Royal Langkawi International Regatta 2026 Highlight of the day; Race Day 2 (Wednesday, 21st January)
Overview of Conditions and Racing
The second day of racing at the Royal Langkawi International Regatta (RLIR) 2026 continued ideal conditions with prevailing northeasterly winds up to 16 knots and slightly hazy skies with cooler temperatures. Races moved from the protected Kuah Harbour to the open waters south of the island. Relatively calm conditions combined with stronger winds made excellent conditions and what Principal Race Officer, Simon James; called “some of the best sailing we’ve seen”. Forecasts calling for a drop in wind speed were premature as winds died off in the evening long after races had finished.
Two boats sadly could not race today. Rama-Rama VG in Racing Class , had technical problems and RSYC Sailing Team in Sportsboat Class was unable to join the third race. Both teams hope to be ready tomorrow.
Race Highlights by Class
Scores are a summation of place finishes for the day’s three races. Points for prior racing days are not included. Today races 3, 4, and 5 took place. Overall this means a perfect minimum score of 3 points to any team lucky enough to secure first place in all three races.
Racing Class
Blitz managed to break their prior tie with The Next Factor today with two second place and a first place finish in race 5. That puts Blitz in first place with 5 points and The Next Factor in second with 6 points. Alive managed a first place and two third place finishes which leaves them steady in third place with a close 7 points.
IRC 1 Class
Char Chan skipper Kazuki Kihara extended the team’s lead with another sweep of first place finishes. Char Chan now sits firmly in first place with 5 points. Mata Hari skipper Vincent Chan secured a consistent second place in all races and retains second place with 6 points. Venture, Skadoosh, and Team Jolt all sit tied for third place with 12 points each.
PSC IRC 2 Class
Dynamite pulled ahead today with a strong 4 point finish. Phoenix maintained second place with 7 points. The Blue Angel finished third place with 8 after sweeping both races yesterday.
Club Class
Wind of Change skipper Igor Ginzburg had a strong turnaround today with 4 points for first place. First Light skipper Simon Piff broke a previous tie with Kesini to take a solid second place with 5 points. Kesini skipper Peter Jong holds third place with 10 points.
Sportsboat Class
Team FR skipper Allen Chai pulled ahead in a competitive Sportsboat class today. They hold first place with 7 points. RSYC Racing Team finished strong with two first place finishes but a withdrawal and DNF of race 5 leaves them tied with ATM Sailing Team for second place with 8 points each.
Multihull Class
Multihull Class saw a competitive day with three teams tied for first place at 6 points each. Haruki, Parabellum, and WOW each share first place after today’s conditions left them each finishing with a first, second, and third place.
Multihull Cruising Class
Serendipity skipper Jeff Harris maintained the team’s lead in Multihull Cruising Class with three first place finishes. North Star skipper Rob Azzopardi maintains second with two second place finishes.
Looking Ahead to Race Day 3
Forecasts suggest slightly less wind strength for Thursday, presenting a challenge to some heavier boats facing longer distance races. Air quality is expected to decline a bit with more haze blowing off the mainland and a slight chance of some light rain.
