pool and tennis court) and Titanic. Space and passenger comfort now took precedence over speed in the design of these ships-resulting in larger, more stable liners. The sinking of the Titanic on its maiden voyage in 1912 devastated the White Star Line. In 1934, Cunard bought out White Star; the resulting company name, Cunard White Star, is seen in the advertisements in this project.

World War I interrupted the buidling of new cruise ships, and many older liners were used as troop transports. German superliners were given to both Great Britain and the United States as reparations at the end of the war. The years between 1920 and 1940 were considered the most glamorous years for transatlantic passenger ships.

These ships catered to the rich and famous who were seen enjoying luxurious settings

on numerous newsreels viewed by the general public. American tourists interested in visiting Europe replaced immigrant passengers. Advertisements promoted the fashion of ocean travel, featuring the elegant food and on-board activities.

Cruise liners again were converted into troop carriers in World War II, and all transatlantic cruising ceased until after the war. European lines then reaped the benefits of transporting refugees to America Advertisement and Canada, and business travelers and tourists to Europe. The lack of American ocean liners at this time, and thus the loss of profits, spurred the U.S. government to subsidize the building of cruise liners. In addition to the luxurious amenities, ships were designed according to specifications for possible conversion into troop carriers. Increasing air travel and the first non-stop flight to Europe in 1958, however, marked the ending of transatlantic business for ocean liners. Passenger ships were sold and lines went bankrupt from the lack of business.

The 1960s witnessed the beginnings of the modern cruise industry. Cruise ship companies concentrated on vacation trips in the Caribbean, and created a “fun ship” image which attracted many passengers who would have never had the opportunity to travel on the superliners of the 1930s and 1940s. Cruise ships concentrated on creating a casual environment and providing extensive on-board entertainment. There was a decrease in the role of ships for transporting people to a particular destination; rather, the emphasis was on the voyage itself. The new cruise line image was solidified with the popularity of the TV series “The Love Boat” which ran from 1977 until 1986.

Courtesy: SOCIAL HISTORY, STEAMSHIP LINES

Issue 2 >> 44

Maritime History <<

www.mbrpublications.net

>> 45

>> Yacht Cruise

Sette Giugno Cruise To Pozzallo Features A Stirring Attraction!

By Wilfred Sultana

Students from the General Institute of Education Antonio Amore of Pozzallo who were the ‘protagonists’ on this year’s ‘Sail along the Pozzallo coast’ with MCC and LN members in front of the Pozzallo Clubhouse

The Sett Giugno Cruise to Pozzallo organized by the Malta Cruising Club (MCC) was this year on its third edition and once again turned out to be a happy sea-and-land all family event.

As on previous occasions a number of non-members joined MCC members for the Sicilian weekend.

Hi There! I’m the new skipper....one of the Pozzallo students at the helm Issue 2 >> 46

The Pozzallo section of Lega Navale have once again extended their enthusiastic collaboration to the “3^ Veleggiata dei Cavalieri 2015”, as the Event, held under the Patronage of the Commune of Pozzallo, is referred to on the finish side of the 93Km Cruise.

“This Event has served to establish a sound working and friendly relationship between the two sailing communities. This year with the involvement of our school children we managed to bring the ‘Veleggiata del Cavalieri’ closer to the Pozzallo community” remarked Dott. Ing. Luigi Tussellino, President of the Lega Navale Sezione di Pozzallo.

This year the Sett Giugno Cruise started on Friday 5th with the boats arriving in Pozzallo in the early afternoon. On the first night in Sicily the traditional Fish Night Dinner was highlighted with popular Maltese sing-along songs like ‘Il-Bajja tal-Mellieha’ which the Italian DJ cordially agreed to download and play.

As expected the ‘Sail along the Pozzallo coast’ on Saturday morning was a pleasure to watch

indeed where the Maltese yachts joined by other boats from the Lega Navale Sezione di Pozzallo had a novelty addition to their crew. For each boat hosted two young school children from the General Institute of Education Antonio Amore of Pozzallo, all of whom were experiencing their first taste of sailing. The ‘cadets’, aged between 10 and 12 years, all wearing caps and t-shirts of the Lega Navale Italiana. Such initiative prove exciting even to members of their families and friends who followed this sail from the shore.

