Maltese fleet on topLast Updated on 04 November 2011
Maltese boat Artie won this year’s Rolex Middle Sea Race. Photo: Rolex/Kurt Arrigo Racing near two live volcanos and around 19 islands presents an endless challenge of a breathtaking course that only the Rolex Middle Sea Race can offer. Behind the beauty of landmark backdrops along the 606nm course, is an exceedingly 360-degree gruelling race that skippers of fame dream of winning. No wonder that Grant Dalton, the Emirates Team New Zealand America’s Cup syndicate head, described the Rolex MSR as the Mediterranean answer to the other potentially treacherous offshore classics such as the Fastnet and Sydney-Hobart. This year, we had an impressive setting of four consecutive starts with the breeze practically getting stronger with each start. In all, a 70-strong fleet, from 16 different countries, had assembled at Grand Harbour, providing every conceivable story of close competition, daring manoeuvres and outright determination to win. Again, the tricky part of this race was over-riding the tidal gate at the Strait of Messina. Smart tactics to bypass the wind shifts from the large and small islands along the second part of the course were the winning factors. It was so frustrating at times to endure hours of slight various winds that kept on disrupting onboard navigators and strategies. The big boats in the race, the likes of Esimit Europa, RMSR 2009 winner Alegre and Ran, had to struggle at times to find the winning formula that the smaller boats were enjoying. More than that, the eight Maltese entries were having a field day this time while engaging themselves in employing clever tactics using their local and multiple-experience participation of the RMSR. Artie, which missed the winning post by a few minutes last year, actually had a slow start clocking in at 31st position at the first transit point of Capo Passero. Realising their precarious position, skipper Chris Ripard and Lee Satariano, owner and co-skipper of Artie, recovered from their difficult start and by the time they got to the second transit point at the Strait of Messina, they had improved to 17th place. A ride of that kind is satisfying as it provides the most extreme test of crew and teamwork. At the third transit point of Stromboli, the best of the Maltese fleet had made it into the top 20 with Aziza seventh, Artie ninth, Ton Ton 11th, Otra Vez 12th, Jaru 15th, Vikesha 17th, Juno 18th and Elusive St Regis 20th. Given the optimal weather conditions, anyone with a well-drilled crew could win and at Favignana, both Artie and Otra Vez were already challenging for top spot having only German boat Rockall to contend with. From then, Artie kept the pressure, racing past Pantelleria and Lampedusa in the runner-up position. The rest of the Maltese fleet were not far behind either, with Otra Vez fifth followed by Ton Ton, Jaru, Juno and Elusive St Regis. Incredible! At this point, the feeling was that it looked more like a local race than anything else. The only threat was coming from Rockall. Tensions were running high for these two leading boats. Mathematical calculations re-quired that Artie had to clock in on the fourth day at 18h 28m 08s with Rockall having more breathing space as it needed to finish at 20h 41m 50s, to outgun provisional leaders Ran on corrected time. It was here that Artie showed their determination and expertise when, amazingly, they crossed the line on Wednesday at precisely 15h 22m 54s, thus forcing Rockall into a final run of do-or-die tactics as the German boat only had a few minutes to make it in the last 10 miles. They never did. In the end, not only did Artie win the prestigious MSR Trophy but Otra Vez placed third, Jaru fourth, Juno fifth, Ton Ton seventh and Elusive St Regis 11th. The Royal Malta Yacht Club was buzzing after this outstanding result for Maltese boats. George Bonello du Puis, the club Commodore, proudly em-phasised that this was a golden page in the RMSR history. “What an amazing fleet of Maltese boats we have flying the eight-pointed cross,” he said. “I am really proud of the achievements of our club and as a sailing nation too.”
