2019 RMSIR: Langkawi sees many breezing homes despite shifty winds
KUAH (22 November 2019) – The first day of the Langkawi inshore races at Kuah Harbour saw participating boats in the 30th Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta (RMSIR) experience a good day of racing despite some tricky winds.
Rolf Heemskerk’s ‘The Next Factor’ placed third in both Class 1 races today but the newcomer leads the racing class in the overall standings and looks set to sail away with the title and the coveted Raja Muda Cup tomorrow. "Team Hollywood’ (Ray Roberts) is currently in second place overall with former champion ‘Windsikher’ (Sarab Singh/Nick Burns) in a close third.
The Premiere class, on the other hand, looks set for a nail-biting finish tomorrow as ‘Colie’ (Doug Sallis) has a slim lead over former Class 2 champion ‘Antipodes’ (Geoff Hill) after today’s race. The final day of racing will determine who goes home with the Jugra Cup.
Simon Piff’s ‘Rainbow Dream’ victories in the Langkawi passage race and today’s inshore race has put the boat ahead of the Class 3 pack. Trailing behind in second and third place are ‘Nijinsky’ (skippered by Ahmad Zohri Abdul Rahim) and ‘Fujin” which is being helmed by HH Raja Muda Selangor, Tengku Amir Shah.
For Class 5 and Class 6, ‘Lady Bubbly’ (Chris Mitchell) and ‘Marikh’ (Royal Malaysian Armed Forces, skippered by Hasani Hassan) are holding on to their respective strong leads. The multihull class, on the other hand, has Java (Peter Waa) ahead of Norma Noordin’s “Out of the Blue II’.
The final day of racing for the peal jubilee edition of the RMSIR will take place in the late morning on Saturday, 23 November. The awards ceremony will be held at the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club in the evening where HRH the Sultan of Selangor HRH, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, will be presenting the prizes to the winners.
Prizes for the pearl jubilee regatta include the coveted perpetual trophy – the Raja Muda Cup – and a miniature Raja Muda Cup that has been specially produced for the regatta’s 30th anniversary.
The 2019 RMSIR saw the fleet sail from Port Klang on 16 November. Over the past week, the competitors have sailed in overnight passage races along Malaysia’s west coast to the checkpoints at Pangkor, Penang, and Langkawi and in inshore harbor races.
The RMSIR is Asia’s second-oldest race and Southeast Asia’s most challenging sailing event. It is organized annually by the RSYC in association with the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) and the Malaysia Sailing Association; assisted by the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) and the Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN). The RMP’s Marine Police play an instrumental role in escorting the boats out to the starting points and back to the finish line in the whole regatta.
This year’s Principal Race Officer is Simon James and the RMSIR has International Jury headed by Malaysian Leonard Chin. The Yellow Brick (YB) Yacht Tracking system was used for live tracking of the overnight passage races and this year marked the first time the race used a virtual finish line.
Selangor Tourism is the main sponsor, along with container port Westports Malaysia. Scottish whiskey brand Old Pulteney will provide bottles of their famous malt for prize winners. Other sponsors include UK Sails, the Port Klang Authority and the Langkawi Development Authority (LADA)
The RMSIR was established in 1990 by the RSYC’s Royal Patron, the Sultan of Selangor HRH Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah (who was then Raja Muda Selangor) together with Dato’ Johan Ariff and Jonathon Muhiudeen. HH Tengku Amir Shah, the current Raja Muda Selangor, is the RSYC Honorary Life Commodore.
Organised by RSYC in association with:
Yachts competing in the regatta range from top class IRC1 racers to beautiful classic cruisers with long overhangs dating back over 100 years. Skippers and crew will have to cope with the unpredictable weather, changing tactics and heavy shipping traffic in the Straits of Malacca, all of which make the regatta a matchless experience.
Known for its unpredictable winds, weather and tide, the RMSIR provides excitement for even the most experienced of sailors, along with an interesting challenge. Add to that a little bit of sightseeing and fun social events at every stop and you have a regatta with everything.
The month of November typically marks the height of the northeast monsoon on Peninsular Malaysia where sailors can expect anything from glassy waters and light breeze to a sea heaving with two meters of swell or higher and 30-knot squalls blowing off the coast. In other words, these northeast monsoon months bring conditions that are challenging enough even for seasoned sailors.
For more information and for the official results, log on to www.rmsir.com or www.facebook.com/rmsir.
About the Royal Selangor Yacht Club (RSYC)
The Royal Selangor Yacht Club (RSYC) is among the oldest and most active members’ yacht club in Malaysia. Established in 1969, it was first registered as the “Port Swettenham Yacht Club”, before changing its name to the “Selangor Yacht Club” in 1972. In March 1989, a new name was given, where it was officially opened and named the “Royal Selangor Yacht Club” by the Patron, His Royal Highness the Sultan of Selangor. Today, the RSYC caters to sailors, anglers and powerboat owners.