Another delightful appointment for the Malta Cruising Club visitors was a visit to the noted Planeta di Buonivini winery in Noto for a Wine Tasting presentation over a selection of Sicilian delicacies - an appetizing and palatable session indeed.

The Clubhouse of the Lega Navale Sezione di Pozzallo on the marina where the MCC yachts berth also served as a gathering hub for the celebration of Mass. Also present on the occasion were Luigi Ammatuna, Mayor of Pozzallo and Giorgio Scarso the Alderman for Tourism and Sports of the Comune di Pozzallo.

>> Newsfeed

The Russian Chamber Of Commerce And Industry (CCIR) At Super Yacht Symposium

Honorary Representative of CCIR in Malta Mrs. Anastasia Budykho took part in 1st MIM Yacht & Super Yacht Symposium 2015 organised

by Malta Institute of Management on 11th June 2015 at Westin Dragonara Resort, St. Julianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s.

The developing of Maltese maritime industry is unlocking new possibilities for various businesses. Recently, Malta has gained the achievement of being the sixth largest ship register in the world and the largest ship register in Europe. Yachts and super yachts also fall in this register and are affected by the latest changes in maritime rules and regulations.

The 1st MIM Yacht & Super Yacht Symposium 2015 had brought together businessmen and political figures to discuss the future possibilities and the upcoming development in the maritime sector.

New project and new technologies were presented and found support by largest maritime related companies.

Attendance of such events are crucial for the Office of the Honorary Representative of CCIR in Malta in order to fulfill its role of the intermediate between the two business oriented countries.

Issue 2 >> 48

Sailing News <<

Royal Malta

Yacht Club

D

avid Anastasi, sailing with Karl Miggiani, Tom Bonello Ghio and Zach Zammit posted one of the event’s most consistent scorelines – 6, 5, 5 – to finish the opening day in third overall, as well as taking the prize for Most Improved Team.

“We had good crew work just like we did last year’s event, when we had never previously sailed an Etchells,” says Anastasi. “But this year being our second time at the event we are more confident to sail our own race and work out our own strategy to do what we know how to.”epor y Ruper The team qualified for the Royal Malta Yacht Club boat in the event by winning the Club’s match racing series. They then honed their skills by with twiceweekly practice sessions on the club’s H-Boat keelboats.

In the first two races in Cowes today they correctly figured the right hand side of the beat would be better for tide, which paid dividends. In the final race, which started after the tide had changed direction, they made a slow start after being shut out at the committee boat, and rounded the first mark almost last, before climbing their way up through the fleet, working the windshifts in clean air on the centre left of the course.

The Solent had delivered a bright and sunny day of spectacular sailing conditions on the opening day of the 2015 Etchells Invitational regatta for the Gertrude Cup in Cowes, UK. However, it was a day in which all but a handful of the 16 teams from 10 countries failed to post consistent results.

Nevertheless, a win in the first race, followed by two second places, saw Mark Thornburrow’s Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club take a clear overall lead. JeanneClaude Strong, of the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron lies second overall, seven points adrift of Thornburrow.

The Royal Malta Yacht Club team currently lies third, a further four points behind Strong.

With only nine points separating places two to eight, the trio of races scheduled for the second day is sure to see plenty more fierce competition.

RACE DETAIL Principal Race Officer Phil Lawrence set three windward leeward courses in a south-easterly breeze that built from around 12 knots during the first race to gusts exceeding 20 knots in the final two legs of the last race. For most of the teams that are competing for the 141 year old trophy it was a day of mixed fortunes,

with their results swinging wildly between the front and back of the fleet.

This was certainly the case for the defending champion, Jeremy Thorp of Antigua Yacht Club. After a disappointing seventh in the first race he fell to the back of the fleet at one stage in the second. However, in the final race Thorpe, and his crew of Mark Andrews and Olympian Mark Buckley, regained his form from last year, taking a 15-second lead on the first beat.

