Calypso Claims Victory In BOV Gozo Regatta After Intense Race

Nov 11 2024

Sebastian Ripard’s Calypso claimed both the overall and IRC Class 1 titles at the BOV Gozo Autumn Regatta, where fiercely contested races across all three classes made for a thrilling finish. The competition was intense, with winners determined right down to the wire.

The three-day BOV Gozo Autumn Regatta presented a variety of weather conditions that tested the sailors’ skills. On the first day, threatening weather initially loomed over the start, but conditions eased just in time, offering a fresh breeze and calm seas for a smooth sail up to Gozo. Saturday opened with heavy rain, and as the fleet navigated the challenging “round the cans” course, they faced large easterly waves and winds of ranging from 10 to 12 to 15 knots, intensifying the competition. By the end of the day, the frontrunners for the overall trophy emerged: the Podesta siblings’ Elusive 2, Sebastian Ripard’s Calypso, and Sean Borg’s Jubatus.

After a full day on the water, the BOV Gozo Autumn Regatta crews enjoyed some well-deserved downtime, joined by family and friends for daily social events, which offer the chance for everyone to come together and unwind, adding a lively and inclusive atmosphere to the regatta.

Sunday, the final day, brought calmer seas, though fluctuating winds between 6 and 12 knots kept sailors on edge, adjusting constantly to maintain their position. The regatta’s outcome hinged on the last race, which ultimately decided the winners in each class, concluding an exhilarating weekend of competitive sailing.

Calypso’s Sebastian Ripard remarked that “Despite the wet weather, we had a great time both on and off the water! The mix of coastal and windward/leeward courses made for very exciting sailing. Racing on Saturday in the North Comino channel with 15 knots of wind was a lot of fun! We also loved the after-sailing experience! Mgarr is a very pretty harbour and there are some fun and iconic bars. The Gozo weekend is always a nice mix of exciting racing and good social events”

IRC 2 Class winner John Cachia West’s Ottovolante clinched victory on Sunday, winning the final race to Malta and edging out Brian Flahive’s Juniper by just one point. Finishing in third place was Vivace, helmed by Andrew Agius Delicata and Matthew Gabriele.

The Cruisers’ Class was no exception, with the winner being declared in the Final Race. Kevin Pisani Zammit’s Dimm clinched the win, despite having been left short crewed. Pisani Zammit remarked that “This was our first foray into round-the-cans racing—a new challenge for our team—but we faced each tack and turn with determination and grit. The experience was demanding, with fewer hands onboard than anticipated, yet the crew rallied together. This win means a lot for Dimm’s crew. The weekend of racing in Gozo is one we all look forward to, both on and off the water.

Jacques Savona won the RMYC Cruisers’ Class, after competing in two passage races to and from Gozo.

Trophies were presented to the winners on Sunday evening at a gathering at the Royal Malta Yacht Club. Mr. Charles Azzopardi, representing event sponsor BOV, was in attendance for the presentation.

Club Commodore David Cremona closed the evening with a heartfelt thanks to all the crews, officials, and volunteers who made the event a success. He also expressed appreciation for BOV’s steadfast support as one of the Club’s longstanding sponsors.

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Gozo’s Valleys Fill As Stormy Weather Persist Around Malta

Nov 11 2024

As the stormy weather persists over the Maltese islands, a photo shared by Andrea Muscat via weather page ‘It-Temp Madwarna’ shows the valleys in Wied il-Mielaħ filling with rain water.

The post also reported that in Għarb, around 60mm of water was recorded by the end of the week after a rather dry rainy season.

The stormy weather is expected to persist over the first two days of the week, before shifting to an overall cloudy sky.

Do you enjoy this weather?

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Pompeii To Limit Daily Tourist Numbers To 20,000

Nov 11 2024

Starting November 15, Pompeii will cap visitors at 20,000 per day due to a surge in tourist numbers. On the first Sunday of October, a record 36,000 visitors flooded the site during a free entry day.

Pompeii, a well-preserved ancient city buried by Mount Vesuvius’s eruption in AD 79, saw nearly four million visitors in 2023, marking a significant increase from prior years and surpassing pre-pandemic levels.

In October 2024 alone, more than 480,000 tourists visited Pompeii, averaging 15,500 per day, with the busiest period in May at 16,700 daily visitors.

