Sailing under the Maltese flag, the crew of Viva Malta has returned from the Palermo–Monte Carlo offshore race with a second-place finish in ORC Class 1 and third place overall in ORC following a dramatic and demanding contest.

The race, covering approximately 500 nautical miles from Palermo across the Tyrrhenian Sea and along the French Riviera to Monte Carlo, proved to be one of the most eventful editions in recent memory.

Viva Malta made a strong start to the race on Tuesday, 18 August, in winds of around 15 knots, with relatively stable conditions as the fleet headed towards Porto Cervo.

The Maltese boat was lying in second place at the Bocca di Bonifacio checkpoint, the narrow strait separating Sardinia and Corsica, when conditions began to change significantly. The wind eased considerably as the fleet approached the strait.

Approximately 20 nautical miles beyond the straits, race officials were forced to order a mandatory suspension as a severe weather system moved into the area, with gusts forecast to reach up to 80 knots.

In the interest of safety, all competing vessels were instructed to seek shelter. Viva Malta secured a berth in Bonifacio, where the crew remained from the early hours of Thursday morning until 1pm.

During the suspension, the crew closely monitored the evolving weather conditions before deciding to resume racing. At 2am on Saturday, Viva Malta rejoined the course from the point where the race had been suspended and continued towards Monaco.

The restart brought further challenging conditions, with winds reaching around 20 knots and swells of up to five metres. Conditions eventually settled as the fleet approached the finish, with the wind easing significantly during the final stages.

“The race started well and things were quite stable as we headed towards Porto Cervo. As we got closer to Bonifacio the wind became lighter, and then, about 20 miles after the straits, we received a weather warning and had to stop,” co-skipper Matthew Micallef said.

“We monitored the situation very carefully. When we went back in at 2am on Saturday, we still had a demanding run to Monaco — rough seas at first, then the conditions gradually settled.

“Throughout all of it the crew performed really well. Morale stayed high despite the circumstances, and everyone remained focused and worked hard together as a team. We’re proud of the result.”

Following the restart, the Viva Malta crew managed to close a gap of around 40 nautical miles on the boats ahead as they pushed north towards Monaco.

The boat crossed the finish line off Monte Carlo at 10.20pm on Saturday, with the breeze having eased to just seven knots during the final approach.

Boat captain Ramon Sant Hill described the contest as unlike any race he had previously experienced.

“The overall race was a mix of all kinds of winds. It was an interesting race — nothing like that has happened to me before,” he said.

“An inexperienced racing team would potentially have stopped racing. But that did not happen. The team were spirited competitors throughout. Morale stayed high and we kept pushing just as we had before the break. It was a great team effort.”

Co-skipper Nicky Fenech said the result reflected the determination and tactical awareness shown by the crew throughout the race.

“It was a very tactical race, from light and shifting winds in the Strait of Bonifacio to 20–25 knots on the final leg to Monaco,” Fenech said.

“Our amateur crew performed like a team that had sailed together for years. Everyone remained positive, supported one another and always gave more when it was needed.

“Finishing second in class and third overall against around 40 boats is a result every member of this incredible crew should be proud of.”

The result saw Viva Malta finish second in ORC Class 1 and third overall in ORC, following a race in which the crew had to contend with a force majeure stoppage, severe weather conditions and challenging tactical decisions.

The Viva Malta crew expressed its gratitude to Sport Malta, the Malta Sailing Federation and Yachting Malta Ltd.

The Viva Malta crew consisted of co-skippers Nicky Fenech and Matthew Micallef, together with Daniel Bartolo, Liam Grech, Zack Mackay, Isaac Saliba, Dario Schembri, Nicky Vassallo, Andrea Vella and Angele Vella. Ramon Sant Hill served as boat captain.