Notice to Mariners issued in Govt. Gazette 21,237 of 7th May 2024

The Ports and Yachting Directorate, Transport Malta, notifies Mariners that a windsurfing race from St Paul's Bay (Malta) to Marina di Ragusa (Sicily, Italy) will be taking place.

Eight windsurfers will be departing from St Paul's Bay (Malta) and, depending on wind and sea direction, will sail either towards Għallis Rocks (Malta) or Marsalforn (Gozo), where there will be an inflatable buoy. The surfers will then go round the inflatable buoy and sail towards Marina di Ragusa (Sicily, Italy), as shown on the chart found on Transport Malta website  (www.transport.gov.mt). The event will take place on either Friday 17th, Saturday 18th, or Sunday, 19th May, 2024, departing from 9.00 a.m. till noon.

Each windsurfer will be accompanied by an escort/support RHIB; there will also be another three vessels one of which is a water ambulance.

Mariners transiting the Malta/Sicily channel on the above-mentioned dates are requested to keep a sharp lookout for the windsurfers and the support vessels and are to give a wide berth when they are sighted.

They are to comply with any instructions given on VHF Channel 69 and/or 16 by Malta VTS and on VHF Channel 12 by Valletta VTS when crossing the channel between Sicily and Malta.

Charts affected: BA 2123, 2124