Maltese Sailors Achieve Strong Results in Various International Regattas
Timmy Vassallo
Maltese sailors continue to make their mark across Europe, earning podium finishes at several high-level regattas and demonstrating their ability to compete with the best in the international sailing arena.
ILCA 6 – Kiel Week & World Championships
Timmy Vassallo delivered a standout Maltese performance with a strong victory in the ILCA 4 class at Kieler Woche 2025, which took place a few days ago in Germany. Vassallo finished first overall, winning eight out of ten races and consistently outperforming top international competitors to secure his place at the top of the standings with 12 net points. Fellow sailor Louyn Fereday also competed in the same class to finish 33rd overall.
In the ILCA 6 class, both Benjamin Vassallo and Mia Busuttil progressed to the Gold fleet, with Vassallo finishing the week in 13th place out of 119 competitors, whilst Busuttil finished in 55th place. Finishin in 71st place, Harry Fairbairn 71 still gave a solid performance and a promising start to his international sailing career.
Held simultaneously with Kiel Week, the ILCA 6 Men’s World Championship was held in light, unpredictable winds during qualification and rainy, windy weather in the finals. Despite these tough circumstances for Mediterranean-trained sailors Poyraz Fidaboy and Afonso Southino managed to place 97th and 98th respectively.
Antonia Schultheis
ILCA4 European Championships
At the ILCA 4 Youth European Championships in Poland, Maltese sailors faced highly variable weather, from steady breezes to unpredictable gusts that challenged the race schedule. Jonas Micallef secured a place in the Gold Fleet, finishing 35th overall, while Tom Ellul and Kaine Muscat, both competing in their first international regatta and in the U16 category, made it into the Silver Fleet, finishing 22nd and 38th respectively. Thomas Wilson placed 59th in the Silver Fleet, and Emily Fenech finished 38th in the Gold Fleet, marking a strong showing for Malta’s young talent on the European stage.
Foiling Week
After four exciting days of racing at Foiling Week in Malcesine, Lake Garda, the debut of the Switch class delivered intense competition and highlighted its growing international appeal. In the women’s category, Antonia Schultheis claimed victory, narrowly edging out Sweden’s Vilma Bobeck and Italy’s Alessandra Dubbini by just one point in a tightly contested series. Women represented a quarter of the 32-boat fleet, underscoring the class’s commitment to inclusivity and diversity. Meanwhile, her sister Victoria, who recently transitioned to the high-performance, single-handed foiling Moth class, was the top female finisher, placing 29th among 88 international competitors from 23 countries.
IODA European Championships
The European Championships saw Maltese Optimist Class sailors deliver strong performances with six out of seven sailors qualifying for the Gold Fleet. The fleet saw over 260 athletes representing 37 countries. Malta’s positive results were highlighted by Alexandra Nagrudnaya’s 7th place overall (4th European, with two race wins), Isaac Azzopardi in 26th, Julia Borg in 38th, Ella Demicoli in 49th, Corey Joyce in 50th, Samantha Axisa in 74th. Luca Attard, the youngest team member finished in 59th. Malta’s collective effort secured 9th place in the nations ranking, finishing ahead of sailing powerhouses like Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands.
IODA World Championships
Malta is currently competing at the IODA Optimist World Championships in Portorož, running until 6th July. With the qualifying series now complete, Matthias Spiteri is ranked 21st, followed by Seb Miceli Demajo in 46th, Nathan Montebello in 113th, Jack Vella in 190th, and Timothy Decesare in 232nd place. Team racing is scheduled for today and Wednesday, with the final series set to take place from Thursday to Saturday.
Malta Sailing Federation President Michael Mifsud expressed his satisfaction with the results being achieved on the international stage, noting that “sailing continues to deliver strong results thanks to the existing and promising talent the Federation is investing in”.
The Malta Sailing Federation extended its gratitude to the sailors’ respective clubs—Birzebbuga Sailing Club, Malta Young Sailors Club, and Royal Malta Yacht Club—as well as the Maltese Olympic Committee, SportMalta, and Visit Malta for their continued support.
