Two suntanned Maltese kayakers reached land at Golden Sands this morning, after a gruelling 324 kilometres of paddling in a kayak from Tunisia.
Albert Gambina and Dorian Vassallo arrived in Malta at about 11.30 a.m. tired but pleased with their achievement.
They were welcomed by about 40 people who gathered on the beach to celebrate the team’s success.
The aim of their six day marathon was to collect funds for Puttinu Cares and raise awareness about cancer.
Dorian, whose late wife was a cancer victim, said he was very pleased to have concluded the distance, the longest ever travelled by a Maltese in a kayak.
They were pleased with the awareness they managed to create but looked forward to going home for a good rest.
The first part of the trip, he said, was the hardest because they paddled for 25.5 hours straight with the last 20 miles that day battling force five winds.
In 2008, they went to Pozzallo from Marsalforn in a kayak and last year they circumnavigated the Maltese islands.
On the 17th July two brave canoeists; Albert Gambina and Dorian Vassallo will be adding yet another kayak challenge under their belt. Their challenge titled Kayak for Cancer – Malta the aims at creating awareness and collecting funds for Puttinu Cares Foundation (they have a Facebook page with the same name).
This is not the first time the duo have taken on such a challenge. Kayak for Cancer events were initiated in 2008 as a sea kayak endurance challenge – crossing the Malta Channel - as a way of generating funds for charity. In 2008 the event consisted of 7 kayaks paddling from Marsalforn to Pozzallo and can be considered a success in that around €30000 was donated to the Malta Cancer Foundation.
They held the same event last year- this time in a doubles or K2 kayak and two teams took part. In April they successfully circumnavigated the Maltese archipelago – a first in the local kayak scene – and on the night between the 19 and 20 June they paddled the distance of 52 nautical miles from Pozzallo to the Valletta Waterfront completing it in just less than 16 hours. Perhaps the craziest of their feats was when they paddled unassisted from Malta to Sicily on the 1st September 2009…in the dark!
The above events have spurred them to take on more challenges with the aim to generate funds for Puttinu Cares Children’s Cancer Support Group. The huge crossing that they will undertake in a few weeks time - held under the distinguished patronage of His Excellency, Dr. George Abela - is to paddle from Mahdia in Tunisia to Golden Bay via the Pelagic islands of Lampedusa and Linosa, a distance of about 180 Nautical Miles. Their team will be joined by two other teams, one each from Tunisia and Italy.
If yourself or anyone you might know, would like to make a donation to this cause, one can send a cheque made payable to “Puttinu Cares Foundation” and posted to:
Kayak For Cancer, Puttinu Cares Foundation, c/o MaltaPost plc, 305 Triq Hal-Qormi, Marsa MTP 1001.
Please also forward a mailing address where Puttinu Cares can send you their official receipt. All funds collected from this activity will be used by Puttinu Cares to purchase a block of flats in London.
As we know, the start of the summer season marks the beginning of jelly invasions! Although this is not too bad, IOI Kids have set up a jellyfish report site where members of the local public are encouraged to report any jelly they may see, no matter how small. This is done for research purposes but it’s also handy if planning a long kayak trip.
The site’s link is http://193.188.45.233/jellyfish/ReportForm.html an you can either make a report here or via email at ioi-moc@um.edu.mtor even through an sms to 79222278.
Kids can also learn more about the sea from IOI’s main site http://www.ioikids.net/
It’s important to be aware of the affects we as humans are having on the sea and also learn how to respect it…that means not paddling in the open ocean in a force 7 wind!!! As our club promotes kayaking with the least impact on the environment, we feel that this site is certainly something we should promote.
For great marine, atmospheric and wave forecasts as well as sea level and temperature you could visit http://www.capemalta.net
It’s best to compare marine forecasts to get a better picture so you should also check out
http://www.maltairport.com/weather/page.asp?p=17148&l=1 and
THE MCRC President and Secretary recently met up with Fabrizio Messina, Daniele Insabella and Sandra Catania from the Circolo Canoa Catania to discuss possible ways of creating links between the MCRC and their club. The meeting was fruitful to say the least and the local contingent was met with an extremely warm reception.
Whilst there, Nicki and Chris got the chance to see the clubs training grounds- one massive harbour which would certainly give athletes the space to practice 1000m+ sprints and marathon training, something which we lack locally. The Catanian club also has a small premises by a natural reserve which is a bit further inland. This provides them with perfect flatwater to get some excellent technique sessions in.
The club itself also boasts a superb gym which also has a couple of ergometers as well as a built in kayak simulation room. Here the seating part of a kayak has been firmly placed on a low wall which separates two small pools on either side. This allows paddlers to paddle in perfect kayak conditions as well as monitor their technique.
Circolo Canoa Catania also has an extremely strong canoe polo team who are coached by Sandra- who besides being an excellent coach is also a top national athlete. Members of the womens Italian Canoe Polo team were training at the club during the MCRC visit which was incredible to watch. The team practices drill after drill after drill so as to improve their paddling technique, throwing and catching skills as well as other neccessary skills required to play this fast paced game.
Circolo Canoa Catania also boasts the national champion team when it comes to dragon boat racing and after a training session with the group, it is easy to see why! Nicki, Chris and MCF President Peter Borg Costanzi got to try out a dragon boat first hand and confirmed that it is not as easy as it looks. The drummer at the front of the boat - in this case Fabrizio- ensures everyone keeps with the rhythm and fixes technique as the session progresses. As the frequency picks up, this gets harder and harder to do but it is certainly loads of fun!
The MCRC is currently looking into sending club members to compete in club races as well as regional races this summer. This is a great opportunity for local athletes to gage with other athletes who may be more of their level and would provide for some strong competition.
The MCRC would like to thank Fabrizio, Daniele, Sandra and the entire Circolo Canoa Catania family for such a wonderful experience and we look forward to seeing you again soon!
The enthusiastic crowd taking photos at the Sliema seafront early last Sunday morning was not simply out to enjoy the perfect weather. The Malta Canoe Federation once again held its annual Virtu’ Ferries Manoel Island Races, with canoeists of all ages competing in several race categories.
The races kicked off with the much anticipated 10km, three-lap race around Manoel Island. Veteran canoeist Gerald Degaetano was the first to cross the finish line in the K1 category, 46m44s after the start. He was followed by Nicki Borg Costanzi, also winner of the female K1 category, who in kept ahead of Peter Borg Costanzi in a closely fought third lap to cross the finish line after 51m40s minutes.
Local champion duo Chris Camilleri and Matthew Schembri won this event’s K2 category in style, their stamina and determination carrying them through in spite of their canoe taking on water after the second lap, clocking in at 50m40s.
The 3km single lap event also saw Gerald Degaetano finish in first place after 15 minutes 48 seconds, with Chris Borg Costanzi and Simon Gauci crossing the line in second and third place respectively, with only seconds between them. Matthew Schembri shot past his competitors in the 200 metre senior race to gain first place, while Chris Borg Costanzi and Simon Gauci once again battled their way to the finish line in second and third place respectively.
This edition of the Manoel Island Races was particularly exciting for the 19 boys from Stella Maris College who participated in a 200-metre sprint for juniors. Three heats with six young paddlers in each were quickly organised, with a final race for the first two in each heat. Benjie Sammut finished first overall with a very respectable 1 minute 19 seconds, followed by Andre Catania and Kyle Mercieca.
The trophy presentation ceremony was held after a busy yet satisfying morning, with participation medals given to one and all. It was a truly memorable event, which will definitely be remembered by all those present.
Virtu Ferries were thanked for sponsoring this successful event, as was the Malta Triathlon Association for their invaluable assistance.
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