Estonian-led crews take gold, silver in prestigious Malta yacht race
The past week's Offshore Racing Congress (ORC) European Championships off Malta have proved successful for Estonian entrants, with an Estonian-led crew taking gold and silver in two different classes in the offshore sailing event.
The SUGAR 3 won gold in Class C at the ORC championship, while the KATARIINA II took second-place in Class B. Both yachts are skippered by Estonians, and were crewed by Estonians and Italians.
Ott Kikkas, skipper of the SUGAR 3, said after the race, hosted by the Royal Malta Yacht Club, that: "The conditions were very good, except in the offshore races when the wind dropped for hours. But we were lucky and made it good," Sail World's website reports.
The crew of the SUGAR 3 have won their class at world championship level every year since 2019, bar one, though the mixed Estonian-Italian team last won a European Championship event a decade ago, in another boat.
The SUGAR 3 crew (pictured) consisted of Estonians Marko Uulits, Siim Ots, Marjaliisa Umb, along with Kikkas, and Italians Sandro Montefusco, Paolo Bucciarelli, Matteo Ivaldi, Maurizio Loberto and Matteo Polli.
Meanwhile in Group B, the Estonian-led crew of the KATARIINA II were almost as successful, placing second in Malta.
Skippered by Aivar Tuulberg, one half of construction firm Rand and Tuulberg, the crew was made up of several Estonians and Italians, and finished second behind Italian yacht BE WILD.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
