The final day of the Mapfre Euromed International Championships and EurILCA Europa Cup, hosted by the Malta Young Sailors Club, delivered an exciting end to the four-day championships.
Despite tricky conditions, the weather offered excellent sailing conditions that challenged and rewarded competitors across all classes.
Principal Race Officer Bojan Gale opted for two separate race courses for Optimist and ILCA fleets.
The Optimist fleet delivered a series of mixed results, shaking up the overall standings, which had remained relatively stable in the preceding days.
In a highly-competitive fleet, featuring strong international representation, Maltese sailors delivered impressive performances, securing podium finishes across several classes.
Notable achievements included Emily Fenech (ILCA 4 Women), Katrina Micallef (ILCA 6 Women), Tomek Vaccaro (ILCA 6 Men), Timmy Vassallo and Jonas Micallef (ILCA 4), Ethan Kodjaazliev (Optimist Cadet), Matthias Spiteri, Andrey Zhakov, and Sasha Nadgrudnaia (Optimist Senior), as well as Tom Zhang, Ben Dingli, and Mia Agius (Optimist Beginner).
Optimist Classes
The Beginners Class saw Tom Zhang (RMYC) claim top post having obtained a tie with Ben Dingli (MYSC) on Saturday.
Mia Agius (MYSC) retained her third overall place.
Once again changes to the top rankings were experienced in the senior division, however, none affected Andrey Zhakov (BSC) who maintained his commanding lead throughout the four-day championships.
Meanwhile, Matthias Spiteri (MYSC) quietly went up the ranks to take second place on the final day of racing. Following him on the podium in third place was Margaux Nguyen-Min (HKG).
The cadet division was won by Lilou Backes (FRA), who finished second overall.
There were no surprises or upsets in this division with Ahnieshka Madonich (UKR) and Ethan Kodjaazliev (RMYC) who both held steady in second and third place throughout.
ILCA Classes
Meanwhile, the ILCA fleet were taken further out to Sikka l-Bajda which enabled the fleet to enjoy plenty of surfing opportunities that tested both skill and stamina.
Timmy Vassallo (MYSC) emerged as the undisputed winner of the ILCA 4 class, maintaining his lead from the opening day of the competition.
Vassallo secured a comfortable margin over second-placed Anatoli Zoubovski (CYP), showcasing a consistent performance throughout the championships.
Jonas Micallef (RMYC) held onto his third-place position, finishing just three points behind Zoubovski.
The girls’ category was won by Emily Fenech (BSC), she was followed by Laura Matthiesen (GER) and Kate Kenny (IRL)
Sunday’s ILCA 6 frontrunners held their ground, with Leo Yates (GBR), Feodor Zoubovski (CYP), and Tomek Vaccaro (RMYC) securing the podium in first, second, and third place, respectively.
In the female category, Sophia Debs (USA) and Ema Kuodyte (LTU) maintained their strong performances to retain first and second place.
Meanwhile, Katrina Micallef (RMYC) edged out Lacey Aquilina (BSC) for third place by a narrow one-point margin.
The ILCA 7 Class delivered a touch of drama on the final day as Jeremy Moutout (MON) surged ahead of Oskar Madonich (UKR), dethroning him from first place – a position he held onto from the first day – to claim victory in the class. Meanwhile, Valeriy Kudryashov (UKR) held steady to secure third place.
Malta Young Sailors Commodore, Christian Bajada expressed his satisfaction at the outcome of this year’s Championships outcome.
“We are thrilled to see that after 24 editions of the Euromed International Championships, the event still continues to attract a large fleet to Mellieha reflecting its enduring appeal on the international sailing calendar,” he said.
In a statement, the Malta Young Sailors Club went on to thank Race Officers Bojan Gale (ILCA Class) and Peter Farkas (Optimist Class), the jury lead by Giorgio Davanzo, the numerous volunteers and local clubs and Mellieħa Local Council for supporting the event.
The 24th edition of the Euromed Mapfre International Championships was held under the auspices of the Malta Sailing Federation and supported by title sponsors Mapfre, PWC and Visit Malta.
The event was further supported by S&D Yachts, Rooster, Mellieħa Local Council, Francis Busuttil & Sons (Marketing) Ltd., Red Cross, Yachting Malta, SportMalta, St Andrew’s Farm, Ballocco.