For further information, kindly contact 77 Great Estates on (00356) 2125 2455; (00356) 9944 7444; skype: info.77GreatEstates or info@77GreatEstates.com Posted in: Events Old capital hosts timeless ‘beauties’ - Times of Malta by Bertrand BorgLast Updated on 24 October 2011 Photos: Chris Sant Fournier
The silent city was awakened by the roar of finely-tuned vintage engines yesterday on the final day of the third classic car grand prix. A range of historic and classic cars, from Aston Martins to Mini Minors, purred around the streets outside Mdina, starting at Ghajn Hamiem Street and ending at Gharriqin Street. The event is usually held in Valletta but was this year moved to the old capital due to road works in and around Valletta. It is the only street race of its kind in this part of the Mediterranean. For the first time, this year’s event included a limited guest class of post-1976 cars. The event began on Friday with the public admiring the glistening cars as they sat on display in St Paul Square, Mdina. The participating vehicles performed timed runs on Saturday when Steve Borg, driving a 1972 Morris Mini Minor, clocked the fastest time. As the warm October sunshine slicked up drops of rainfall that had fallen earlier that morning, the cars yesterday cruised around the circuit in a series of demonstration runs. The grand prix was organised by the Valletta Grand Prix Foundation with help from the Mdina, Rabat and Mtarfa local councils. The foundation is in the process of joining the Federation Internationale des Vehicules Anciens. Posted in: Events Record-breaking 80 entries registered Previous best was 77 in 2008 - Article from The Times of MaltaLast Updated on 13 October 2011
 The start of last year’s Rolex Middle Sea Race at Valletta’s Grand Harbour. A record entry has been registered for this year’s race.
A record has been broken even before the start of the Rolex Middle Sea Race on October 22, it was announced yesterday. Days before final registration for this year’s event, entries have risen to a record-breaking 80 and there are still a few days to go before the last entry can be accepted. New entries from Italy, Serbia, Slovenia and the UK have pushed the numbers up to 80, three more than the previous record of 77 in 2008. “We can accept late entries up until October 17 and we do expect one or two more, said Georges Bonello Dupuis, Commodore of the Royal Malta Yacht Club. “As it is, entries for this year are incredible and we are really looking forward to seeing them all berthed outside our headquarters... the place will be buzzing,” he added. A handful of boats are here, including previous RMSR line honours and overall winner, Alegre together with back-to-back Rolex Fastnet winner Ran 2. Other arrivals include the UK Swan 57 Yellowdrama, who’ll be fighting for the new Nautor Swan Cup, Echo, Doppelbock (Germany and UK) and Filando and Tyke from Italy. Filando’s 14-man crew are here for the first time to take part in a race that they consider “the best offshore regatta in the Mediterranean.” Many of the entries will arrive this weekend, including the brand new 85-foot Nautor Swan Berenice, from Italy. While good weather over the weekend will ease the passage of arriving yachts, Bonello Dupuis cautioned: “I expect one or two might have problems but fingers crossed that everyone arrives here safely... they will certainly receive a warm welcome.” The Rolex Middle Sea Race is organised in association with the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) and has been sponsored by Rolex since 2002.
For further information, kindly contact 77 Great Estates on (00356) 2721 7777; (00356) 9944 7444; skype: info.77GreatEstates orinfo@77GreatEstates.com Posted in: Events 75 Attractions in One NightLast Updated on 02 October 2011
Lascaris War Room guides joked about the number of locals they saw which is a rarity during the rest of the year The usually quiet evening streets of Valletta were turned into a vibrant festival of the arts, history and culture on Saturday, as Notte Bianca went through its sixth edition. The capital’s streets and buildings were illuminated especially for the occasion, with 75 attractions and places of interest to choose from and about 500 people taking part. Theatre lovers got a sneak peak into Renzo Piano’s as yet unfinished roofless theatre and were able to watch performances in the opera house ruins. On the musical front, the sounds of rock, blues, indie, jazz and traditional music coming from several squares and gardens mingled with marching bands and orchestras. A number of museums were also open to the public free of charge. At the Lascaris War Rooms, which are currently undergoing renovation, the Fondazzjoni Wirt Artna tour guides joked about how they rarely saw Maltese people down in the underground chambers during the rest of the year but were overwhelmed by the number of locals on the night. Numerous bars and restaurants took advantage of the hungry crowds and stayed open beyond their normal hours. While the organisers had appealed to visitors to enter Valletta through different routes other than Republic Street due to the ongoing construction works, it seems that not everyone followed their advice, with large crowds attempting to make their way through the narrowed passage that used to lead to the capital from City Gate. The bottleneck proved too much for some, with one elderly woman seen whacking her way through the crowd with her walking stick. Meanwhile, an Arriva spokesman said the company ferried more than 30,000 passengers on its special services between 11 p.m. and 3 a.m. during Saturday’s event. While there were large crowds, Arriva and Transport Malta had staff on hand to direct those wanting to take the bus to the relevant stops and mobile ticket sellers to help make boarding quicker. Special routes labelled A to K were put on for the evening to make sure all passengers could make the journey home.
