RMSIR 2015 – Just what the doctor ordered

by Guy Nowell, Sail-World Asia on 28 Nov 2015 The last passage race of the Raja Muda, from Penang to Langkawi, usually delivers the best breeze of the three passage races in the series. Yesterday’s race ran true to form, right down to a light air start after the RO had moved the Committee Boat up the course in search of wind.

In the event, the fleet started in 6-7 kts, reaching for Penang. There must have been some over-enthusiasm to get on the road, producing a couple of OCSs, one of which saw Black Baza circling back towards the pin where a fast charging Windsikher was intent on going through. Hats off to owner Sarab Jeet Singh on the helm for going for the gap with no hesitation and providing a seriously exciting moment for the camera boat down at the pin end. Muy cojones!

The leg up the coast was straightforward, with a strengthening breeze that flipped through from west to northeast (‘transition’ would be a much too slow word) in the space of 10 minutes, some 20 nm up the track.

Antipodes went with the knock immediately, and was the first to tack over on to starboard, claiming the inside of the bend and laying the finish in one hit. It was grand stuff for the long legged long waterline boats, and huge fun for everyone else. Alive blitzed the 53nm course in 4h 46m, and roared through the line at 1901h, but it was EFG Mandrake that got up for the handicap win, six minutes ahead of Windsikher. The racing classes all followed through in the dark in lumpy seas and continuing wind – Antipodes reported a max of 30kts windspeed, on the Committee Boat 27kts was recorded.

The dimunitive Marikh (Royal Malaysian Navy), was dismasted some 18nm from the finish line, but there were no casualties and Millennium 2 abandoned racing and took the Contessa 32 in tow. Surprisingly, last across the line was not Eveline (0117h), but Kay Sira (Langkawi Sailing School) who hobby-horsed home at 0130h having paid a visit to some part of Langkawi south of the finish line.

Summary: a damn good blow, and a fast race. As always, it makes up for the frustrations of the earlier legs. Last year Bill Bremner described the RMSIR as “the regatta that starts in a sewer and ends in Paradise.” Sailors all, welcome to Paradise! The regatta has now run through four races, and there are four to go. One point separates Windsikher (9) and EFG Mandrake (10) at the top of the table, and tomorrow is the start of the Langkawi inshore races. The cards are on the table.

Short Results (Full Results can be found at www.rmsir.com):

Class 1
1. Windsikher 1, 5, 1, 2 (9)
2. EFG Mandrake 4, 1, 4, 1 (10)
3. Millenium Racing 2, 6, 2, 4 (14)
Class 2 Premier Cruising
1. Antipodes 1, 1, 1, 1 (4)
2. Starlight 2, 2, 2, 2 (8)
Class 3
1. Fujin 1, 1, 3, 1 (6)
2. Popeye 4, 5, 2, 2 (13)
3. ReKering Dream 3, 4, 4, 4 (15)
Class 4
1. Farrgo Express 1, 1, 1, 1 (4)
2. NiJinsky 2, 2, 2, 3 (9)
3. Old Pulteney Blue Angel 3, 3, 3, 2 (11)

Class 5 and 6 results for the Penang-Langkawi Race are under review on account of the number of requests for redress submitted as a result of boats going to the assistance of Marikh (dismasted).

Class 5
1. Sophia 1, 1, 1, X, 1 (4)
2. Lady Bubbly 2, 2, 2, X, 2 (8)
3. VG Offshore 3, 5, 3, X, 4 (15)
Class 6
1. Marikh 1, 2, 1, X, 6(DNS) (10)
2. Aeolus XC 2, 3, 6(DNF), X, 2 (13)
3. Kay Sira 3, 4, 2, X, 6(DNF) (15)