RMSIR 2017 all set to stay on course

by RMSIR Media on 6 Jun 2017 The Royal Selangor Yacht Club (RSYC) today announced that the 28th Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta (RMSIR) fleet will set sail from Port Klang on 18 November 2017 and maintain its regular course along Malaysia’s west coast to the finish line.

This world-class event will see participating boats race from to Port Klang to Pangkor, then on to Penang and finally Langkawi. Top prizes up for grabs are the prestigious Raja Muda Cup and the Jugra Cup. This year’s RMSIR will run from 18 to 25 November 2017.

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, inshore racing, awards and dinner parties at every stop and you have a regatta with everything.

The RMSIR is organised 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 Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN). The RMP’s Marine Police play an important role in escorting the racing fleet during the coastal passage races, and providing race management vessels all the way through the regatta.

Tourism Malaysia and Selangor Tourism have returned as main sponsors for this year’s RMSIR, along with container port Westports Malaysia and Scottish whisky brand Old Pulteney. Also back on duty is veteran PRO, Jerry Rollin.

“We are pleased to welcome our sponsors and Race Officer back to the RMSIR, an event which continues to bring the regional sailing community together. We would also like to express our appreciation to the sailing community for its continued support – we were pleasantly surprised to have sailors sign up for the RMSIR even before the Notice of Race was officially issued,” said Royal Selangor Yacht Club (RSYC) Commodore Jeff Harris, who is also the RMSIR chairman.

“As regular sailors know, conditions along the west coast of Malaysia can very enormously. There will be no major changes to the tried and tested passage race courses this year, but the race committee will constantly review the smaller details of all race courses as things progress,” he added.

The RSYC recently released its Notice of Race for the RMSIR, which officially signals that registration for the regatta is now open. This year’s event retains its usual Class 1 to Class 7 categories, along with the possibility of a Class 0 division (TP52s). There are Early Bird deals for those who register by 1 October 2017 at www.rmsir.com.

Singapore’s SY Mystic River, skippered by Daniel Pang, was the first entrant to sign up – the Hanse 400e boat will be sailing in Class 5 (Non-IRC Cruising).

The RSYC will set up RMSIR race offices at Penang’s Straits Quay marina – which is managed by former RMSIR alumnus, John Ferguson – and the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club (RLYC). Berths are available at the RLYC, which now has a 44-room boutique hotel.

The regatta schedule for 2017 is as follows:
18 November 2017 Race start, Port Klang to Pangkor
20 November 2017 Race start, Pangkor to Penang
21 November 2017 Rickshaw races at Straits Quay, Tanjung Tokong, Penang
22 November 2017 Inshore races in Penang Harbour
23 November 2017 Race start, Penang to Langkawi
24 November 2017 Inshore Races at Kuah Harbour, Langkawi
25 November 2017 Final Inshore Races in Langkawi at Kuah Harbour /Awards

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.

Yachts competing in the regatta range from top class IRC1 racers to classic cruisers. Skippers and crew will have to cope with the unpredictable weather, tides and coastal currents and (probably) fishing nets in the Malacca Straita, all of which make the regatta a challenging experience.

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 metres of swell or higher and 30 knot squalls blowing off the coast. In other words, these northeast monsoon months bring conditions that are testing enough even for seasoned sailors.

The other sponsors for the 2017 RMSIR are the Port Klang Authority and the Langkawi Development Authority (LADA). The event is also supported by the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club.

For more information on the 2017 RMSIR, log on to www.rmsir.com or www.facebook.com/rmsir.