For further information, kindly contact 77 Great Estates on (00356) 2721 7777; (00356) 9944 7444; skype: info.77GreatEstates orinfo@77GreatEstates.com
Posted in: Events Valletta Grand Prix - The Sunday Times MaltaLast Updated on 25 May 2010The historic bastions of Valletta served as a backdrop to the 2010 edition of the Valletta Grand Prix, a weekend of races with Malta's crème-de-la-crème of classic cars competing. The races, on May 8 and 9, marked the end of six days of events. Participants went on various drives and sightseeing trips. On May 6, the cars were scrutineered at Hal Far. Scrutineering ensures that each car is in accordance with the rules as stipulated by the event organisers. A series of drag races ensued at the raceway. President George Abela received participants at San Anton Palace on May 7. Valletta Waterfront was the destination for that afternoon's Concours d'Elegance. This involved participating cars being judged on criteria such as condition, rarity and value. Three foreign judges, Guy Broad, a Jaguar specialist, Toby Ross, an Italian and French car valuation specialist, and Ron Middleton, a racer and rally driver, will be determining the best car at the event. The main event kicked off on the morning of May 8, with practice and show runs displaying competing cars and others from Maltese clubs representing other motorsport disciplines. The day's sprint races started from the bottom of Crucifix Hill, next to Valletta Waterfront's cruise liner terminal. The finish line was at the top of Great Siege Road. The participating cars departed at a few second intervals and were timed individually over the race distance. On May 9, participating cars were split into five classes according to their age and modifications. The races started and finished in Nelson Avenue. Show runs were on in between each race. The classic cars raced against the clock around the formidable bastions of Valletta, happily with no incident. For further information, kindly contact 77 Great Estates on (00356) 2125 2455; (00356) 9944 7444; skype: info.77GreatEstates or info@77GreatEstates.com. Posted in: Events Isle of MTV concert draws the crowds - The Times of MaltaLast Updated on 01 July 2010 A huge crowd on Wednesday evening filled up the Granaries in Floriana for the fourth Isle of MTV concert. An enthusiastic crowd shouted and danced to the tunes presented by top performers Kelis, Scissor Sisters, Kid Rock and David Guetta in a mega show that is estimated to have been attended by some 50,000 people. The people started filling up the Granaries hours before the concert started in a bid to secure a good position at the front. For further information, kindly contact 77 Great Estates on (00356) 2125 2455; (00356) 9944 7444; skype: info.77GreatEstates or info@77GreatEstates.com. Posted in: Events Jazz festival in groove for fans and musicians – The Times of MaltaLast Updated on 20 July 2010 Richard Bona Photo: Gege Gatt One trick in music is that if you hit a wrong note while playing, repeat it, and then it’s jazz. If that were indeed the case, there must be something right with that “wrong note”, as the 20th edition of the three-day Malta Jazz Festival struck a chord with the music fans who turned up night after night to listen to the world-class line-up. The festival kicked off with a bang on Thursday with Francesca Galea accompanied by Leonardo Montana, followed by nu-jazz trio The Bad Plus, after which fusion legend Mike Stern and his band hit the stage. Also going off with a bang were the fireworks from the Kalkara feast, which had been postponed due to the World Cup. It was only after the fireworks’ display that young songbird Esperanza Spalding could do her set after Joshua Redman and his double trio, on Friday. Ms Spalding had shown a particular appreciation for Malta and its history saying: “It’s beautiful. I understand why people wanna fight for this place; it’s gorgeous.” The last night was opened by jazz veteran Charles “City” Gatt and his quartet, who injected a strong Maltese flavour with a jazzed-up traditional tune by the late Charles Camilleri. Drummer Ari Hoenig of the Ari Hoenig Punk Bop Trio, renowned for playing melodies by altering the pressure on the drum, kept adding to the local flavour by playing Maltese folk tune Lanca Gejja w Ohra Sejra on his kit, then going on to fuse it with a jazz standard. “I learnt it today,” Mr Hoenig told The Times, adding that as musicians they were used to “quoting” other songs while improvising. Speaking on his technique of altering the pitch of the drums using his elbows, Mr Hoenig said he practised it “like any violin or cello player would, by learning at what positions different notes are”. Quotations were also present in Richard Bona’s closing set, where at some point Deep Purple’s Smoke on the Water was heard. Mr Bona proved to be a true showman, interacting with the people who gathered on the bastions overlooking Ta’ Liesse to follow the show. He ended his set with people dancing in front of the stage and singing along – apart from when he asked the women over 40 in the audience to sing along with him and there was no response leading him to jokingly ask whether women of this age group had all been executed in Malta. Speaking to this newspaper afterwards, the bassist, weary from signing autographs and posing for pictures with fans, said he would be back any day. His approach to music, as technical as it might be to play, is simple. “Music should be fun,” he says. For further information, kindly contact 77 Great Estates on (00356) 2125 2455; (00356) 9944 7444; skype: info.77GreatEstates or info@77GreatEstates.com. Posted in: Events ‘Bigger’ Calleja concert next year – The Times of MaltaLast Updated on 02 August 2010