Thorpe held this throughout the race, extending it to 23 seconds at the finish.

Extremely tight racing made for an exciting and incident packed day, especially at the first windward mark, where a number of port tack boats tried to push their luck without success. In subsequent race many fewer competitors chanced a port tack approach.

Nevertheless, numerous boats could be seen doing penalty turns for minor rule infringements throughout the day.

A further six teams scored podium results in at least one race, but only four showed genuine consistency.

Jan Muysken, from the Emirates Royal Palace Yacht Club in the United Arab Emirates, and crewed by David Bedford and Mark Lees, took third in the opening race, but slipped down to sixth and eighth in the next two, finishing the day on 17 points.

Jeanne-Claude Strong, of the Royal Sydney Yacht Club, who recently became the first woman to win the Australasia Etchells Championship, scored 5, 4, 3 to finish the day lying second with 12 points.

Thornburrow’s Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club team of Laurence Mead, Malcolm Page and Charlie White showed impressively consistent form, finishing the day with only fivepoints. “This is a very good fleet with some excellent sailors and it was a great day with a building wind. Malcolm [Page] called some really good laylines for us that definitely helped us out,” Thornburrow said.

Page, a double Olympic gold medallist, added: “Often when you have a good day things appear to be simple – that’s how our day seemed. When we had to we always managed to find a way out of the pack.

It also helped that we got a big reminder about the tides and laylines in the practice races yesterday – and Charlie White [a 15 year old Laser 4.7 sailor from the local Royal Victoria Yacht Club] made sure I didn’t underestimate the tide today.”

Courtesy: Royal Malta Yacht Club www.mbrpublications.net

>> 49

>> Maritime Squadron

Armed Forces of Malta looking to expand Maritime Squadron’s assets

By Michael Carabott The Armed Forces of Malta’s longrange off shore-patrol boat - the Diciotti Class P-61 - is struggling to keep up with the demands that are being placed on it in being a lone-wolf on the high seas.

As a result, the government has submitted a request to the EU to secure funds to purchase another vessel so that more time can be dedicated to maintenance and refits. Once the funding request is

approved,

the

government

can issue a tender for a tailormade vessel to add to the AFM’s Maritime Squadron.

The AFM has another two off shore patrol vessels, the US-built Protector Class P-51 and P-52, but these do not have the range, nor the capacity of the P-61.

At present, the P-61 is in dire need of a major overhaul and to plug the gap, the government has secured the procurement of an Irish vessel while it goes in for maintenance.

Issue 2 >> 50

Stopgap measure and request for funding Home Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela confirmed that the Irish government LÉ Aoife – built in 1979 – is expected to have a lifespan of four to five years when it is recommissioned for use by the Armed Forces of Malta’s Maritime Squadron. It was donated for use by the Irish government after it was decommissioned in January of this year.

Mr Abela said: “Malta has a large SAR area, and the P-61 needs a partner vessel to patrol areas far off Malta’s shores. As a result, the government of Malta has applied for funding through the European Union’s external borders fund, and once it gets the go-ahead, we will issue a tender for the construction of a tailor-made vessel for Malta’s needs.”

Asked how long the process would take, Mr Abela said that it would take about five years for construction and fitting to be complete, which ties in well with the expected lifespan of the Irish vessel.

“Hopefully we can get a couple more years out of it, so at some point, we might actually have three vessels on the go, which means that one out of three could receive more regular maintenance, which in turn will make the vessels last longer,” he said.

The new vessel, which is not even on the drawing board yet, is expected to have similar specifications to the Diciotti class P-61, although Mr Abela does not exclude that it could be larger than the current one.

The P-61 has a helicopter landing deck, but it has rarely been used in full scale operations, and has only been used a handful of times for practice landings by Alouette helicopters in training situations.

The P-61’s landing deck has found more practical use as an area on the vessel where migrants who have been rescued at sea can be crammed, like sardines, for the voyage to Malta – or Sicily – once they are rescued.

Sources within the AFM said that the P-61 can take as many as 275 people on board on the outside deck.

