Kon-Tiki Challenge (RTMT)

The Kon-Tiki Challenge (or Kon-Tiki club) was an annual event organised by Round Table Malta.

Origin of the name: When writer and explorer Thor Heyerdahl led a team of rafters across the Pacific Ocean in 1947, their Kon-Tiki vessel was built out of nine balsa tree trunks tied together.

The local organisers of a charity Kon-Tiki Challenge reckon participants don’t go to those lengths to make their way across Balluta Bay — though their imagination is the limit.

The event invites clubs and groups of friends to design and build their own homemade raft and race it across the bay.

Rules

The rules are simple. Engines are banned, as are shop-bought paddles (handmade ones are fine). Craft must be built out of chemical-free materials, and any vessel that might pollute the sea in any way will be banned. Any sharp edges must be covered and protected, and vessels that use parts from existing boats will also not be allowed.

Vessels are divided into two classes depending on their size. Rafts that take between 3 and 5 people will be placed in class 1 races, with rafts taking between 6 and 8 racers in class 2.

The organisers would ask for donations, directly to the cause.

Past Editions

While many editions were hosted, they were poorly recorded.

During one edition hosted on Saturday, 16 July 2016, RTMT coordinated with Rotary Club Malta and the Sliema local council to host a Kon-Tiki Challenge — with proceeds going towards Dar il-Kaptan, a respite care centre for people living with disabilities. Provided participants adhere to these rules, wear life jackets and are all able to swim, their design creativity is the only limit on their choice of vessel, said Round Table chairman Simon Soler.