Malta Open 2011 (ENG)

Could you imagine a venue that combines sun in late winter, crystal blue water, historical background and wind, lots of wind, even if sometimes you might have to walk a little bit with all your stuff to find it coming from the right angle?

Could you imagine a flawless organisation, where registering, starts, precise umpiring, double check protest management with a dedicated forensic photographer and speed of lightning publishing of results are provided four days in a row?

Could you imagine a racing officer launching the start of a 40 feet sailboat fleet 2 minutes before an IOM heat on the same starting line?

Could you imagine ruthless elegant female officers denouncing early starts and “exonerating” sinners having done their 360°?

Could you imagine a cheerful atmosphere and a plush yacht club with lots of food and good humour and sometimes hidden places where an IOM sailor secretly turns into a first class crooner?

Could you imagine a place where competitors are sporty enough to stop racing and lend their boat to a foreign fellow who lost his, for 2 days in a row (Thanks Vinnie, I will never forget that!)?

Could you imagine a cheerful character who would tune your boat by playing the guitar on your shrouds (Robert you are the best!)?

Could you imagine an impatient IOM sailor deciding to design his boat himself and to use the infrastructure of the naval shipyard where he works to calculate his hull and test its speed in a towing tank (Seems it works Mr Fat Boy!)?

Could you imagine two brothers, suddenly excited by radio sailing, ordering two top notch IOMs from Europe and starting to race amongst the world's best with massive success (Bravo Malta 41 and 60)?

Could you imagine some of them elegant enough to match pink crocs to their pink hull (We have seen you Carsten)?

Could you imagine the chances that all three blue/green Widgets would carry the same number: 88 and two of them had to be rebaptised 188 and 288?

Could you imagine a British boat named “soixante neuf” sailing within the fleet without making the others blush?

Well this all exists in true life! It is in Valetta and the cast is the following:

The MMBA secretary/sporty lender of Gynniwin to Blackbutterfly/alias Neil Sedaka: Vinnie Zammit

The organiser/webmaster/results publisher: Valérie Zammit

The ruthless observers: Ms Micallef and Aguis

The forensic photographer: Ms Huub Gillissen

The mad tuner: Robert Deleonardo

The impatient sailor: Dave Alston

The two brothers: Godfrey and Joseph Chembri

The pink boat with matching shoes: Carsten Posmik

The 88s: Vinnie, Brian and Jean-Claude

Mr 69: Dave Cox

The (easy…) winner: Graham Bantock (our Master!)

The Maltese winner: MLT 10 Christian alias “Water all boats” Aquilina

And all the others sailing, racing, judging, (protesting...) and cheering to the crowd

BEL 88 and BEL 19 will be back next year for sure (with a watertight boat J

Full results and all pictures on: http://www.mmba.moonfruit.com/

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