Super Maritime Yacht Symposium Squadron << The LÉ Aoife The vessel, the The LÉ Aoife, will become the largest vessel that Malta has in its Maritime Squadron at 65.2 metres in length, longer than the Diciotti class P-61 53.4m. The new vessel also has capacity for heavier armament than all other patrol boats, giving rise to the suggestion that while she would still be used in search and rescue operations, should could be kitted out to be more of a surface defence vessel.

Earlier this week in parliament, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that “if we thought we had a problem with migrant arrivals before, then we have a bigger problem now”.

Interior Minister Carmelo Abela with Irish Defence Minister Simon Coveney

Irish assistance In a meeting with Interior Minister Carmelo Abela in Riga, Latvia, Irish Defence Minister Simon Coveney said the Mediterranean refugee crisis represents a significant challenge for the EU and that while Ireland was not in the front line of the response to the crisis “we were pleased to be in a position to support the response in this manner.”

Minister Coveney said: “The Maltese authorities require the ship for their armed forces to assist in the patrolling of the Mediterranean Sea to deal with the ongoing difficult refugee crisis in the region. Recent tragic events in that part of the Mediterranean have underlined the significant challenges which need to be addressed by the international community and Ireland is very keen to play an active part in this regard.”

In this context the Ministers agreed to transfer ownership of the LÉ Aoife to the Maltese Armed Forces. The LÉ Aoife was decommissioned from the Irish Naval Service fleet on 31st January 2015 following 35 years of operational service. While the vessel is no longer viable for use in Irish waters it is ideally suited to address a pressing short-term shortfall in the naval capacity of Malta.

In reply, Mr Abela expressed appreciation for the donation which will be useful in supporting Malta’s work in border security and the migration crisis.

He said Malta routinely coordinates the rescue and takes in scores of refugees from the Middle East, N. Africa and the Sahel, often in treacherous sea conditions. This donation from the Irish Defence forces will contribute additional capability to the Maltese authorities, and especially the Armed Forces of Malta in their humanitarian work.

As well as discussing the EU Defence agenda, the Ministers reviewed the continuing cooperation between Malta and Ireland on Defence matters.

This included the training of Maltese personnel in Ireland and future potential operations cooperation, building on the successful joint training team Malta and Ireland provided to the EU Training Mission in Somalia. The Minister agreed to explore further prospects for cooperation.

Speaking after the meeting, Mr Abela said, “I welcome this very important contribution from Ireland which will help in bridging a gap in Malta’s naval capacity pending our future acquisition of a new Offshore Patrol vessel.”

The Ministers instructed their officials to deal with the formal modalities of the transfer of ownership of the ship at the earliest opportunity.”

Courtesy: DOI / Standard Publications Ltd

www.mbrpublications.net

>> 51

>> Canoeing

The Very Beginning Wherever there is water, there is an indigenous watercraft.

Mostly, this is in the form of a Canoe. Primitive yet elegantly constructed, ranging from 3m to over 30m in length, Canoes throughout history have been made from logs, animal skins and tree bark and were used for basic transportation, trade, and in some instances, for war.

The design of the original canoe varied, depending on its use and where it was built; it varied between open-topped bark canoes to a dug-out tree to 130ft war canoes. In contrast, kayaks were built to ensure icy Arctic water did not enter the boat. They were made by stretching animal skins over a wooden frame and could generally only carry one man at a time.

A Dug Out Canoe at Matlock, Derbyshire in 1831 The Kayak probably originates from Greenland, where it was used by the Eskimos while the Canoe was used all over the world. The word Kayak (ki ak), meaning “man-boat” in Eskimo, was found predominately in the northern parts of the world, North America, Siberia and Greenland.

They were ideal for individual transport and were used primarily for hunting and fishing. The Canoe, on the other hand, was utilised on a much wider scale. From the Native American tribes to the Polynesians, the canoe enjoyed a variety of scales and uses, primarily transport, trade

and warfare. Physically the differences between the two boats are that kayaks are closed boats with a cockpit for sitting in. Athletes paddle from a sitting position with a double-blade paddle. Canoes are open boats paddled from a kneeling position with a single-blade paddle.

