Raja Muda 2007 - long legs and long nights

by Guy Nowell, Sail World Asia on 16 Nov 2007 There’s no doubt about it, the Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta is different. This is the only regatta in Asia that offers three offshore passage races, two days of cans racing, a trishaw race and stopovers in four different ports. Long and deep discussions around the press table at dinner last night came to the conclusion that the friendliness of the whole affair stems from the fact that the fleet - boats and crews – stays together and plays together for the duration. 'It’s a captive audience,' said John Ferguson, General Manager of the Royal Selangor yachr Club and Regatta Director. 'Nobody has to rush home after each race, everyone is staying in the same hotels at each port, and the yarns only get bigger as the hours get smaller.' By the time the regatta reaches Langkawi after a week of sailing and partying, everyone knows each other. More than half the entries this year have been here before – some of them many times – and that’s a compliment to the status and popularity of the event.

Starting at Port Klang, from the Royal Selangor Yacht Club, the fleet races 90 nm up the coast of Malaysia to Pangkor. This is just the place to kick back for 24 hrs or so at the Seaview Hotel, share your breakfast with the local hornbills, and summon the energy for the second passage race – to Penang.

Penang is the venue for the almost-famous (or infamous, depending on your point of collision) trishaw races, where a ‘quick drink’ is mandatory under the Racing Instructions and there is chance of calling for water – or anything resembling room and opportunity – at any of the turning marks. Points earned in the Penang Trishaw Races did not count for the Raja Muda Series in 2006, but we haven’t seen this year’s SIs yet.

The Penang stopover also includes one day of ‘cans’ racing, and a spectacularly swish party at the spectacularly beautiful Eastern & Oriental Hotel. Then the fleet moves on with the third passage race, to Langkawi. It is the shortest of the three ‘hops’, but weather to the north of the Malacca Strait can be just as unpredictable here as it is down at Port Klang.

From the comfort of the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club, the fleet sallies out into Bass Harbour for a last day of inshore races before retiring to the RLYC for a gala prizegiving dinner.

Some have called it 'the most tactically challenging regatta in Asia' and others just say it is 'great fun and great sailing'. Whatever your point of view, it is definitely different, and there are plenty of boats from the Asian region – and further afield – who keep it indelibly marked on the calendar. The provisional entry list for 2007 has 41 boats signed up so far, and a few more known to be ‘on passage’ that haven’t quite ‘called in’ yet, even though today is 'close of registration' day.

Heading up the IRC Racing division is defending champion Fortis Mandrake, the Mills 51 owned by Nick Burns and Fred Kinmonth. They took the title by a squeak last year, beating Foxy Lady only on the last day. Bill Bremner won’t be there this time – not because he is licking his wounds, but because he is prepping Foxy Lady #4, a TP52, and can’t quite make it in time. However, stiff competition can be expected from Ray Roberts’ DK 46 Quantum Racing, and Frank Pong’s 76’ Reichel-Pugh, Jelik, will be looking to eat up the miles. A recent win at the RHKYC China Coast Regatta says that the crew work round the cans is pretty nifty too. Then look out for Adam Ng’s team on the Judel-Vrolik 52, Microlab Moonlight Shadow, who should not be underestimated. This is the first time a Mainland Chinese crew has competed in the Raja Muda, and they have a good boat. Crew work at the China Coast showed plenty of promise, and if they call the shots right they will be in the running.

In IRC 2 Intrigue (Doc Nic) will undoubtedly complete the course in style and some measure of comfort, but Strewth (Lyons 49, Geoff Hill) has a wealth of experience on board. The boat was overweight on the way to Hainan, but they’ll be quicker when they get rid of the outboard engine, the dinghy and about 200 spare sails. Hill and his skipper, Ben Johnson, were on board Love & War when she won the Hobart at the end of last year, so don’t expect them to hang about. And Hans Rahmann’s Yasooda (Judel-Vrolijk 70) has been knoking at the door of the Premier Cruising division of late – they are eager for a good score too.

There’s an interesting line-up in IRC 3, with Dr Jon Wardill’s evergreen Australian Maid back for her umpteenth Raja Muda (informed opinion says ‘probably at least her 14th out of 18 regattas’) although rumour has it that Dr Jon will not be on board… meaning that the prize for Best Hat at the Raja Muda is up for grabs! Even the Maid won’t have it all her own way, with Impiana (Beneteau 45f5, Andrew Findlay) and Walawala (Beneteau 44.7, John Blay) out to prove a point. ‘Cruiser John’ has been there, done it, AND won most of the Asian races and regattas over the years, so watch that boat.

IRC 4 offers a competitive line-up including defending title-holder Mat Salleh (Farr 1104, Neil Ankorn), Aquavit IV (Elan 340, Bob Howison) and Jeff Davison’s Mumm 30 Panic! Smallest boat in the division is Jeremy Camps’ Eygthene 24, Jandi.

In the non-IRC Class 5 the fleet ranges from Gavin Welman’s Hallberg-Rassy 53, Rascal, down to John Crowther’s little cat, Merpati Putih, which should make for some interesting handicapping. At the ‘shorter’ end of the division RSYC Sailing Academy supremo Dave Moxey is campaigning a Jeanneau 36, Panacea – the cure for all ills!

No Raja Muda would be complete without RSYC Commodore Dato’ Richard Curtis’ venerable Eveline, even if it were necessary to put her in a class of her own – which of course she is. She’ll be racing against Simon Morris’ Sirius 1935 and Sanook (Julian Hill) in non-IRC 6.

Don’t underestimate the level of competition in the Raja Muda, but next this evening’s opening dinner and party at the Royal Selangor YC will be more a re-gathering of friends than a last opportunity to sharpen the rigging knives. Maybe it’s the circus-on-tour atmosphere of the regatta, maybe it’s the ‘caravan’ nature of the event, but one thing is for certain, but by the time RO Jerry Rollins relaxes in Langkawi after yet another well-run event, there will be a new collection of devotees of Asia’s most different regatta.