The Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta is a challenging annual sailing event organised by the Royal Selangor Yacht Club in conjunction with the Royal Ocean Racing Club. It consists of 3 overnight passage races, 260 miles in total, plus three days of harbour racing around the tropical islands of Penang and Langkawi.
The regatta attracts a large variety of yachts, from top IRC racers to classic cruisers dating back more than 100 years. With regatta dinners throughout the week and a Rickshaw Race in Penang, there are lots of opportunities to socialise.
RMSIR 2020 to go ahead
The impact of Covid 19 has been felt across the world. Government restrictions put in place to reduce the spread of the virus have impacted many activities, including sporting events. This has led to the cancellation of international sailing races and regattas and given organisers a difficult task in deciding what to do this year.
Now for the good news! Royal Selangor Yacht Club committee members and sailors have discussed the issue of running the Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta this year and decided that it will go ahead in a simplified form. Malaysia has moved to the Recovery MCO phase and more events and gatherings are now permitted, although international travel is still restricted and other rules dictate the way racing can be organised.
The final details are still to be decided. The most scaled down version will be a series of friendly passage and harbour races, consisting of entries by ‘like minded’ sailing enthusiasts who are not hampered by travel constrains (i.e. almost all from Malaysia) and the format will be expanded to include more yachts from other countries if conditions permit. Windward leeward races will be simplified and some probably replaced by inshore races using island and/or channel markers as race marks. Limited social gatherings will follow the Government SOP and costs will be reduced for this simplified event, partly due to a much reduced level of sponsorship. The team will not include an international race officer and jury this year due to travel restrictions. An experienced Malaysian based RO and team will handle all the on-water organisation and RSYC staff will take care of land based events as usual.
RMSIR organisers will stay flexible, so that if travel restrictions are lifted then boats from other countries will be included but if a stricter MCO is reintroduced then only fleet sailing will take place. The original scheduled dates of 13th to 21st November will not change but the format will be modified to include sailing to Pangkor overnight on Saturday 14th November, followed by on the water events in Pangkor on Sunday 15th and Monday 16th November, then on to Penang on Tuesday. The Club will encourage power boat owners to come along and join in with these activities at Pangkor; details to be provided later.
The good news is that organizers will reduce the entry fees for this simplified event. The NOR, with more details, has been issued and available for download here. Below is a provisional schedule, which will, of course be subject to change as the situation changes.
Online registration for 2020 RMSIR is now open. Just click here, enter your ARBR number & password from past years to let us know you intend joining us for the 31st edition.
View 2019 tracks ... or you can view the tracks of participants in the past years for 2017 and 2018
Remember to choose the correct race from the pull down menu at the top. Use the slider to control time & replay speed.
You can also download the App to phone or tablet.. search Play Store for YB Races
Download 2019 tracks for use on Google Earth
2019 Press Reports
Sail-World Asia |
AsianYachting: |
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| Pre-Race | Pre-Regatta | |
| Klang-Pangkor | Race Report 1 | |
| Pangkor-Penang | Race Report 2 | |
| Penang | Race Report 3 | |
| Penang-Langkawi | Race Report 4 | |
| Race Report 5 | ||
| Final | Final |
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| Newspapers & Magazines | ||
| Malay Mail | sg.news | |
| Bharian | Metro | |
| Marine Luxury Lifestyle | mysailing Australia | |
2019 Summary...
The 30th anniversary has been a year of pleasant surprises for some, with a good mix of prizes for all and shouts of ‘everyone's a winner’..
The Raja Muda Cub went to RSYC member, Rolf Heemskerk, no newcomer to the regatta, but certainly a newcomer to the top notch podium spot. Racing his recently acquired Farr 40, The Next Factor, for the first time he notched up more than enough wins throughout to secure the cup, forcing Team Hollywood and WindSikher into 2nd and 3rd place, showing how smaller boats can often snatch places on handicap.
In class 2 there was a prize for all with boats pulling out at the last minute, leaving Antipodes to just pip newcomer, Doug Sallis on Colie, to the Jugra Cup with a tie-breaker finish. Geoff Hill confirmed he will be back next year to defend his run of wins.
Long time supporter of the regatta, Simon Piff and the Singaporean party-animals crew of Rainbow Dream proved that being small (the boat that is), with a good IRC handicap, can be a good formulae. With a steady line up of 1's and 3's on their score sheet, they secured a 3 point lead over Fujin, skippered by HH Raja Muda Selangor. Simon had registered to the quote of ... " I guess we bring up the rear of the fleet, and hopefully keep them anxious whilst waiting!" and, indeed, they did keep everyone watching the instant results pop up their corrected time ahead of earlier finishers in many races. Nijinsky in 3rd place, chartered by another long time RSYC member, Amir Zohri, demonstrated that one of the keys to winning this regatta is knowing the course and its quirks like the back of your hand.. and with many decades of competing he and his crew certainly fit that bill.
A full house of 10 boats in class 5 was topped by Chris Mitchell on Lady Bubbly yet again, showing that knowing your boat and coaxing her to perform 100%+ wins out. But 2 newcomers to the final results podium took 2nd and 3rd, with Lucas van (?! unpronounceable) on Minz grabbing 2nd and a very happy Rama having made the big old red VG Offshore to perform better than ever to grab 3rd place.
The Malaysian Armed Forces again drove their little old Contesa to a resounding win of Class 6 to grab the Eveline Cup, newly donated by Eveline's owner, RSYC Past Commodore, Dato Richard Curtis, for yet another year. Another RSYC member newcomer to the regatta, Shah Azlan, achieved a 2nd place with Tofan, in a close battle between him and the centennials Rona and Eveline, with the biggest boat (and keenest Rickshaw team) Rona snatching 3rd place from Eveline.
A lack of multihulls this year meant that Peter Waa on Java grabbed a resounding win in class 7 over the scouts and guides, new to the multihull style of sailing, relegated to 2nd place.
With regatta patron HH The Raja Muda of Selangor keen to promote the regatta for its next 30 years it looks like a good future for one of Asia’s toughest regattas.
M.C.E.