Yesterday's traditional September 8 Regatta at Grand Harbour - the climax of the Victory Day celebrations - saw Senglea win the coveted open category shield, amid wild revelry and cheering.

The under-23 category was won by Marsamxett, with 56 points.

It was the 16th time Senglea had won the regatta since 1955, placing in on a par with Cospicua, said Senglea club president Nazzarenu Mifsud. Their last victory was two years ago.

Senglea won the open category with 48 points, followed closely by Marsamxett and Marsa, which drew with only two points less (46).

Second and third in the under-23 category were Marsa (48 points) and Cospicua (34 points) respectively.

The clubs of Vittoriosa, Cospicua, Kalkara, Marsa, Marsamxett and Senglea took part in 10 races - five in the open category and five in the under-23 category.

Characteristic heated moments did not go amiss at yesterday's regatta, with the hurling of abuse and rampant blasphemy forming the backdrop to the event.

Police intervention was also required to calm the waters now and again, particularly when Marsa was disqualified for crossing into Senglea in the sixth race.

Delays were also experienced during the seventh race when the blowing of a horn to disqualify Marsamxett was misunderstood, causing the teams to hesitate. But the race continued, with three boats remaining behind. Marsamxett's protest that it was a false start was not, however, upheld.

The 2002 regatta was particularly exciting because there were no "hot favourites" and each team seemed to have an equal chance of winning, organisers said.

The tension was on until the last race as it was impossible to tell which was going to win until the end.

The race was 1,124 metres long, as opposed to 1,076 in previous years, with the finishing line level with Customs House.

The event was organised by the National Festivities Committee, together with the National Regatta Association.

Shields, trophies to the first three teams of each race and commemorative plaques to all participants were presented to team representatives by the parliamentary secretary in the Education Ministry Jesmond Mugliett, who was drowned in a sea of yellow - the colour of the Senglea T-shirts - when its oarsmen and supporters were presented with their shield and conquered a shaky platform, bouncing up and down with joy.

Music blared from across Grand Harbour, where a large flag of the Senglea club was draped down the bastions.

The first three placings of each race are as follows:

Dghajjes C tal-Pass under 23: Marsamxett, Senglea and Cospicua.

Dghajjes A tal-Midalji open category: Marsamxett, Cospicua, Marsa.

Kajjikki under 23: Marsamxett, Senglea, Kalkara.

Frejgatini open category: Marsa, Senglea, Marsamxett.

Dghajjes A tal-Midalji under 23: Marsa, Cospicua, Vittoriosa.

Dghajjes C tal-Pass open category: Senglea, Vittoriosa, Marsamxett. Marsa was disqualified.

Frejgatini under 23: Marsa, Cospicua, Vittoriosa; Marsamxett was disqualified and Senglea and Kalkara did not complete the race.

Kajjikki open category: Senglea, Vittoriosa, Marsa.

Dghajjes B tal-Pass under 23: Marsamxett, Marsa, Cospicua; Kalkara and Senglea did not complete the race.

Dghajjes B tal-Pass open category: Marsa, Marsamxett, Senglea.