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Issue 03 • April 11th 2008
MALTA POWERBOAT MELITA MARINE GROUP CHAMPIONSHIP GOLF TOURNAMENT 2008
UNDERWAY
Beach Haven Racing Team driver Paul Howes and co-driver Carl Cutajar won the Class One first round event of the new Malta Powerboat Championship which took place on March 30 at Saint Paul’s Bay, writes Gustav Pace
The team’s Chaudron 33 won by a margin of over 300 metres over the smaller Chaudron of Team Maxima. In the Class Two and Three race, the honours went to Boat 69 Racing Team and Power Machine who won the respective classes. The events took place in generally flat conditions but areas with swells of up to two meters kept drivers in the ten competing boats shuffling on high alert. With a power-boating background of over 30 years, Howes said he owed his victory to experience and careful race management. “I thought I was going to finish second or third as the Y&P [Racing Team] Scarab have an extra 200hp,” he said. “But they got burnt at the start and I held them behind by pushing very hard over the first five laps. As soon as the
Scarab backed off with engine trouble, I eased a little for a measured pace that carried me to victory.” The racing event was the second one held by the MPA, following a single race held in September last year. With another five races planned on this year’s calendar, club secretary Francis Cachia Caruana paid tribute to the work carried out by the association.. “In 2007 we organized the race in four weeks but for this year’s championship, we’ve been at it since January,” he said. “We received great feedback from the drivers who found organization and safety levels much to their liking.” Cachia Caruana said that as main affiliates, the Royal Yacht Association played an important role in providing race licences and safety insurance. Continued on Page 2...
The Melita Marine Group Golf Tournament, held on February 29 and March 1 was once again won by Australian superyacht Captain Wayne Williams. The tournament, organized for the second year running was in aid of The Biological Conservation Research Foundation (BICREF), thus supporting marine conservation and sustainability. During the 18-hole tournament, 12 players competed against each other in a two-day golfing experience favoured by friendly weather, good food and an overall atmosphere of yachting camaraderie. Two beautiful Volvo cars were displayed on the golf course. All was rounded off in fun and style with a gala dinner and presentation of awards at the Hilton Malta attended by over 130 guests. Awards for the Golf
Tournament were presented during the Gala Dinner by the Hon. Censu Galea, Minister for Competitiveness and Communication; Pierre Balzan, Melita Marine Group Chairman; Gianfranco Selvaggi, Gasan Enterprises General Manager; and Ian Restall, Member of the Royal Malta Golf Club. The first prize, a Paul Picot watch valued at €3,000, went to Captain Wayne Williams, as last year, with a total score of 136. The longest drive was also won by Captain Wil-
liams on the 13th. Closest to the Pin went to Chef Greg Beilenberg (M/Y Osprey) on the 5th and Steve Pallister on the 15th. The first runner-up was Steve Pallister (General Manager, Libya Oilfields Supply) with a score of 143, who was presented with a silver Christofle Trophy donated by Cleland & Souchet and third place was won by Captain Graeme Riddle (S/Y Wellenreiter) with a score of 146. Captain Philip Sefton (M/Y Osprey) won a Prize for Sporting Spirit.
RECORDS SMASHED AT MANOEL ISLAND RACES Less then perfect weather conditions did not deter local canoeists from competing in the annual Manoel Island Races held on March 30. In its 17th year, the race continues to attract kayakers of all levels to the starting line. Races were split into 3 categories, namely elite, sea kayaks and doubles kayaks. All divisions had numerous competitors which goes to show how the sport continues to grow locally. The first event of the day was the long standing 10km race which showed stiff competition as top athletes fought for the winning spot. With 17 kayaks lined up at the starting line, there was no doubt that it would be a rush for the lead to avoid the bottleneck at Manoel Island Bridge. The male elite category saw Christopher Camilleri fight for the lead with a time of
14min55 in the first lap with Gerald Degaetano hot on his heels only a few seconds behind him. Junior elite athlete Matthew Schembri was not far behind with a time of 16min18 on the first lap. The woman’s elite category was represented by Nicola Borg Costanzi who rang in a first lap at 18min. The sea kayaks category saw Robert Pullicino take the lead in the first lap with a time of 19min17, fighting off the advances of Albert Gambina and Joe Borg who were only a few seconds behind. The final lap saw Christopher Camilleri defend his title as National Champion, registering a best time of 45min45 for the distance in the history of the Manoel Island Races. Gerald Degaetano gave Camilleri a good fight for the Continued on Page 3...