10th Royal Langkawi International Regatta raises its sails in January 2012

LANGKAWI, the jewel of Kedah, Malaysia will once again be the site of one of the world’s most competitive racing when the 10th Royal Langkawi International Regatta (RLIR) 2012 kicks into full gear in early January.

The premier sailing event of Asia which is scheduled to take place from 9th to 14th January 2012 in Kuah, Langkawi will host many different classes of competition, including Racing Class, IRC Class, Sports Boat, Multihull, Club Cruising and Ocean Rover.

The RLIR 2012 is the 10th regatta to be organised by the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club (RLYC) consecutively since its inaugural event in 2003 and being a significant year in celebrating its 10th anniversary, preparations are well under way to make this event successful.

Coinciding with the anniversary, for the first time, the regatta has been accorded an international recognition as a Grade 3 championship by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) and this achievement, which is one of the highlights of the 10th regatta, proves that RLIR is on a solid track to continue its tradition of excellence in attracting highly competitive racing yachts and sailors from all over the world.

The Rear Commodore of RLYC and Chairperson of Regatta Advisory Committee Y.M. Tunku Soraya Dakhlah binti Tunku Tan Sri Abdullah said the regatta also complements the Government’s effort in positioning Langkawi as one of the world’s most widely recognised islands and tourist destination under the Langkawi Five Year Tourism Development Master Plan.

“It is our aim to maximise these inherent strengths and turn Langkawi into the region’s premier sailing and yachting destination. We are looking forward to welcoming yacht owners from across the globe to participate and register for this thrilling event, which is aimed to cultivate the spirit of friendship and international sportsmanship among participating countries,” Tunku Soraya said.

The Regatta Race Technical Chairman, Ahmad Zailani Bashah said Langkawi is known for its world-class sailing venue with excellent weather experience, best wind conditions and good tropical waters. “The wind speed in January always fluctuates between 8 – 20 knots and we are sure the wind conditions will be the same in January 2012. The Kuah Harbour race and Coastal race always provide two different scenarios for sailors. We have strong wind conditions with flat waters at the Kuah Harbour, as well as strong wind conditions with choppy waters in Coastal areas. All participants can look forward to a challenging and fascinating sailing experience,” Zailani added.

RLIR 2012 will be preceded by a curtain-raiser, the AO CHALONG – LANGKAWI ‘CHAMPAGNE RUN’, inviting “Expression of Interest” from all yacht enthusiasts. The overnight sailing race will kick off on 7th January 2012 from Ao Chalong Yacht Club (ACYC), Ao Chalong Bay in Phuket, Thailand and officially ends at Telaga Habour in Langkawi.

Special promotional packages for early bird registrations are offered, where an entry fee of RM550 per team, inclusive of skipper will be charged for teams that register and make full payments before 30th November 2011. There will be also an additional RM100 fee for each additional crew member. Once the promotion ends, a fee of RM200 will be charged for each additional crew member. The fees will cover the cost of berthing for eight nights at the RLYC, water and electricity and Regatta souvenirs.

Teams participating in the RLIR 2012 will compete for the Prime Minister’s Challenge Trophy (for participants of internationally registered yachts), the Commodore’s Challenge Cup (for participants of club-registered cruisers), the LADA-IRC Challenge Trophy (for participants of the IRC 1 Class), the Langkawi Sports Trophy (for participants in the Sports Boat Class) and the Malaysian Multihull Challenge Cup (for participants under the Multihull category).

A special award in memory of the late Founding Chairman and first Commodore of RLYC, Almarhum Tunku Tan Sri Abdullah Tuanku Abdul Rahman, the “Tunku Abdullah Sportsmanship Award” will be presented for the best team, both on water and land in the 2012 Regatta.

RLIR 2012 is organised by the RLYC and sanctioned by the Malaysian Yachting Association (MYA – The National Authority), a member of the National Sports Council and the Ministry of Youth and Sports, Malaysia.