The Senglea Regatta Club (Klabb tar-Regatta tal-Isla) has announced its intention to take legal action. This follows a contentious episode during this year’s Freedom Day Regatta, held on Monday.
In a strongly worded statement, the club accused the Bormla (Cospicua) Regatta Club of breaching sporting rules and engaging in disruptive conduct, which Senglea claims ultimately denied them victory in Category A.
Senglea explain their action
Senglea detailed their performance, saying they had taken a commanding lead in the regatta after a first-place finish in the opening race and a second-place result in the next event, establishing a 12-point advantage over second-placed Birgu. Their dominance continued with a win in the third race (Dgħajsa tal-Pass ta’ Żewġ Mqadef), which widened their lead to 24 points. At that stage, Senglea was officially declared the winner of the race, and the results were even shared on social media.
However, according to Senglea’s statement, events quickly unraveled. Bormla allegedly initiated a protest by physically blocking the racecourse with their boats, effectively halting further races. The club also claims that members of Bormla stormed the Valletta Waterfront, confronting officials and delegates with aggressive and insulting behavior. Birgu reportedly backed Bormla’s protest by sending one of their boats to join the demonstration.
Senglea cite rulebook breaches
Senglea representatives said they were informed of the developing situation and confronted the organisers. From that point, the club argues, race regulations were flagrantly ignored. They cited several breaches of the official Regatta Rulebook:
Rule 7.6, which bans in-regatta protests, requiring all complaints to be submitted in writing within 15 days.
• Rule 4.2, which states the Technical Board may only be convened in extreme circumstances, such as fatal accidents or severe weather.
Rule 3.13, which mandates that a race be stopped immediately if a collision occurs within the first 200 metres.
Rule 3.20, which grants organisers the authority to halt a race at any time — a power Senglea says was not used appropriately.
An unprecedented decision
Despite the race having concluded and results officially announced, Senglea claims the Technical Board later ordered the third race to be rerun. This decision the club described as “unjust and unprecedented.” Senglea, Bormla, and Birgu all took part in the rerun “under protest,” deliberately rowing at a slow pace to signal their disagreement with the ruling. According to Senglea, this act of symbolic resistance showed that even their rivals rejected the Board’s decision.
The club has now confirmed it will be taking legal steps against those it deems responsible, calling the situation a “blatant miscarriage of sporting justice.” They are demanding that organisers reinstate the original race outcome and formally recognise Senglea’s victory.
“The organisation must address this injustice in a fair and appropriate manner,” the statement read. “We owe it to our rowers, supporters, and the integrity of the sport.”
The Freedom Day Regatta is one of Malta’s most celebrated traditional rowing events, steeped in history and rivalry between the Grand Harbour towns. This incident is expected to trigger significant debate within the local sporting community. It is likely to prompt renewed calls for stricter rule enforcement and clearer protest procedures in future regattas.
Sports Editor
Veteran Journalist
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