Surprise is the most sensational factor in sport with victory won or lost faster than wind changes its course or even for the night to change into dawn. Only a few weeks again I paid merit tribute to a young sailor who won the 2008 National Dinghy Championships making it a back-to-back victory for he had also won the 2007 Nationals.

The success in the National Dinghy Championships, held only a few days before the staging of the EUROMED Malta Championship 2008, gave a psychological strength and presented a unique opportunity to 14-year-old Thomas Zammit Tabona, also winner of the 2006 and 2007 editions of the Euromed, to make it a unique three-in-a-row victory at international level.

Yet, every event has its story, and while foreign favourites, hailing from Russia, Great Britain, Italy and Northern Ireland, were in good number with the local ?number one? being Zammit Tabona, the four-day Championships turned out to be a striking and breathtaking triumph to 15-year-old Ella Fleri Soler (18pts) who clinched victory by a mere point at the expense of Maxim Nikolaev (19pts) of Russia. Third place went to Alexander Shelting another Russian with 21points with Thomas Zammit Tabone placing 4th place with 29points..

Hailing from a ?nautical oriented? family, daughter of the renowned windsurfer Jean Paul Fleri Soler, it was no surprise that Ella, not even 10-years-old, took up sailing joining the Malta Young Sailors Club (MYSC) where the Optimist dinghy has been her racing boat for the past five years.

?The first time I went sailing was with my Dad and my younger brother Edward and I was scared to death and never thought I'd continue. But by the summer I had started my beginners? course at the MYSC and I took off from then. Within a year and a half I was promoted to the A-Team which is the National Sailing Team,? narrated Ella.

In 2004 a few month after starting sailing Ella had a taste of competitive racing ? the Ramla Bay Regatta - which was definitely a good first experience for in five years of sailing she competed in many national local events as well as numerous overseas international events. Amongst the overseas competitions Ella has attended there are three editions of the Island Games; in Crete (2005), Sicily (2006), where she also won 2 silver medals, and Corsica (2007). Fleri Soler also raced in the Small Nations Games in Monaco (2007), where she achieved a silver medal, the Mediterranean Cup in Reggio Calabria in 2007 and 2008 where last year she finished in 8th place out of 50 sailors. She also sailed in the British National Championships in Wales (2008), attaining a 23rd placing out of over 100 sailors.

On the local front Ella was overall winner in the Gill Foundation Day Regatta (2007), overall winner of the Birzebuggia Spring Regatta (2006) and tied first place in last year?s National Dinghy Championships, which Thomas won by braking the tie as he had more 1st positions then Ella. Before her latest triumph in the Euromed she took part in three previous editions of the event ? in 2004 where she won 1st Optimist Girl Cadet Class, in 2006 and 2007 where she was first in the Optimist Girls Class.

Ella, who will be sixteen this year, is very sad to be leaving the Optimist sailing Team, but certainly it does not bring an end to her sailing career. She intends to start training on the Laser 4.7 - a larger boat for sailors between the ages of 16 and 18 - where she intends to continue working hard to achieve her goals. ?I will definitely be back at the Euromed next year to compete in the laser class?, promised Ella.

Ella Fleri Soler is currently studying at Sant Anton School and will be sitting for her O-levels in April. After which she plans to go to the 6th form where she intends to continue studying mathematics and physics and possibly go into?guess what? maritime architecture.

The winners of the other categories in the Euromed Championship were:

Girls Open Class: 1st Ella Fleri Soler (MT), 2nd Abigail Fenech (MT), 3rd Svetlana Chekhova (RUS).

Laser 4.7 Class: 1st Anatoly Korshikov (RUS), 2nd Alessandro Saladino (ITA), 3rd Viatchesa Sheludyakov (RUS).

Laser Standard: 1st Zak Borg (MT), 2nd Benji Borg (MT), 3rd Jan Rossi (MT).

Juniors Optimist Class: 1st Justin Busuttil (MT), 2nd Mikiel Abela (MT), 3rd Rose Banham (GBR).

Cadet Class: 1st Ugo Pace (IT), 2nd Thomas Bonello Ghio (MT), 3rd Pavel Rasskazov (RUS)

Meanwhile, for the record, the winners of all the past IX Editions of the EURIOMED Malta Championships were:

Year 2000: Lisa Tait (13yrs-Ireland); 2001: Ton Thorn (13yrs-Sweden); 2002: Matthew Fleri Soler (14yrs-Malta); 2003: Valentino Valacchi (14yrs-Italy); 2004: Henrik Grim (14yrs-Sweden); 2005: Okan Arin (12yrs-Turkey); 2006: Thomas Zammit Tabona (12yrs-Malta); 2007: Thomas Zammit Tabona (13yrs-Malta); 2008: Ella Fleri Soler (15 yrs-Malta).

An International Jury made up of Lorenz Walch (Germany), Manuel Santos e Silva (Portugal) under the Chairmanship of Maltese International Judge Peter Valentino ran the Regatta. The Jury was assisted by national judges Jovin Rausi and Godwin Zammit.

One cannot at this point but congratulate the Malta Young Sailors Club made up mainly of parents and individuals whose mission is to organize competitive sailing for kids. Here I recall what John Ripard Jr., one of the founder members of the Club once told me. ?This is the ever important seed of sailors in Malta - our sailing nursery - and of course this is now so evident in graduated MYSC sailors who populate the Laser fleet as well as provide invaluable crew for Middle Sea Race yachts.?

The EUROMED, staged in Mellieha Bay over a 4km course, was organised by the Malta Young Sailors Club in partnership with the Kuncill Malti Ghall-Isport under the auspices of the Malta Sailing Federation. The official hotel for these championships was the Hotel Riu Sea Bank, whilst the Race office and the launching area was The Adira Sailing Centre.

Support in various forms for the 2008 EUROMED Malta Championship has been most encouraging and secured from Air Malta, the Malta Tourism Authority, Atlas Insurance, Hotel Riu Seabank, and the Chemimart Group.

15-year-old Ella Fleri Soler, winner of the EUROMED Malta Championship 2008. (Photo: Kurt Arrigo)