Malta SailBase
SailCoach's Malta SailBase
Malta has proved a popular training venue for both ILCA and Optimist sailors alike for the last decade because of its excellent sailing conditions afloat and great facilities ashore. The island was a natural choice for SailCoach operating out of the Royal Malta Yacht Club. The Mediterranean island provides excellent warm weather SailBase with a strong local sailing community and world renowned international regattas such as the Rolex Middle Sea Race and Euromed.
SailCoach’s Malta SailBase provides the ideal all year round training venue for both ILCA and Optimist sailors to fast track their development towards the top of the fleet. The geographical location of the island of Malta allows sailors to train in warm air temperatures with excellent sea sailing or flat water conditions inside its harbours. We create an environment where athletes can focus on their sailing and fitness thus making the most out of their training time.
No matter what your ILCA rig or age all ILCA sailors are welcome to join our programmes. Historically SailCoach sailors have always been a strong group of friends sharing the same passion for our sport and making lifelong friendships in the process. Our Malta SailBase has become a centre to meet our professional coaches and athletes, exchange experiences, and get better at the game of sailing.
Malta has been famous for the offshore classic the Rolex Middle Sea Race, however since SailCoach came to the island it has become a mecca for dinghy sailing and now many more sailors combine the three elements the island has become renowned for “sea, wind and warm weather”
Why Malta
First and foremost it is the home of SailCoach well known for its outstanding coaching record. SailCoach also has the largest fleet of ILCA, Optimist and RIBs than any of its competitors. The island offers a choice of different wind and wave conditions, allowing us to vary the type of training we do from day to day. SailCoach’s Malta SailBase is influenced by two primary winds, one from the Northwest (Malta’s most common wind) which is an offshore wind that provides shifty sailing conditions and flat water. The other key breeze is from the Northeast, which provides large waves. Therefore, you get the best of both worlds. You can expect an average winter temperature of between 10° and 20° Celsius from October until the end of February.
Getting to Malta
Malta, being a country in its own right, gives it the extra advantage of having its own airlines. Air Malta and Malta Air (a subsidiary of Ryanair) both service most European cities and the island is also served well by the low-cost carriers year-round. Malta also has twice daily flights from Istanbul and a daily flight from Dubai and Doha connecting many other parts of the world to this little sailing gem in the Mediterranean.
The airport’s name is Malta International Airport (MLA) and is also known as Luqa Airport located 6 km southwest of the Maltese capital Valletta (please note there is only one airport serving the whole of the Maltese Islands). We make airport transfers from Malta airport between the hours of 8 am and 9 pm, so please try and plan your arrival/departure between these times. Outside of these times, it will be necessary for you to arrange your own transport. The White Taxi Company has a desk to the left of the arrivals hall, and the fare to the SailCoach hotel is approximately €20. There is also the Bolt taxi company and you may be advised to download their app during your stay, as they have the most competitive fares on the island.
To help our staff plan ahead we would greatly appreciate you making every effort to arrive at the SailBase the day before your clinic starts and leave the day after it finishes.
Climate Data
Where will you be staying
SailCoach has a number of accommodation options from self-catering apartments to hotel accommodation. Therefore, during your time at our Malta SailBase, you will have a choice as to where you stay. For the older sailors, we have hostel-style accommodation in nearby apartments within walking distance of the SailBase.
If young sailors are accompanied by their parents we recommend that they stay in a local hotel or apartment. We have some discounted rates from the ST Hotel Group for the following hotels in the Sliema neighbourhood, all within walking distance of our SailBase. The town of Sliema is one of the central tourist districts with good shopping, restaurants etc. The hotels we use are the Azur Hotel and Bayview Hotel, and there is the Blubay Apartment Hotel also in the ST Group, which you’re also able to book. You can get a discount code from the SailCoach office when booking any of these hotels or apartments. Please have a look at their website at the link below.
Where is the Malta SailBase located and what facilities does it provide?
SailBase Malta is located at the Royal Malta Yacht Club in the town of Ta Xbiex, approximately 1km along the promenade from the ST hotels. No transportation is provided between the two places, sailors tend to walk or jog to and from the club. You have access to the club changing facilities, unlimited use of the gym, wifi internet and a lecture room at our Royal Malta Yacht Club base. There are a number of restaurants in the neighbourhood of SailBase where sailors can choose for lunch each day. The SailBase also has a small, but well equipped gym that sailors are welcome to use during their stay.