The Beginnings of the ICF 5.

To exchange information by making the various national publications on Canoeing mutually available: through the preparation of lectures and speakers, films and photographs, as well as through correspondence.

The primal nature of the practice of Canoeing and the very image of this basic watercraft, serves as a unifying symbol among cultures and nations whose peoples share a common experience over time as well as space.

And it helps to explain the impressive expansion of the International Canoe Federation to over 150 countries within the span of 85 years.

On 19 January 1924 the Internationale Repräsentantenschaft Kanusport (IRK) was formed in Copenhagen, Denmark, it became the ICF in 1946. The purpose of the organisation was defined as follows: 1. To form a link between the Canoeing Associations of the various countries.

2. As far as possible, to organise international competitions in paddling and sailing, once a year, and alternately in the various countries.

3. To promote and foster foreign touring through production of appropriate river guides, and through the provision of information on accommodation and places of interest.

4.

To introduce internationally recognised symbols for rivers, on maps in order to facilitate touring.

Issue 2 >> 52

Canoeing gives individuals the opportunity to relax, just have fun or compete at the highest level. Its popularity is growing fast. Canoeing is a multi disciplinary sport which gives a young, dynamic and challenging image in a natural environment.

The ICF has achieved steady growth in the international television coverage and market share of its two Olympic sports as well as increased exposure in other disciplines. We provide to sponsors and partners a full range of marketing opportunities. Companies can benefit from our excellent world-wide exposure and can be associated to human and environmental values. Sponsors supports enable us to provide development programmes around the world.

For more information about the marketing packages available at the ICF World Championships and ICF World Cups, please contact catherine. wieser@canoeicf.com.

>> Anniversary

Land And Sea Measures Taken In Expectation Of Another Major Ottoman Attack

By Heritage Malta, In History, Order of St John Valette ensured that the biggest of the ships were sunk, and at 10 paces distant from them, very heavy shipsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; anchors were placed, fastened with heavy chains. With this astute strategy, he guaranteed that the Turks could do no harm from the sea.

With regards to land defences, the Grand Master ordered that a number of houses which the Turkish artillery would certainly destroy, should be demolished in all haste. Since these houses were built of stone, he instructed the workers to reduce the demolished material to a size which could be thrown by hand, thereby providing sufficient missiles to the Posts. Moreover, he urged those concerned with the work at the outer ditch of Castile and Germany, the casemates and the inside of fortifications, to complete their tasks as soon as possible.

Photo Credit: Cecil Doughty We join in the experience of Heritage Maltaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s commemoration of the 450th anniversary of the Great Siege of 1565 through this article which will follow part of the momentous episodes of this remarkable historical period. Engage in this theme by following the Great Siege narrative and relive the dramatic excitement of war as the colossal Ottoman force clashed with the formidable Order of St John in Malta.

On Friday, July 20 1565, besides working harder than ever at their platforms at Is-Salvatur, the Ottomans erected a stone wall between this area and the sea. For further protection of their workers, arquebusiers were positioned behind this wall in order to fire at our men who were shooting at the labourers to hinder them from completing their work.

At the Post of Castile, there were two stations of great importance. One was the Cavalier at the extremity, and the other was a casemate very near to the Post of Germany. This position had many traverses, both high and low, of which some defended the curtains of the Posts of Germany and England, while others supported the Cavalier.

After the death of Commander Luis de Paz, Grand Master Jean de la Valette gave the charge of the Cavalier to Captain Buoninsegna, a knight of the Order and a soldier who has served his Majesty on many occasions. The casemate was confided to Don Rodrigo Maldonado, also a knight of the Order and a very brave soldier.

On this day, when the Grand Master saw how the works at Is-Salvatur were shaping, he concluded that the Ottomans intended to attack the Post of Castile both by land and sea.

