Come hell or high water...

---

Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta Goes Ahead as Scheduled

The 33^rd Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta got underway with a bang, just not the bang we expected when an Indonesian cargo boat’s engine failed, causing it to drift and proceed to wreak havoc between the Royal Selangor Yacht Club’s two pontoons.

Here’s a recap from the RSYC’s official press release: “At 06.45 on November 12th an unfortunate incident occurred on the Klang River in front of the Royal Selangor Yacht Club. An Indonesian Barter Trade boat “KLMMAULANA HASIL ABADI” departed the Barter Trade dock just upriver from RSYC and the engine failed just after the boat let go of her lines. A strong current was flowing at this time and this large wooden vessel was swept downriver, passing between two RSYC pontoons where club members’ yachts and power boats were moored.

“Some structural damage was caused to a number of these moored boats and to the floating pontoons and the bridge between the pontoons, plus the bridge joining the pontoons to the land. The Barter Trade boat continued to drift with the strong current but was stopped when it collided with a concrete jetty nearby and a ship next to that jetty.

“Fortunately, no injuries occurred to boat owners, staff or crew members. RSYC staff were on hand to immediately take charge of the situation and an incident management plan was put into action to inform managers and committee members, who attended as quickly as possible to assess the situation and notify boat owners. The yard manager and his team moved damaged boats immediately to safe mooring locations and temporarily secured the floating pontoons.”

Tribute should be paid to RSYC Commodore Che Wan Mohamed Azuar and RMSIR Chairman Irsyad Ismail for the way they and their staff handled the calamity and its aftermath. It could have been much worse.

Twenty-two were registered to take place in the regatta, with the fleet being divided into six classes, but two yachts (Recaa & Insanity) were damaged in the collision with the Indonesian vessel and now won’t participate.

Windsihker, last year’s winner of the Raja Muda Cup is not returning so RMN Uranus, Steve McConaghy’s AfterShock, Rolf Heemskerk’s The Next Factor and Nick Burns’ Witchcraft will battle to see who will take home top honours this year.

Burns won the Raja Muda Cup on Mandrake in 2006, 2011 & 2018 while Heemskerk sailed The Next Factor to victory in 2019. McConaghy, though he has a myriad of international racing honours, has yet to win this regatta.

Hans Rahmann’s Yasooda, the winner of last year’s Jugra Cup, is back to defend its title but will have to defeat Peter Cremers’ Shahtoosh (which has also won the Jugra Cup twice) if it is to claim it’s third Jugra honour.

Simon James is back again as the Principal Race Officer and will make sure that all things run smoothly on the water whilst Malcolm Elliott is back to handle all the technical aspects of this complex event. Both fellows are indispensable when it comes to making this a well-run event.

This regatta is unique in that travels up the west coast of Malaysia, consisting of multiple offshore legs, interspersed with harbour racing and prize giving dinners, at multiple venues along the course between Klang, Pangkor, Penang and Langkawi. This gives the crews, loads of opportunities to get together after racing, yet see different locations in the process. This is likely the reason why so many are keen to return to what many say is their favourite regatta in the region.

The opening dinner, attended by sponsors, VIP guests and sailors took place at the Club on the evening of Friday November 17^th. The day before, members or the media and some regatta participants were taken to the marvelous new Gamuda Cove Wetlands Forest Reserve