On 8 September the harbour towns race each other in the Grand Harbour. It is a rowing regatta in traditional boats and it is free to watch from the waterfront. It has been going in some form for a very long time.
What the racing is
Crews row a straight course across the harbour in traditional wooden boats, in several classes by boat type and crew size. The dgħajsa (a traditional harbour boat) is the best known of them. Races run through the afternoon and build to the last and biggest one.
Points are added up across the classes and the town with the most takes the shield for the year. The crews and their supporters care about that total more than any single race.
Which towns race
The regular entrants are the harbour communities: Birgu, Bormla, Isla, Kalkara, Marsa and Marsamxett. Three of those are the Three Cities. The rivalry between them is old and it is taken seriously.
The regatta runs twice a year
The regatta is held on 8 September, which is Victory Day, and again on 31 March, which is Freedom Day. Both are public holidays, so the harbour is busy on the day and everything else is shut.
Where to watch
The Valletta side gives you height. The Upper and Lower Barrakka Gardens look straight down onto the water, and both are free. The Three Cities waterfronts opposite put you at water level and closer to the crews.
Both fill up well before the racing starts. Get there early, and expect the harbour ferry to be busy in both directions.
What else the day marks
Victory Day covers two things at once. It marks the end of the 1565 siege and the surrender of Italy in 1943. Four towns also hold their village feast on the same date, so there are fireworks that evening as well.