Riding on the success of Joseph Calleja's concert on Thursday, the organisers are promising an even bigger and better one next year to keep the concept fresh. This is the second year in which the world famous tenor has performed alongside local and international artists and it looks set to become a staple event on the summer cultural calendar. Anton Attard from NNG Promotions said that some 9,000 people packed the Granaries in Floriana, 2,000 more than last year, and the children's choir had practically doubled to 500. "Next year we would like to come up with something better. We keep building on previous years to keep the concert exciting," he said. The concert - similar to the Pavarotti and Friends concerts, which were organised by the late tenor Luciano Pavarotti who teamed up with famous singers to perform alongside him - this year brought to Malta American legend Dionne Warwick and popular Italian singer Riccardo Cocciante. But Joseph Calleja is also keen on exposing emerging local talent, so each year singers get to share the stage with Malta's finest music export. The concert, which had been postponed by five days because of the forecast gale force winds, was staged on a perfect night under the stars and a radiant moon with the backdrop of the Floriana parish church lit for the occasion. Joseph Calleja's first number was Andrea Bocelli's classic Canto Della Terra and he later teamed up with Raquela Dalli Gonzi for another Bocelli favourite Vivo Per Lei. He then performed a duet with the President's daughter, Maria Abela, to interpret La Traviata. He again mesmerised the audience with his perfect rendition of Puccini's Nessun Dorma, after receiving a standing ovation at the Luxol Grounds last year. Other solo highlights included Il Gladiatore. The Malta Philharmonic Orchestra's musicians, mostly under the baton of multi-faceted musician Paul Bateman, struck the right notes. Riccardo Cocciante wooed the audience with his poetic songs and the passion he injected into each interpretation. The song that got the biggest applause was his San Remo winner Se Stiamo Insieme, especially when the Maltese tenor joined him onstage for the refrains. Dionne Warwick added soul and jazz to the proceedings; her performance was rather low key until she teamed up with her son David Elliott to sing the chart-topping That's What Friends Are For. Some fans had been expecting more duets with Joseph Calleja but Mr Attard said these had to be planned within reason. It would have been pointless teaming Joseph Calleja with Dionne Warwick if their musical styles did not match. People in one section of the standing side complained that the sound was poor and failed to do justice to the performers, especially when it came to the 500-strong children's choir. When asked about this Mr Attard said that according to their experts the sound had been just fine. The concert closed off at 11.45 p.m., with successive encores and the audience shouting out for more after Calleja sang the Neapolitan classic O Sole Mio. For further information, kindly contact 77 Great Estates on (00356) 2125 2455; (00356) 9944 7444; skype: info.77GreatEstates or info@77GreatEstates.com. Posted in: Events Rod Stewart entertains on the Granaries, Floriana, Malta - The Times of MaltaLast Updated on 04 August 2010
Rod Stewart had the crowd swinging at the fourth large concert to be held on the granaries in Floriana this summer, following the Isle of MTV, the Joseph Calleja Concert and the show by Winter Moods. The veteran Briton gave an energetic performance that belied his age as he belted out songs which have made him famous throughout the world. Organiser Roy Steer said it was a sell-out show. For further information, kindly contact 77 Great Estates on (00356) 2125 2455; (00356) 9944 7444; skype: info.77GreatEstates or info@77GreatEstates.com. Posted in: Events Elton John live in concert - The Malta IndependentLast Updated on 28 September 2010 Elton John delighted the sizeable crowd that gathered at the Granaries in Floriana, Malta on Sunday 26th September, with a memorable concert, his second on the islands in 10 years. Sir Elton sang several of the songs that made him famous all over the world and helped him sell over 250 million records. For further information, kindly contact 77 Great Estates on (00356) 2125 2455; (00356) 9944 7444; skype: info.77GreatEstates or info@77GreatEstates.com. Posted in: Events |
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