A SEA OF CHANGE

Photograph by Francis Darmanin

Skipper speaks to Sandra Agius Darmanin, Malta’s first ever female commodore, Vikings Sailing Club.

What or who inspired you to start sailing?

I started sailing entirely by chance when I was in my twenties when I was studying for my teaching degree. I had gone to see a friend after a race and was invited to join the crew as “weight” on the next race. I was instantly hooked! I was encouraged to attend a sailing course at Vikings Sailing club to get the basics of sailing. I had spent that summer on the water sailing mirrors and then spent several years after that crewing on the current RMYC commodore Godwin Zammit’s previous J Boat Revenge. During that time, I learnt a lot, and despite being the only woman on the boat, I was always assigned a role and given clear instructions on what to do and why. I regularly sail on my laser or one of the club’s toppers but hope to be able to get back to keelboat racing once again soon.

What kept you clinging on to the sport of sailing?

I was always attracted to the sea and used to enjoy the thrill of sailing used to bring. I truly enjoyed every race I took part in especially the long-distance races to Sicily or the Gattopardo. I missed it when I had to pause to pursue my studies. Luckily my eldest son took up the sport at Vikings Sailing Club almost five years ago and got hooked too, so I always remained active in this sport. Last year, after completing my PhD, I managed to get back to regular sailing finally. It is what I look forward to every week as it is the best way to recharge after a busy week at work.

What are some of the duties that a commodore undertakes?

Sometimes I must admit that the work involved is somewhat overwhelming. Running a club involves a lot of paperwork which often gets repeated for the different governmental departments. Each committee member has his/her duties to divide up the work. However, I am always kept in the loop. I generally oversee everything, to ensure that it gets done promptly. I take care of any applications for funding and handle most of the purchasing. I have also been swamped promoting our club We have many promising sailors locally who are very committed to the sport and are also managing to achieve excellent results in international events

activities on our Facebook page, including our upcoming Sport Malta’s ‘Summer on the Move’ programme which is going to be busy this summer. The club is also currently undergoing a lot of refurbishment to make the premises more suitable for our needs. Works started a few years ago by my predecessor Gerald Portanier when the club was given its current premises and should be completed this summer.

You’re the first female commodore in Malta! Was it difficult to break the barriers to become commodore?

It was never my intention to become ›

commodore. I was co-opted to the committee last year when I finally had more time to dedicate to the club after I handed my thesis in September. It all started after I successfully managed to enrol our club as a voluntary organisation, which I must admit took some pushing to get the paperwork completed. Members started approaching me to stand in for commodore since Gerald had already made his intentions of stepping down known.

At first, I was adamant that I would not stand in for election, but somehow, after some time the idea started to rub in, and a few days before the AGM I agreed to accept the role if I was elected. Most the current committee members are women. So, that’s another first.

What’s a typical day like?

My day job is a Lecturer in with the International school for foundation studies at the University of Malta which keeps me busy, especially this year due to the adaptations imposed by Covid-19. I am also a marine biologist by profession and actively involved in research and writing of academic articles for publication. After work, I go through the many enquires we receive via our Facebook page, and emails. All the committee members have put in a lot of effort, and we are now reaping the results of the last months of hard work as the club is currently in a rapid regrowth phase. Our membership base is on the increase, and our advanced training programme has seen a boom in numbers since we reopened after Covid-19 closures were lifted.

What is your advice to those who want to take up sailing?

I always tell people to go for it. You don’t need to be rich or own a boat to start sailing. It is a

great way to keep healthy, enjoy the fresh air and make new friends.

Do you feel Maltese sailors shine in the sport?

We have many promising sailors locally who are very committed to the sport and are also managing to achieve excellent results in international events. Unfortunately, I still feel that the sport is not being given the necessary funding required to go to the next level. I am aware that the sailing federation is lobbying and working hard to remedy this and hope that they will be successful.