Park officials anticipate only a few instances where visitors may be turned away, mainly on free entry Sundays and a few peak days.

Gabriel Zuchtriegel, Pompeii’s director, emphasised that managing visitor numbers is essential for both conservation and safety.

Approximately one-third of the ancient city remains un-excavated, drawing ongoing interest from archaeologists. Recent discoveries include frescoes depicting Helen of Troy and Apollo, found in a lavish banquet hall adorned with intricate mosaics.

Pompeii’s entry tickets start at €18, with the new visitor cap helping to balance tourist demand with preservation efforts.

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Malta’s Fostering Program Works Toward Better Support For Children In Care

Nov 11 2024

The Directorate for Alternative Care (Children and Young People) is taking major steps to improve foster care services. These changes are aimed at further supporting the foster care families in providing the children and young people with the stable and loving homes they need.

Foster care is essential in offering safe environments for children who face uncertain or difficult circumstances. However, with limited foster families available to meet the growing needs of children seeking care, the Directorate has an urgent need for more families to step forward.

Currently, 178 foster families across Malta have opened their homes to foster children. But despite this, the demand continues to outpace the number of available foster homes. The Directorate is particularly encouraging people to consider fostering, as many children come into the system with specific emotional and developmental needs.

Recognising the trauma that many foster children have experienced , the Directorate is proposing that each child entering care undergoes a trauma assessment.

This critical step allows professionals to identify the child’s unique needs early on, enabling them to tailor support and care effectively for both the child and foster parents. Additionally, the Directorate will remain committed to providing therapy for every child in care, ensuring they have tools for resilience, emotional health, and eventual success in adulthood.

Support doesn’t end when children reach adulthood, as the Directorate also seeks to assist young adults who have aged out of the care system, to mitigate challenges like unemployment and homelessness.

By working with various stakeholders, the Directorate is creating pathways for these young adults to enter independent adulthood with stability and support, reducing the risks they face in their transition.

The past four years have brought progress in fostering services, including 139 permanency decrees issued by the courts. These decrees grant children a stable environment, enabling Formatted: Font: Bold them to grow up with consistency and security. Additionally, over 20 children have been freed up for adoption, with six finalised this year, providing each child the opportunity to become part of a permanent family.

Despite these achievements, the need for foster carers remains high, with 29 new placements in 2024 alone. To better equip carers, the Directorate has developed a range of training programs covering essential skills, such as first aid, paediatric care, and understanding adolescent resilience.

In collaboration with other professionals, the Directorate is also offering specialised training, including nurturing connections with wide variety of professionals, to support carers during those early stages, and is offering training on understanding adolescent challenges and building resilience.

In addition to training, the service is facilitating focus groups and support groups for foster carers. These groups are key, since they provide a safe space for sharing experiences, gaining insight, and building a supportive community. Fostering can be an incredibly rewarding journey, but it can also be challenging, and no carer should ever feel isolated or unsupported.

Foster carers can now benefit from an increase in the weekly allowance. Such allowance will now be €120 per week. This €10 increase may seem modest, but it reflects the country’s commitment to valuing the contributions of foster families and ensuring they have the means to provide for the children in their care. However, there are still areas where changes are necessary. An important recommendation brought forward is the accessibility of fostering leave for more employees.

While the law provides for two months of fostering leave, most foster carers in the private sector are struggling to access it. This is an issue that needs urgent attention. The Directorate called upon both public and private sector leaders to make fostering leave accessible for all foster carers.

The demands of fostering are substantial, and carers must have the time and support needed to create stable environments for their foster children. The current legislation has enabled a fairer process for all parties involved in child protection cases. There requires to be however a healthy discussion towards more expedient procedures, regulated by legislation which prevent children under care order proceedings from having their cases taking several months in court.

Children need immediate decisions and whilst court processes should always be respected however a time frame should be introduced in our current legislation to prevent unnecessary delays.

Fostering is not only about providing shelter, but also about creating opportunity, healing, and building a foundation for children to thrive. The Directorate must continue to recruit and support foster families, improve trauma care for every child, and advocate for stronger policies that allow carers to provide the care these children deserve.

It is important to work together to ensure that every child in Malta, regardless of their background or circumstances, has the chance to grow up in a safe, nurturing home. With the combined efforts of everyone here today, the Directorate is confident it can make this vision a reality.

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