Away from cramped quarters of Valletta and the quiet fields of Siggiewi, a game of aquatic chess was playing out in the Mediterranean Sea. There were no grand masters present, but rather the grand hopefuls of a new generation. They played not with pawns, knights, bishops, rooks, queens, and kings, but rather a one-design, monohull dinghy optimized for durability and accessibility.
By Matt Nelsen
This was a contest of optimists, not those who look to the future with hope, but rather a classification of young sailors looking to make their mark on the sport. They also were amongst the youngest athletes in competition at the Games of the Small States of Europe. “It was a very fun and unique experience. I’ve never experienced such a unique event like this held in my own country. I feel very proud to be representing my country here,” remarked 13 (!) year old Jonas Micallef.
Despite his young age, Micallef represents the senior half of the optimist category. Entry is only open to athletes aged between 8 and 15 years old. The category is often seen as the entry point to Olympic sailing, with around 75 percent of skippers who won medals at the most recent Olympics tracing their roots to the class according to the International Optimist Dinghy Association. The boat itself is regarded as dependable, which makes it a great choice for youth sailors. It is also popular due to its cheaper price tag and reputation for being stable on the water. However, it is also amongst the smallest and slowest competitively sailed boats. A fact that didn’t prevent Maltese sailors from delivering big results.
The island nation swept both the boy’s and girl’s competitions at the Games of the Small States of Europe. The medalists ranged from 14 to 11 years old, making them the youngest at the Games. Age was seen as a blessing rather than an impediment though. “Since I’m the youngest, I have more time,” declared boy’s bronze medalist Matthias Spiteri. “I can get higher, and higher on the podium.”
The sailors spoke on the challenges of the sport like seasoned veterans. “Physically, if you do everything good and you don’t take risks, it’s okay,” explained Spiteri. “Mentally, sometimes it gets hard if the first few days you’re in a bad position, and then you have to keep on training and waking up early. Although you might not be in the best positions, it’s just part of the sport.
Mentally fit
“The most challenging part of the sport is probably to be mentally fit,” added boy’s gold medalist Timmy Vassallo. “Sometimes you lose your mind on the water while you are under pressure. If you have to wait here on land for about five or more hours, sometimes your head goes crazy.”
Unlike other sports at the Games, competition in sailing lasts over the course of a full week. The duration of the event can present its own challenges according to the young sailors. “In the first few days you’re feeling good, and then after a few days you maybe even start to feel a bit bored,” commented Jonas Micallef. “It’s really hard to keep focused. You have to try to avoid injuries and not do stupid stuff to keep performing at your best level.”
The sailor’s rankings are also based on a cumulative score, adding up their ranking from each individual race. This is where the sport really becomes a form of aquatic chess. “If you’re in front you usually try to defend your position and stay with the guy, so that he doesn’t overtake you,” explained winner Vassallo. “It’s challenging, but [as] you get more experience, it starts getting easier, and easier.” Matthias Spiteri added, “It is hard to think, ‘should I defend that guy, or should I get a better position?’” This is where mental conditioning comes into play according to girl’s gold medalist Emily Fenech, who commented, “I’ve been going to sessions with my psychologist to be able to deal with this pressure and to have a good mental state.”
She continued, “It’s a good thing that we have [that] pressure during competition, because it helps us to get over it during other competitions. I think it helps that we have pressure during competition because if you don’t, then it’s hard to get over it when we go to bigger competitions.”
She stated that sailing in the St. Paul’s Bay was a bit “easier” than other venues because there were so few sailors in the competition. “It is also difficult here because the competitors are of a high level,” admitted Fenech. “It’s like going to the world or European Championships, but it’s also different because there’s less people here.” Still, the significance of the achievement was not lost on her. “It feels really good to be able to win. I was really relieved. and excited. And a bit stressed too,” explained Fenech, cycling through every emotion after her victory.
While the young sailors all cited the Games of the Small States of Europe as an important competition, there was much less consensus on their future goals. “My goal for the future is to go to the Olympics,” declared Timmy Vassallo. While Matthias Spiteri sought a legacy of fame within the optimist class, “When I’ll be out of this category, everyone will know my name,” confirmed the eleven year old.
Malta’s young athletes may have entered the competition as students, but they certainly left as grand masters of the waves.