Birżebbuġa wins B shield, Marsamxett claims first-ever women’s win

Vittoriosa secured a dramatic victory in the Freedom Day regatta when they snatched the Shield from Cottonera rivals Senglea in the final race of the day to secure the crown for the fifth time in their club history.

It was a dramatic outcome to a hard-fought regatta that was marred by a number of protests and technical difficulties due to the tricky weather conditions.

But all that was put behind the spectators present as they witnessed a thrilling finale race that saw Vittoriosa sneak to victory in the final race just ahead of Cospicua and Senglea and top the overall standings.

Vittoriosa finished with 48 points, eight clear of Cottonera rivals Cospicua and Senglea who shared the second spot on 40 points.

In the B category, it was Birżebbuġa who lifted the Shield after sealing their victory with a second-placing in the final race to top the standings on 42 points, 18 clear of Senglea while Cospicua where third on 28 points.

A vibrant crowd gathers at Senglea Point, cheering on the rowers at the Freedom Day Regatta. Photo: Jonathan Borg

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RACE 1: Senglea, led by rowers Clayton Azzopardi and Luke Ciantar, clinched victory in the opening race of the B category, the Tal-Pass Bi Tnejn.

RACE 2: The Senglean camp made a strong start in the Open category as well, winning the opening race – Tal-Midalji. Rowers Davison Micallef, Glenn Zammit, Russell Bugeja, and Andre Gauci edged out Vittoriosa in a thrilling photo finish, setting the tone for a fiercely competitive A category.

RACE 3: In the second B category race, Tal-Kajjiki, Birżebbuġa secured their first victory of the day. Rowers Jean-Claude Cassar and Joseph Pace powered their team to the finish line, marking a successful start to their campaign.

RACE 4: Bormla clinched their first victory in the main category after a thrilling Frejgatini race, with rowers Matthia Calleja and Mel Magro edging out Senglea and Vittoriosa in a nail-biting finish.

RACE 5: Birżebbuġa continued their impressive form in the B category, securing a second consecutive victory with rowers Matthew Dalli, Steven Dalli, Kevin Camilleri, and Malcolm Vella. Their strong performance keeps the pressure on Senglea in the race for the shield.

RACE 6: Senglea’s victory in this race will be null after Cospicua’s protest was upheld. The repeated Race 6 saw Kalkara claim victory, followed by Siġġiewi in second place. Notably, Senglea, Vittoriosa, and Cospicua crews appeared to race under protest, displaying noticeably slower rowing as tensions remain high following the earlier controversy.

RACE 7: Marsamxett secured their first victory in the B category reserves with an impressive performance by Dusty Cassar and Ryan Degiorgio in the Frejgatini race. With Birżebbuġa finishing third, they now lead the B category standings with 36 points – just two points ahead of Senglea – with one race remaining.

RACE 8: Cospicua’s Maximilian Mamo and Romario Brignone staged a remarkable comeback in the penultimate Open category race, edging out Vittoriosa in the Kajjikki as Senglea settled for third place. This crucial victory earned Cospicua 12 points, putting them just behind Senglea with one race remaining. Meanwhile, Vittoriosa are now level on points with their neighbors Cospicua, setting up a thrilling finale.

RACE 9: Siġġiewi wrapped up their B category commitments with a well-deserved victory, thanks to the efforts of Tiesto Caruana, Ryan Lee Zammit, Wayne Cassar, and Leon Vella. However, it was Birżebbuġa who claimed the shield after finishing second in this race, securing enough points to seal their triumph in the B category.

RACE 10:

Vittoriosa produced an impressive performance in the tenth and final race – Tal-Pass B’Erba Mqadef as they managed to outwit their Cottonera rivals Cospicua and Senglea in a thrilling finale.

Antoine Brignone, Clyde Cutajar, Clayton Darmanin and Sven Refalo produced a storming run which saw them take the lead right from the outset. Although Cospicua and Senglea tried to fight back, Vittoriosa managed to hold on to their lead to seal victory and win the Open Shield.

WOMEN’S RACE: Meanwhile, the Regatta kicked off with the women’s race, where Marsamxett claimed a first-ever victory thanks to the dominant partnership of Shazel Grima and Glynnis Mizzi. Notably, both rowers had previously won this event while representing Vittoriosa.

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RESULTS

OPEN

TAL-MIDALJI – Senglea; Vittoriosa; Marsa.
FREJGATINI – Cospicua; Senglea; Vittoriosa.
TAL-PASS B’ŻEWĠT IMQADEF – Kalkara; Siġġiewi.
KAJJIKI – Cospicua; Vittoriosa; Senglea.
TAL-PASS B’ERBA’ MQADEF – Vittoriosa, Cospicua, Senglea.

Standings: Vittoriosa 48; Cospicua 40, Senglea 40; Kalkara 20; Siġġiewi 12; Marsa 6.

B

TAL-PASS B’ŻEWĠT IMQADEF – Senglea; Vittoriosa; Kalkara.
KAJJIKI – Birżebbuġa; Senglea; Marsamxett.
TAL-MIDALJI – Birżebbuġa; Cospicua; Senglea.
FREJGATINI – Marsamxett; Cospicua; Birżebbuġa.
TAL-PASS B’ERBA’ MQADEF – Siġġiewi; Birżebbuġa; Cospicua.

Standings: Birżebbuġa 52; Senglea 34; Cospicua 28; Siġġiewi 24; Marsamxett 16; Vittoriosa 12; Kalkara 6.

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WOMEN

FREJGATINI B’ŻEWĠT IMQADEF – Marsamxett; Cospicua; Vittoriosa.