Yacht Racing At Its Best –  the 22nd Raja Muda Selangor  International Regatta. 18-26 November 2011.

For the 22nd consecutive year, the Royal Selangor Yacht Club (RSYC) in Malaysia is organising the latest edition of the Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta (RMSIR). This challenging international sailing event consists of three overnight passage races, some 250 km in total up the Malacca Straits, plus two days of short distance harbour racing. Competitive sailors from Asia and beyond come to Malaysia each year in their hi-tech racing yachts, to participate alongside local challengers and historic vessels. Along the way, dinners and parties are organised at each port of call, together with trishaw races, trips to heritage sites and lots of opportunities to socialise. For many crew members, these onshore activities can be almost as demanding as the sailing! During the event there are plenty of opportunities for non-participants to experience yacht racing close at hand. Watching around 50 fine yachts with their sails filling in the wind is something quite unique.

The RMSIR is one of the region’s few offshore yacht races, along with the Sydney to Hobart and the Rolex China Sea Race, that is recognised by the prestigious London based Royal Ocean Racing Club. Since its inception, the regatta has attracted a loyal band of followers who turn up year after year, often with bigger and better boats each time. They come from Hong Kong, Australia, Thailand, Singapore and further afield, with crews representing 24 nationalities. Teams are made up of both professional and non-professional sailors, the latter being the majority.

Coastal conditions in the Straits of Malacca set this event apart. Strong tides, unpredictable winds, shallow mud banks,  fishing nets strung out across the course and “Sumatra” storms  that appear from nowhere all contribute to making the three night passages races uniquely challenging.  Local knowledge certainly helps the navigator but it takes a combination of skill and luck to successfully decide if it’s best to hug the coast, sail out offshore or take a more or less straight line up the middle.  Most skippers also have to deal with very light winds at some point and this is the time when concentration and stamina really come into play. On the upside, the sun shines regularly, the water is warm and shorts and tee-shirts are the order of the day.

No matter what the weather conditions, the overnight bases of Pankor, Penang and Langkawi offer a tropical island experience to all who take part, including warm, clear water, exotic birds and coral reefs.  Malaysian cuisine is world renown, so for many crew members the chance to try out spicy local delicacies like Roti Canai, Curry Laksa, Satay and Char Kway Teow is as important as the time spent on the water. In Penang, an intermediate prize giving ceremony and dinner is organised at the magnificent Koo Kongsai, a Chinese Clan Temple, where the audience are treated to a colourful cultural shows including Lion Dance troops.

This year the regatta will visit the brand new Straits Quay Marina in Tanjung Tokong, Penang for the first time. Developed by the Eastern and Oriental Group, this facility includes serviced apartments, shops and many food and beverage outlets with table and chairs overlooking the water.

A prime destination for visiting boaters, Straits Quay will also offer visitors a range of exciting water related activities, boat charters and excursions. Raja Muda sailors will take part in a land based challenge around the marina perimeter; racing trishaws as in previous years.

Internationally acclaimed sailors such as Frank Pong, Neil Pryde, Ray Roberts and Nick Burns are among former Raja Muda Cup winners who regularly enter their state of the art racing yachts, with professional crews to trim sails and grind winches.  Dr Jon Wardill has lost count of the times he has competed in his Cassidy 55 Australian Maid, and there are Singapore and Hong Kong based sailors who claim close to 100% participation. Club sailors are also well represented in the seven entry classes.  A unique aspect of the RMSIR is that local crews represent a microcosm of Malaysian society, with the same interesting ethnic mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian and Expat members.

For this year’s event, the owners of the Historic Sailing Vessel VEGA have agreed to provide their magnificent vessel and crew to transport press and public relations personnel. Built in Norway in 1893-94, VEGA spent 100 years carrying the most difficult of cargos – bricks, building stone, pig iron and cement – through some of the world’s roughest oceans. Now, Vega is dedicated to carrying medical and educational supplies, and whenever possible local medical teams, to the isolated island communities of Papua and the Solomon Islands. VEGA will arrive in Port Klang during the week prior to the start of the regatta and will be at sea during all races.  Visitors to the final race day in Langkawi will see her proudly displaying full sails and signal flags.

The Royal Selangor Yacht Club has a tradition of encouraging young sailors. A programme is in place that offers free dinghy training to local youngsters, and club youth teams participate in national and international events. Excess funds from RMSIR are channelled to support these activities and to maintain the boats needed to develop sailing and racing standards. The club is committed to promoting the sport of sailing by giving something back.

Eight days of racing always end with an evening social on the terrace of the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club, against a spectacular backdrop of the sun setting over surrounding islands. With speeches and prize giving out of the way, the real party starts on the dance floor. Crews banter about final results and taking each other on at the Kings Cup in Thailand, the next event in the Asian circuit.  For long time competitors and first timers alike, taking part in the Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta brings a true sense of achievement.

For further details on all aspects of the 2011 RMSIR and to contact the organisers, visit the regatta web site at www.rmsir.com

The Regatta is organised by Royal Selangor Yacht Club www.rsyc.com.my