Therefore, in order to avert the danger of an attack by sea, he ordered that ships loaded with stones should be brought from the harbour by night and sunk and secured to each other in front of the works which extended from the Post of Germany to that of Castile, at a distance of about 10 or 12 paces from the walls, and in such a position that they could be seen by us. From the Post of Castile, within 10 paces of Is-Salvatur, in all that stretch of sea, la

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Notwithstanding his age and the terrible stress that was being forced upon him, la Valette was always vigilant, energetic, and full of courage. He never showed fear and his presence infused courage into his knights and soldiers.

Meanwhile, the Commander in charge of munitions lost no time in making powder, cannon balls, bullets, fire bowls, and all sorts of fireworks, and cotton sacks. The latter were another good invention of the Grand Master because these sacks were covered on the outside with pitch, and, after the powder which they contained has been consumed, they went on burning whilst the pitch lasted, hampering the enemy during an assault. This kind of munition took little time to prepare, there being a plentiful supply of cotton and pitch.

The Commander of the Arsenal was very diligent in breaking up ships as to make use of the timber for revetments and other useful purposes. It was also his duty to provide tarred hoops, to cut and unravel ropes, which material when mixed with wet earth, served for repairs instead of brushwood.

From the cloaks of dead slaves and from old grass awnings, he made sacks and filled them with earth to serve for repairs. This method proved to be very practical and quick, as in no other way could we have succeeded to repair in six hours, the effects of an enemyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bombardment which lasted eight to ten hours. It must be said that this was the invention of Don Francesco di Guevara.

Eventually, all was in a good state of repair as was possible. A most fierce Ottoman bombardment on all parts was being expected and the Turks were being observed preparing for it.

Courtesy: Heritage Malta

2015 UIM ClassOne Worlds <<

On his short trip to Turin Chaudron Aaron Ciantar even had the opportunity to meet Dr Aldino Bellazzini, the President of Sparco

Dressed in Style To Face Challenge!

By Wilfred Sultana

Team Chaudron will be defending the World Title won last year by facing another strenuous challenge at the 2015 UIM ClassOne World Powerboat Championship.

Five events where the power of machines and the human stamina and talent are tested to extreme limits. Venezia-Rimini (Italy) 30 June1 July, Salerno (Italy) 8-9 July, Terracina (Italy) 16-18 October with the Grand Finale in Abu Dhabi/ U.A.E. in the United Arab Emirates Grand Prix (16-21 November).

Chaudron made their international racing debut as a “Wildcard” entrant on the P1 circuit in May 2004 during the Malta GP with with the brother-and-sister team - Aaron and Audrien – as driver and trotter-man. Since then the name Chaudron grew gaining respect, experience and status - winning Six World Championships as manufacturers where on Four occasions Aaron Ciantar featured on winning team as Driver.

Team Chaudron will once again have the powerful pair of professionals in the canopy

cockpit for the 2015 UIM ClassOne World Powerboat Championship, a partnership who share the same dreams, ambitions and glory.

Aaron Ciantar will retain his traditional driver role with Frenchman Dominique Martini featuring as throttle-man. Since crossing path in 2012 they worked hard to combine their experiences and competencies in order to get the best out of their professional partnership.

The revised World Championship events format ‘ClassOne’ sees the Class 1 Catamarans and V1 Monohulls running together on a simple mirror-image circuit with separate sets of turn-buoys, Class 1 turning on the inside marks, V1 the outside.

offshore racing circuit having won 3rd place in 2009, finished Vice-Champion by reaching the podium for each race in 2010 and eventually became French Champion in 2011.

Dominique is also familiar to Chaudron boats for together with his brother JeanLuc, the Martini brothers won 3rd place in 2012 and 2nd place in 2013 of the French Championship on a Chaudron 25.

The Chaudron team of Aaron and Dominique were recently in Turin Italy for a specific appointment - to have made-tomeasure suits, gloves and shoes made for them by the world famous Sparco to wear on races at

Class One V1, where Team Chaudron will be positioned, should include prototype racing craft that, with a minimum length of 36ft and maximum of 43ft, using inboard motors only, can reach speeds in excess of over 100mph.

the forthcoming 2015 UIM ClassOne Worlds.

