Raymarine Double Handed Race Round up

This race attracts interest from crews wanting to test themselves short-handed on a course which is approximately the length of the Malta-Syracuse race, at a time of year when conditions can be very challenging.  This year, in fact was no exception, ten boats out of the sixteen starters successfully completed the course.
 
“The Raymarine Double Handed Round Malta Race is keenly awaited by double-handed racing enthusiasts and is one of the most popular events of the race calendar, especially due to the challenging weather conditions that test both the crews’ and boats’ limits. This can be seen from the amount of crews that did not manage to finish the course,” said Godwin Zammit, Commodore, Royal Malta Yacht Club. “Our long standing association with Raymarine and RLR Yachting have contributed towards the success of this event through their long standing support”.
 
The overall winner, whose names have been added to the prestigious trophy, were Peter Valentino and Sebastian Ripard, who competed on a J92, Pep, owned by Anton Valentino and Denis Azzopardi. Line honours were won by Jamie Sammut and Nick Sammut on Isomat Unica, which also one IRC Class 1. The IRC Cruising Class was won by Chris Selvagi and Andrew Selvagi racing on the Dufour 44 - Puddleduck.
 
Although Overall Winners, Peter Valentino and Sebastian Ripard are not new to the sailing scene, both having grown up racing dinghies and having subsequently been on winning teams in the Rolex Middle Sea Race,  both were excited to race the J92 for the first time  and also  interested to see how she would perform, especially against the larger race boats. Commenting after the Race Peter Valentino expressed his satisfaction at having won in very tricky conditions with a big sea and wind varying from 20 knots to zero, making it a very tactical race.
 
Jamie Sammut, racing on Isomat Unica, commented of slow start to the race when he had problems putting down the Code Zero. Heading towards Filfa in a fifteen knot south easterly wind, the Isomat Unica crew managed to catch up with Otra Vez. Jamie explained the difficulty in putting down the spinnaker around Gozo, when the wind had increased. Isomat Unica crossed the finish line at approximately 8pm, after a technical beat with Otra Vez.
 
“The  Raymarine Double Handed Round Malta Race was a  varied race with everything thrown in; large waves, strong wind, flat sea, wind holes, current, fluky wind and a beautiful night sail up the north coast of Malta in a tacking duel to clench first place. You name it, we had it all,” commented Chris Selvagi, winner of the IRC Cruising Class after the race. “As night set in visibility was very poor and we soon found August Rush and Xplane coming close in behind. A crucial navigation error brought the latter boat hot on our heels and from then on it was a boat for boat race between the two of us. Battling it to the finish we managed to cross the finish line at Marsamxett just forty seconds ahead of them”.
 
A Prize Giving ceremony wrapped up the event and was held at the Royal Malta Yacht Club, where Mrs Dora Ripard, representing RLR Yachting, agents of Raymarine in Malta, presented the winners with some exciting prizes. This was followed by a pasta dinner where participants could continue discussing their racing experiences and thus closing off a yet another successful race.