My name is Darren Abdilla, and I am the designer of the IOM Orca and Malteser boats. The original Malteser proved to be a highly successful, all-around club-winning boat. After six years of consistent success, I felt the time had come to raise the bar and strive for even greater results. The concept of the Malteser2X has been evolving in my mind for the past five years, and I believe now is the right moment to introduce it to the RC market.
I am proud to be from Malta, and the name “Malteser” is inspired by my homeland—a country I am honored to represent through my sailing career.
My journey in sailing began at the age of three, when my father introduced me to the sport as a crew member on his boat. By the age of nine, I had started training as a helmsman and soon became recognized as one of Malta’s promising young talents. I achieved numerous successes in local dinghy racing and, at twelve years old, represented Malta in Sicily in the Sunfish class.
After transitioning to the Laser Olympic class, I encountered physical challenges that ultimately forced me to step away from competitive dinghy sailing. At sixteen, my father introduced me to radio sailing. Although I showed strong potential, financial difficulties required me to pause my involvement after two years.
Upon returning to radio sailing, I quickly re-established myself as a competitive force. I have since won multiple local regattas and competed against top international skippers. I am proud to have claimed the Malta National Championship seven times, with my best Malta Open result being 4th overall in 2015.
In September 2014, I represented Malta at the European Championships at Lake Garda, Italy, competing against 76 of Europe’s top skippers, including World and European Champions. Considering the exceptionally high level of competition, finishing 19th overall remains one of my most satisfying achievements.
Among the international results I value most are:
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1st overall at Castiglione del Lago, Italy (June 2015)
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3rd overall at the International Istanbul RC Cup (July 2015)
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3rd overall at Castiglione del Lago (May 2018)
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5th overall at the Italian Nationals in Sabaudia (March 2022)
"Through years of experience, I have learned that there is no such thing as a perfect setup. Boat tuning is an art shaped by the specific model and conditions. Foil configuration, counterweight positioning, rig setup, and sail selection all play a decisive role in unlocking a boat’s full performance potential."
The photograph below was taken when I was five years old. My father and I are pictured with Hector’s Trophy—an achievement and a memory that I will cherish forever.