Dominique Martini is a known personality on the French National Championship of

collaborators one finds the illustrious name of

Sparco, an Italian company, is a world leader in the motorsport field in terms of quality and technology for the more ambitious drivers and for professionals. On Sparco’s prestigious list of Lamborghini. www.mbrpublications.net

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>> Citadel Ragusa Regatta

Challenging conditions for the 2015 Citadel Ragusa Weekend Regatta

Light to no winds made challenging conditions for the fleet of boats undertaking the passage race from Malta to Marina di Ragusa at the start of the 2015 Citadel Ragusa Weekend Regatta, organised by the Royal Malta Yacht Club with the assistance of the Porto Turistico Marina di Ragusa.

Citadel Insurance plc Marketing Manager Nathalie Borg Farrugia, presenting Anton Calleja, skipper of Lartista and winner of the IRC Cruisers Class with his prize.

Throughout their stay in Marina di Ragusa Maltese crews were able to enjoy a series short inshore races with their Sicilian counterparts, organised by the Circoli Velici Iblei. The Trofeo Achille Boroli Challenge Cup was won by the Maltese boat Lightning, skippered by Alfred Manduca, who also took first place in the Racer 2 Class in the Malta – Ragusa Race.

In Racer Class 1, Sonke Stein and his crew on Juno won the passage race up to Marina di Ragusa, followed by Arthur Podesta’s Elusive 2 BOV. The passage race back from Marina di Ragusa proved to be disappointing for crews wishing to enjoy more racing as lack of wind forced them to motor down back to Malta.

Commenting about the race Lartista skipper and winner of the Cruiser Class, Anton Calleja said “We found last weekend’s race very challenging weather wise. We started the race with light winds and there was a time when we had no wind at all, however it picked up enough to help us remain steady on track to maintain a good speed. The wind reached approximately 17 to 20 knots and as it was expected, the nearer we approached Ragusa

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Photo Credit: RMYC/Peter Mercieca the waves heightened slightly too. Unfortunately we had to give up the passage race back home a due to lack of wind, but we still enjoyed the splendid weather that day”.

The 2015 Citadel Ragusa Regatta prize giving ceremony was held at the Royal Malta Yacht Club.

Commodore Godwin Zammit, thanked sponsors Citadel Insurance plc for the support they show the Club and together with Nathalie Borg Farrugia Marketing Manager, Citadel Insurance plc, presented the winners of the three classes with their prizes.

The Club would also like to thank all the volunteers who assisted in making the 2015 Citadel Ragusa Weekend Regatta possible.

Courtesy: The Royal Malta Yacht Club

Results of the 2015 Citadel Ragusa Weekend Regatta IRC - Cruisers 1st Lartista (Anton Calleja) IRC - Racer 1 1st - Juno (Sonke Stein) 2nd - Elusive 2 BOV (Arthur Podesta) IRC - Racer 2 1st - Lighting (Alfred Manduca) 2nd - Vivace (Stuart French)

Sailing News <<

Royal Malta Yacht Club Sailing School students perform well at the 2015 RMYC Summer Regatta Efforts put in by the Royal Malta Yacht Club Sailing School have been bearing fruit with quite a few of the Sailing School’s students participating in the recently held 2015 RMYC Summer Regatta.

S

tudents currently attending dinghy sailing courses at the Club joined in the weekend Regatta to take part in six races spread over two days. Races consisted of a series of windward and leeward races which took place just outside Marsamxett Harbour putting their newly acquired skills to the test in slightly more challenging conditions that what they are normally used to.

The 2015 RMYC Summer Regatta took place over three days and races were held for keelboats in the IRC and ORC Classes. A Beneteau 21.7 Class, for students attending the International Maritime Academy at the Royal Malta Yacht Club, was also included in the Regatta.

Courses for the keelboats involved a series of short coastal races along the eastern coast of the island. Whilst conditions on the first day were light with a lot of shifty conditions, resulting in the afternoon race being shortened, similar conditions were encountered on the second and third day of racing which started off light and ended with a breeze varying between 7 to 10 knots of wind.

