Stronger breezes and open-water racing reshaped the leaderboard on Race Days 3 and 4 of the 22nd Royal Langkawi International Regatta, testing crews with tougher conditions and a growing list of technical retirements.
The 22nd Royal Langkawi International Regatta (RLIR) continued to build momentum on Thursday, January 22, as racing moved decisively offshore for Race Day 3. After two days in the relative shelter of Kuah Harbour, the fleet was sent into open waters west of Langkawi, where prevailing northeasterly winds strengthened to as much as 20 knots. Cooler temperatures and slightly hazy skies accompanied conditions that were fast, demanding, and unforgiving.
RACE DAY 3 RECAP
The transition to open water brought a noticeable escalation in both pace and pressure. While many crews welcomed the fresh breeze, the cumulative toll of three consecutive days of racing became evident. A number of boats encountered technical and mechanical issues, forcing withdrawals before races were completed and, in some cases, preventing boats from leaving the marina altogether.
Among those unable to start early were Marikh, sidelined by engine problems, and Rama-Rama VG, which was held back by electrical system issues. Mata Hari retired after the first race of the day, while WOW was forced to withdraw mid-race due to technical difficulties. Malabar and The Blue Angel were unable to start the second race of the day, and Venture and Char Chan both failed to finish after encountering problems on the course. North Star also remained in the marina following internal team issues.
Char Chan’s difficulties drew particular attention, as the IRC 1 frontrunner suffered a rudder failure during Race 7. The incident abruptly halted what had been a near-flawless regatta to that point, following five consecutive first-place finishes. Despite the setback, scoring rules that allow for the discarding of worst results may yet preserve the team’s overall dominance.
RACING CLASS
The Racing Class saw a dramatic reversal of fortunes. Alive, which had struggled over the first two days, found its rhythm and delivered a clean sweep, taking first place in both races for a perfect two-point score on the day. The Next Factor rebounded from a third-place finish the previous day to secure two second-place results, finishing on four points. Blitz slipped to third with six points.
The results significantly tightened the overall standings. Alive now leads the class on 10 points, with The Next Factor close behind on 11. Blitz follows in third on 12, setting up a narrow three-way contest as the regatta enters its latter stages.
IRC 1 CLASS
IRC 1 produced one of the most eventful narratives of the day. Team Jolt, skippered by Lee Yi Min, combined a fourth-place finish with a race win to top the day’s standings on five points. Skadoosh followed with a fifth and second-place finish, ending the day on seven points.
Char Chan claimed its sixth consecutive race win before the rudder failure resulted in a DNF in Race 7. Despite the setback, Char Chan retains a commanding overall lead on six points, ahead of Mata Hari in second place on 13. Team Jolt’s strong performance lifted it into third overall on 19 points.
PSC IRC 2 CLASS
Consistency continued to define PSC IRC 2. Dynamite maintained its strong form with two race wins and a perfect two-point score for the day. Phoenix remained firmly in second place on four points, while The Blue Angel finished third on six.
Overall, Dynamite leads the class with eight points, followed by Phoenix on 11 and The Blue Angel on 14. The narrow margins suggest little room for error in the remaining races.
CLUB CLASS
The Club Class saw a reshuffle at the front. Wind of Change, skippered by Igor Ginzburg, delivered a standout performance to take first place on the day with two points. First Light, under Simon Piff, broke a previous tie with Kesini to claim second place on four points. Gannet II, skippered by Vitalii Plaksin, finished third on eight points.
Wind of Change continues to lead overall with nine points, narrowly ahead of First Light on 10. Kesini holds third place on 19.
SPORTSBOAT CLASS
Competition remained tight in the Sportsboat Class. Team Beneteau, skippered by Jungchul Kim, edged ahead with four points for the day. RSYC Racing Team posted two second-place finishes, while Team FR followed closely in third on five points.
Overall standings remain exceptionally close, with just one point separating the top three. RSYC Racing Team leads on 12 points, with ATM Sailing Team one point back in second and Team FR a further point behind. The upcoming distance race is expected to prove decisive.
MULTIHULL CLASS
The Multihull Class delivered another closely fought day, with Parabellum and Haruki finishing tied for first on three points each. Boreas, skippered by John Hearne, took third on nine points.
Overall, Parabellum and Haruki are now level at the top on 14 points apiece, while WOW drops to third, also on 14, underscoring the finely balanced nature of the class.
MULTIHULL CRUISING CLASS
In Multihull Cruising, Serendipity, skippered by Jeff Harris, continued its dominant run with two race wins. North Star, skippered by Rob Azzopardi, was again unable to leave the marina.
Serendipity now holds a flawless overall lead on five points, with North Star second on 10.
As RLIR 2026 enters its later stages, Race Day 3 reinforced why the regatta remains a highlight of Asia’s sailing calendar. Race Day 4, the challenging “Around the Island” race, was held on Friday, with full results below. The final day, Turkish Airlines Race Day 5, takes place on Saturday, with the gala dinner and full awards ceremony to follow in the evening.
RACE DAY 4: ROUND THE ISLAND TESTS SPEED AND STAMINA
Race Day 4 of the 22nd Royal Langkawi International Regatta delivered one of the most anticipated moments of the week – the Round the Island distance race – under stronger winds, clearer skies, and conditions that rewarded both raw speed and precise navigation.
Prevailing easterly winds built steadily through the morning, reaching up to an invigorating 25 knots as visibility improved markedly from the previous day. The shift in wind direction cleared lingering haze carried earlier in the week from regional fires, setting the stage for fast, uninterrupted racing. While early calm briefly raised concerns about the long course, the breeze filled in quickly after sunrise, producing several record-breaking times from crews familiar with this demanding route around Langkawi’s southern islands.
The single distance race took competitors past Pulau Tuba, Dayang Bunting, and Singa Besar, where narrow channels and island shadows tested tactical judgment. Over such a long course, margins were razor-thin. In several classes, corrected times after more than two hours of racing were separated by seconds, underscoring the intensity of the contest.
RACING CLASS
Alive continued its strong resurgence, with skipper Duncan Hine guiding the boat to first place in an elapsed time of 2:00:01. The Next Factor followed closely, finishing just four and a half minutes behind on corrected time, while Blitz secured third only a minute further back. Overall standings remain tight, with Alive leading on 11 points, The Next Factor second on 13, and Blitz third on 15.
IRC 1 CLASS
IRC 1 produced one of the closest finishes of the regatta so far. Char Chan claimed another win, finishing just 49 seconds ahead of Mata Hari, with Team Jolt a single second behind in third. Char Chan retains a commanding overall lead on seven points, followed by Mata Hari on 15 and Team Jolt on 22.
PSC IRC 2 CLASS
A reshuffle emerged in PSC IRC 2, as PDRM Sailing Team / Red G took first place. The Blue Angel followed in second, with Dynamite finishing third only 30 seconds later. Despite the change, Dynamite maintains its overall lead on 11 points.
CLUB AND SPORTSBOAT CLASSES
Wind of Change extended its dominance in Club Class with another clear win, while RSYC Racing Team rebounded strongly in Sportsboat Class after a previous DNF to take first. Both classes remain competitive heading into the final races.
MULTIHULL CLASSES
Multihulls thrived in the stiff breezes. Parabellum set an exceptional pace, crossing the line in 1:35:09 – more than 13 minutes faster than its previous best on this course – to break a tie at the top of the standings. In Multihull Cruising, Serendipity continued its flawless run with another victory.
