BMW Royal Langkawi International Regatta: Yo! Eyeing hat-trick

Langkawi, 27 February 2004 – The winds will be mercurial, the yachts are built to cope and, where possible to exploit their moods.

It is time once again for anchors aweigh in this year’s BMW Royal Langkawi International Regatta at Kuah in Langkawi, starting tomorrow.

The event, the third in the series, caters to both serious racers and cruisers, with five days of activities and four days of racing on the cards.

Coming almost two months to the day of the Asian tsunami that devastated much of the Indian Ocean coastline, claiming an estimated 200,000 lives, this year’s races will be unlike any other.

“You can bet on that,” said Wicky Sundram, general manager and director of the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club (RLYC), who is organizing the event.

He explains the racing yachts come in different layouts – in sizes and weights. “Besides, we must understand that the open seas are the safest place to be during an unexpected disaster.” Apart from Malaysia and Singapore, yachts from seven other countries – New Zealand, Australia, Thailand, Germany, Holland, Canada and England – will compete.

On the Christmas Day last year, hours before the Asian tsunami struck, RLYC received a total of 34 entries for the races. On Jan 7, two entries pulled out, but by Feb 22, the total number of entries swelled to 46.

They will compete for the nine classes of which two classes will collect points to vie for the Prime Minister’s Challenge Trophy, namely the Racing Class and the IRC Premier Crusing Class.

As for the RLYC Commodore’s Cup, a total of 12 clubs registered yachts have also signed up.

Interestingly, there are two youth teams from Malaysia – the Kedah Sailing Association Youth and the Sri Cempaka School KL, who will sail under Chantique Too. They will compete for the Langkawi Sports Class Trophy.

The only casualty tsunami inflicted at Langkawi was the immobilization of a few yachts berth at Telaga Harbour Park Marina.

Australian Peter Ahern, in his trusted Yo!, sailed under Malaysian colors to win the PM’s Challenge Trophy in the first two years of competition, in the 2003 and last year’s edition.

Now he is back to defend the Cup under the Australian flag with his 52-footer and 14 crew members.

Malaysia’s challenge for the PM’s Cup comes from the Sarawak-based Ulumulu, manned by a nine-man crew. Besides the unpredictable winds and the blinding glare of the sun, the continual shower of salt spray is discomforting to any sailor.

“It’s like having a salt water hose going flat out into your face,” said Ahern. This explains why sailors and their crew members wear sun- glasses which must constantly be washed of caked salt.

Can Ahern, who worked and sailed in Malaysian for several year before returning to Australia, pull off the hat-trick of victories remains to be seen.

Sundram feels Yo! can be expected to gain an edge in lighter breezes, but that predication may not hold in the water.

Tsunami or not, sailors still love the flat water and the generally good winds at Langkawi that conspire to good regatta.