The 22nd Royal Langkawi International Regatta 2026
Recap
The 22nd Royal Langkawi International Regatta concluded yesterday (24th Jan) after a week of ideal wind and sunshine in the Andaman Sea. What began as a week of “shifting fortunes” ended with razor-thin margins, as teams battled exhaustion, equipment failures, and a final day of tactical duels that decided the prestigious Prime Minister’s Challenge Trophy.
Seasonal winds from the northeast provided consistent speeds and direction for experienced teams that are familiar with these waters. Beautiful island cliffs provided a stunning backdrop as crews rounded islands. First-time sailors joining seasoned crews to discover this stunning archipelago paradise on Malaysia’s border with Thailand. Royal Langkawi Yacht Club is the picturesque base for this annual event and newcomers were amazed to find themselves swimming with the local monitor lizards as they cleaned hulls and tuned their rigs for race mode. Races went smoothly with very few incidents and minor protests as some teams experienced confusion around gate navigation in the distance Around the Island course.
Event organizers worked night and day to assemble canopies, stages, and audio visual equipment for the event’s festivities. A beautiful spread of local Malaysian food was hosted for two event dinners: one kickoff night and one closing ceremony. Malaysian royalty and event sponsors shared food and drink and presented trophies to teams who fought to the top of their class among friendly rivals from all over the world. There were 34 boats entered in the regatta this year, representing at least 12 countries.
Class Highlights & Top Finishers
Racing Class Prime Minister’s Challenge Trophy
Winner: The Next Factor (Skipper: Rolf Heemskerk)
Runner-Up: Alive (Skipper: Duncan Hine)
Third Place: Blitz (Skipper: Nick Burns)
In a stunning final-day upset, The Next Factor clawed back a deficit to claim the overall victory by a single point. While the Reichal Pugh 66 Alive showed blistering speed—taking line honours and crushing the “Round the Island” record earlier in the week—their handicap lead evaporated in the technical windward/leeward courses of the final day. Rolf Heemskerk’s crew on The Next Factor sailed a consistent and tactically superior series to snatch the Prime Minister’s Challenge Trophy from the Australian favourite.
Lada-IRC Challenge Trophy
Winner: Char Chan (Skipper: Kazuki Kihara)
Runner-Up: Mata Hari (Skipper: Vincent Chan)
Third Place: Team Jolt (Skipper: Lee Yi Min)
The Japanese team on Char Chan was the undisputed story of the regatta. After winning six consecutive races, a catastrophic rudder failure on Day 3 resulted in a DNF that threatened to derail their campaign. In a display of true grit, the team repaired the boat and returned to the race course to defend their lead in IRC class, ultimately holding off the local champions on Mata Hari to secure the class title.
PSC-IRC 2 Challenge Trophy
Winner: Dynamite (Skipper: Maksim Lisun)
Runner-Up: Phoenix (Skipper: Niels Degenkolw)
Third Place: The Blue Angel (Skipper: Jeremy Camps)
Dynamite took the IRC 2 class at close margins with just one point between the top three finishers. Dynamite finished with a score of 17, Phoenix with 18, and The Blue Angel with 19.
Malaysian Multihull Challenge Trophy
Winner: Parabellum (Skipper: Dan Fidock)
Runner-Up: Haruki (Skipper: Dougal Jackson)
Third Place: WOW (Skipper: David Liddell)
The battle of the multihulls was a week-long duel that came down to the wire. Parabellum broke the deadlock on Day 4 with a sensational performance in the Round the Island race, slashing 13 minutes off their course record. They carried that momentum into the final day to secure the trophy over their persistent rival, Haruki.
Langkawi Sports Challenge Trophy
Winner: ATM Sailing Team (Skipper: Asmawi bin Azman)
Runner-Up: RSYC Racing Team (Skipper: Tom Rizal Mahadi)
Third Place: Team Benetau (Skipper: Jungchul Kim)
Separated by mere points all week, the Sportsboat class delivered the closest racing of the event. The RSYC Racing Team managed to hold their nerve against the aggressive ATM Sailing Team (Malaysian Navy), winning by a whisker in a class where every second count counted.
RSYC Commodore’s Challenge Trophy
Winner: Wind of Change (Skipper: Igor Ginzburg)
Runner-Up: First LIght (Skipper: Simon Piff)
Third Place: Kesini (Skipper Peter Jong)
Wind of Change dominated the Club class throughout the week to take a comfortable win. First Light and Kesini had consistent results to secure second and third place, respectively.
Multihull Cruising Class
Winner: Serendipity (Skipper: Jeff Harris)
Runner-Up: North Star (Skipper Rob Azzopardi)
Serendipity sailed a flawless regatta to defeat their only opponent in class, North Star.
Closing Event
The 22nd Royal Langkawi International Regatta 2026 could not have been such a success without returning Principal Race Officer Simon James, who managed race starts and teams on committee boat Manta Blu, Princess Mary, as well as marker boats where officials recorded mark and gate times. Food and beverage support by hard-working RLYC support teams was more than adequate and very much appreciated. Media coverage and footage this year was top-notch with professional presentations and video edits ready in minutes. Entertainment and music were also superb this year, with both traditional and modern music performed live and skillfully guided by MC Glen Saley.
We would also like to extend our heartfelt appreciation to the Malaysian government authorities for their unwavering support and facilitation throughout the event. Special thanks go to the Regatta Office Secretariat for their meticulous organization and smooth coordination. The dedication of RLYC yachties volunteers and the enthusiastic Universiti Malaysia Terengganu student volunteers greatly contributed to the event’s seamless execution. Our sincere gratitude is also extended to all competitors and sponsors, whose participation and generosity made this regatta truly exceptional. To everyone involved, including those not mentioned above, your commitment and passion have been invaluable.
We look forward to seeing you all again next year at the 23rd Royal Langkawi International Regatta 2027.