A Prize Giving Ceremony was held on the Royal Malta Yacht Club Terrace in the presence of crews, family and friends.

Dinghies taking part in the windward/leeward races during the 2015 RMYC Summer Regatta

“We are particularly pleased with the participation of dinghy sailing students attending the Club’s courses.

These regattas give crews a great opportunity to test their skills, work as a team and hopefully build more enthusiasm towards sailing” commented RMYC Commodore Godwin Zammit shortly after the Regatta Prize Giving.

The Royal Malta Yacht Club would like to take the opportunity to thank all the Volunteers who gave their time towards the organisation of this event. Without their assistance and involvement such races would not be possible!

IRC Overall Results – Weekend Races 1st - Inspiration (Godwin Zammit) 2nd - Mawimbi (Ian Pace) 3rd - Alma of Lymington (Iain Muir) IRC Overall Results – Tuesday Races 1st - Inspiration (Godwin Zammit) 2nd - Sailaway (Ray Schembri) 3rd - Alma of Lymington (Iain Muir) Beneteau 21.7 Class 1st - Luke Scicluna DINGHIES RS Visions Class 1st - Harry Parnis England / Kane Seychell 2nd - Mark Bolger / Jacques Seifert 3rd - Nick Bonello Ghio / Alexander Bartoli Laser Radial Class 1st - Khouloud Mansy 2nd – Karl Miggiani Laser 4.7 Class 1st - Timo Bonnici More information on races and events at the Royal Malta Yacht Club can be found on www.rmyc.org

www.mbrpublications.net

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>> Newsfeeds

MSPC New Member - Malta Maritime Law Association We are pleased to announce that Malta Maritime Law Association has recently become a new member of the MSPC. The Malta Maritime Law Association (MMLA) is a non-profit making voluntary organization which was set up in 1994 with the aim to promote the study and advancement of maritime law and to assist in the promotion of the unification of maritime and mercantile law and practice of different nations. The MMLA, even though a law association, is composed of members from the various sectors in the maritime environment and thus provides a forum for the discussion of topical matters in the maritime field.

The MMLA reflects a high degree of maritime legal expertise, also through its affiliation with the Comité Maritime International (CMI), the oldest international organization in the maritime field formally established in 1897 with the aim to contribute to the unification of maritime law in all its aspects. Through the participation of the MMLA at high profile CMI meetings Malta is represented and can make its voice heard at the negotiating and drafting table of very important international maritime legal instruments.

Read further on the following link: http://www.shortsea.org.mt/ news/546

2015 World Maritime Day theme: “Maritime education and training” IMO SecretaryGeneral launches 2015 World Maritime Day theme: “Maritime education and training” at World Maritime University IMO Secretary-General Koji Sekimizu has launched this year’s World Maritime Day theme, “Maritime education and training”, telling students and staff at the World Maritime University (WMU) that maritime education and training was essential for the long-term sustainability of the sector, both at sea and on-shore.

The 2015 World Maritime Day theme provided the opportunity to highlight the importance to everybody, not just within the shipping industry, of there being sufficient quantity and quality maritime education and training available to meet the sector’s needs, now and into the future.

The World Maritime Day theme provides a focus for year-round activities while the day itself is celebrated at IMO Headquarters and around the world in the last week of September.

Since 2005, a formal parallel event has also been held, hosted by an IMO Member State.

Read further on the following link: http://www.shortsea.org. mt/news/552

New lines calling at Malta Freeport Two new lines have chosen Malta Freeport Terminals as their main trans-shipment hub in the Central Mediterranean.

The Freeport will now host the 2M Alliance made up of Maersk Line and Mediterranean Shipping Company, and the Ocean Three Alliance composed of CMA CGM, China Shipping Container Lines and United Arab Shipping Company.

The new alliances have strengthened Malta Freeport Terminals’ network with its clients now having access to 17 weekly mainline services, complemented by an extensive number of weekly feedering services.

A total of 128 ports across the globe can now be reached from Malta Freeport Terminals.

Read further on the following link: http://www.shortsea. org.mt/news/548

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