
Title : 21st Royal Langkawi International Regatta
Organiser : Royal Langkawi Yacht Club
Date of event : 20 – 25 January 2025
Objective : To continue positioning Malaysia and Langkawi in particular, as a prominent sailing location while promoting sailing and boosting sports tourism for the country
Location : Langkawi waters
Total number of participants : 270
Total number of boats : 35
Participating nations Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, China, Hong Kong, United Kingdom, Denmark, Australia, German, Sweden, Kyrgyzstan, South Korea, Canada, New Zealand, France
Classes Racing, IRC 1, PSC-IRC 2, Multihull, Sports Boat, and Club
Trophies
1) Prime Minister’s Challenge Trophy (Racing class)
2) LADA-IRC Challenge Trophy (IRC 1 class)
3) PSC-IRC 2 Challenge Trophy (IRC 2 class)
4) RLYC Commodore’s Challenge Trophy (Club class)
5) Langkawi Sports Challenge Trophy (Sports Boat class)
6) Malaysia Multihull Challenge Trophy (Multihull class)
Sportsmanship award Tunku Abdullah Sportsmanship Award
Sponsors Langkawi Development Authority (LADA), Malaysia Convention & Exhibition Bureau
(MyCEB) – an agency under Ministry of Tourism, Art and Culture Malaysia, Belt and
Road Regatta (BRR), Kedah State Government, ALJ Global Sdn Bhd & Malaysia
International Boat Show ’25 Langkawi (MYBOS ’25)
Media partners HOMME, Sea Yachting, Digital Vision Advertising (DVA), Radio Televisyen Malaysia
(RTM) & TRAXXfm
Official booking platform LangkawiBook
Official drinks Gatorade & Calpis Soda
Supported by Malaysia Sailing Association (MSA), World Sailing Aseanarean Bluewater Alliance
For more information, kindly visit http://www.langkawiregatta.com/
Race Day 1 – 21 January 2025
Running in its 21st edition, the Royal Langkawi International Regatta has welcomed an impressive 35 registered boats from Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore, Japan, China, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Denmark, and Australia. This year’s event emphasizes competitiveness, inclusivity, women’s empowerment, and speed among the vessels. Notably, Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM), Universiti Malaysia Terengganu, and the Malaysian Navy are navigating the Andaman Sea alongside seasoned sailors. It’s heartening to see such a strong turnout, post-pandemic.
January is typically the windiest month in Langkawi, with wind speeds starting at 5 to 8 knots.
The first warning signal was given at 9:30 AM this morning—a light breeze to start the day. By mid-day, the wind picked up 14 to 15 knots, powering the boats to a pleasant racing speed. The Member of Parliament (MP) for Langkawi, YB Dato’ Haji Mohd Suhaimi Abdullah, flagged off the
first day’s race on time.
Today’s race at Kuah Harbour featured a windward-leeward course. The wind shifted from 050 degrees north to 080 degrees northeast, prompting Mark Boat A to adjust the windward mark for a smoother flow. The Racing class was the first to go, followed by IRC 1, IRC 2, Multihull, Club, and finally, Sports Boat. Three boats from the IRC 1 class crossed the starting line prematurely and had to dip down before starting again.
During the downwind leg, the RSYC Sailing Team encountered a gust of wind. With the spinnaker flying, Aqid Nurhaziqah briefly lost control, causing the boat to spin up. The skipper swiftly brought the boat head into the wind, regaining control without any chaos.
Success today required skippers to remain vigilant of the wind direction and pressure, particularly a bias to leeward. The tables turned from last year as ‘The Next Factor’ skippered by Rolf Heemskerk, led the Racing class, followed by ‘Blitz’, helmed by Nick Burns. In the IRC 1 class, ‘Char Chan’ skippered by Kazuki Kihara, came in first, followed by ‘Mata Hari’, helmed by Vincent Chan, and ‘Team Jolt’, with Lee Yi Min as captain.
In the PSC IRC 2 class, ‘Phoenix’, helmed by Niels Degenkolw, captured first place, followed by the PDRM Sailing Team, skippered by Muhammad Izzad. ‘Haruki’ helmed by Douglas Jackson led the Multihull class with WOW coming in second with David Liddell as the skipper.
‘Dash,’ helmed by Mohd Azhar, claimed first place today, with ‘Wind of Change,’ skippered by Ilya Strakh, following closely behind, and ‘Suraya,’ helmed by Selwyn Enoch, showcased impressive skills to secure a spot in the top three for the Club class.
For the Sports Boat class, Rizal demonstrated his credibility by leading today’s race and is a strong contender to win the 2025 regatta.
Race Day 2 – 22 January 2025
Following an exhilarating first day of sailing, an eventful prize-giving evening, and the grand commencement of the 21st Royal Langkawi Regatta 2025, the competitive spirit was at an all-time high as participants set out on a windy journey for Race Day 2.
The day’s races took place offshore, southeast of Langkawi, about six miles from the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club. By 0945 hours, the start pin and rounding buoy were set amidst occasional swells and choppy waters, setting the stage for another thrilling day of competition.
Morning winds ranged from 9 to 16 knots, with a direction between 060° and 070°. While the swell and big waves posed challenges for some of the smaller vessels, all boats successfully completed two races. Simon James, the Principal Race Officer, skillfully balanced the number of
races with a commitment to crew safety.
Highlights by Class
Racing Class:
Kevin Whitcraft’s Vayu overcame earlier technical issues to take the lead, surpassing Rolf Heemskerk’s The Next Factor. Nick Burns’ Blitz claimed third place.
IRC 1 Class:
Kazuki Kihara’s Char Chan made a strong performance, coming in first place overall, with Vincent Chan’s Mata Hari and Maksim Lisun’s Uminoko securing second and third places overall.
IRC 2 Class:
Phoenix, skippered by Niels Degenkolw, claimed first in Race 3 and second in Race 4, earning the top spot overall. Telaga Sail99 – UMT Racing Team, helmed by Ku Anas Ku Zamil, showed impressive teamwork, climbing from fourth in Race 3 to first in Race 4, securing second place overall.
Multihull Class:
Dougal Jackson’s Haruki took first in Race 3 and second in Race 4, maintaining the overall lead.
John Newnham’s Twin Sharks won Race 4 and finished second overall, with David Liddell’s WOW in third place.
Club Class:
Mohd Azhar’s Dash dominated with two first-place finishes, followed by Ilya Strakh’s Wind of Change. Wan Fadli Wan Ahmad’s Marikh edged out Selwyn Enoch’s Suraya to secure third place.
Sports Boat Class:
The RSYC Racing Team, led by Rizal Mahadi, delivered a flawless performance, taking first place in both Race 4 and Race 5 to retain their overall lead. Navy 2, helmed by Asmawi Azman, secured second place after an impressive comeback in Race 5.
After a challenging day battling strong winds and waves, sailors are likely resting up for another competitive day against the stunning backdrop of the Langkawi archipelago.