Bad weather robs Maltese yacht of likely victory

Alfie Manduca's sailing yacht Allegra stood a good chance of winning - "definitely in its class and possibly overall" - the prestigious Italian yachting race Roma Per Tutti, had it not been cut short and cancelled a few days into the contest due to extreme weather conditions, the death of a sailor and other mishaps.

Luckily, the crew on board the Allegra, a 47-foot Beneteau, was unharmed by the Force 8 and 9 conditions and the six-metre waves they churned up, and which the boat battled for 12 gruelling hours en route to Lipari.

It was also thanks to strategic decisions, aimed at putting the safety of the crew and the boat first, that no one suffered the same fate as other more unfortunate sailors.

A 29-year-old on board Kiss died on impact when the running backstay broke and the block hit him in the head.

"It was unfortunate that he happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time," Mr Manduca said.

Other near tragedies involved the capsizing of a Mini Transat 21-foot racing boat, sailed by two people. It was lost, and the crew had to take refuge in a lifeboat until they were rescued by the Italian coastguard.

Mr Manduca, skipper and owner of Allegra, said the weather forecast did not predict such bad conditions, so sailors were not expecting 50-knot winds.

Nevertheless, the Beneteau First 47.7 handled the conditions and was not damaged.

"They were not conditions that inspire you to go out to sea, but both the crew and the boat were prepared. Experience teaches you how to understand and cope with the elements," Mr Manduca said.

The worst part was that the bad weather lasted so long, with gusts throughout the night. High waves, rain and spray broke over the boat and most of the 11-strong crew were confined to the cabin, while the helmsman and two others braved the storm, lashed down with harnesses to strong points on the boat. They were standing waist-high in water in the cockpit, Mr Manduca recalled.

"You get so exhausted in these conditions that you need to get some rest. It is not worth putting the boat and crew at risk. At the end of the day, it is a race, which should be enjoyed, not regretted," Mr Manduca said, still waiting for an official race result nonetheless.

Allegra was sure to win in its class, the identical boat being five hours behind, he said.

The Roma Per Tutti, which started on April 18, is a long-distance race, 535 miles, similar to the Rolex Middle Sea Race. It attracted about 50 participants, mainly Italian sailors from the Tirrennian Sea, while another 50 take part in the Roma Per 2, which is the double-handed category.

Both races are popular and are the qualifying competitions for the Italian championships.

The race, which was expected to last four days, leaves from Riva di Traiano, three miles south of Civita Vecchia, heading down to Capri and round the Lipari islands.

Allegra had a good start, clinching second place right from the beginning and maintaining its placing up to a mile from Lipari. At the checkpoint in Capri it was placing second across the line and in Lipari third across the line by 30 seconds.

"The other boats were so much larger that the handicap meant we were leading the fleet," Mr Manduca said.

His Maltese Falcon had already done the race two years ago, placing fourth overall.

Despite the outcome, Allegra intended to attempt the Roma Per Tutti again next year, if it is still held. Since 2001, Mr Manduca has made it a point to take part in several top international events to promote Malta as a yachting centre to the world's yachting industry.

The eye-catching, bright red spinnaker of Maltese Falcon, with its Maltese Cross, has attracted many a photographer and adorned many a foreign magazine, leaving its mark and Malta's.

Today, after being shot in every regatta and playing its part to get Malta onto the sailing map, its image has been captured and immortalised on a Maltese stamp.