Mad about sailing

A boat race to Ramla Bay 13 years ago got Mark Vassallo hooked on sailing. Today he tells RAY ABDILLA that Malta’s upcoming generation of sailors have the world at their feet and also dispels the myth that sailing is a sport only for the rich.

How are you involved in sailing?

Besides being a member of the Royal Malta Yacht Club, I am currently skipper of Audi Sailing Team, which is a project between Audi, represented in Malta by Continental Cars Ltd, and myself as owner of the Beneteau 25 First by Farr.

How do view the standard of sailing in Malta?

Since we do not race with a fleet of identical yachts in Malta, I consider the standard of sailing to be relatively low. In fact the only sailors who do have the edge are those who have had the experience of racing abroad in a fleet of say 30 boats identical to their own.

This does not apply, however, to the upcoming sailing generation, especially the members of the Malta Young Sailors Club and the Vikings Sailing Club, who are being trained as they should be; racing on little identical Optimists or Mirrors in fleets of 10 or at times even more. They also have the chance to sail on a regular basis and race abroad in enormous fleets of say 200 identical boats and sometimes more.

Is it true that sailing is only for the rich?

Definitely not. For comparative purposes, owning and running a small second hand, reasonably quick racing boat will not cost more than a new average medium-sized car.

Tell us about the Bank of Valletta Spring series.

The Bank of Valletta Spring Series organised by the Royal Malta Yacht Club was the first event of the 2002 calendar. Competition was very tough because although there were around 12 entries, the majority were the most competitive boats on the island. This was Audi Sailing Team’s first event and, in fact, placing first has been a very positive achievement.

And the Audi Sailing team?

Audi Sailing Team is the name of a name of a project and of a boat on which a team of sailors participate in local yacht racing. On the international scene, Audi have sponsored sailing events and yachts alike and the local representative has embarked on this project to conform to international standards. Another reason is that the only sister ship to Audi Sailing Team in Malta is sponsored by another very popular automobile marquee.

How did you get involved in sailing?

About 13 years ago my father decided to buy a small, slow sailing boat. One of our first outings with this boat was a race to Ramla Bay. I enjoyed it so much that I wanted to increase my participation in these races on a more competitive boat. That is exactly what I did and for this I am grateful to a number of local sailors who had the patience to take me on board with them.

Could Maltese sailors become as good as their foreign counterparts?

If these sailing schools, like the Malta Young Sailors Club and Vikings are given more support, not only financially but also from the education authorities. From what I have seen so far, the potential is there.

When should people start sailing?

All the top sailors in the world, both amateur and professional, started sailing when they were just about able to get out of their pram. It is not imperative to start at such an early age but obviously it helps.

Are you happy with the media coverage given to sailing in Malta?

Unfortunately our sport is neither a popular sport nor a spectator one. This makes it difficult to cover our events on TV and in the other media. Having said that I am noticing that interest in our sport is increasing especially with the help of the worldwide campaigns of the largest sailing events such as the Volvo Ocean Race and America’s Cup.

What are your comments about the Middle Sea Race? Are you involved in it?

Since the re-birth of the Middle Sea Race, I have done three editions- 1996, 1997, 1998 all on Primavera, skippered then by Alfie Manduca, the current skipper of the Maltese Falcon Project, who is currently in Capri with his team participating in the Rolex IMS World Championship.

After the Spring Serious, what is your next competition?

The next race will be the Triple-Handed Round Gozo Night Race which should be held on Saturday 22 June. As the name implies only three people are allowed on board and we leave Marsamxett Harbour at around 6pm to go round the island of Gozo and return to harbour probably by dawn the next morning.

What was your most memorable experience in the sailing field?

The 1995 edition of the Sardinia Cup help in Porto Cervo.