30 October 2018: Regatta sailors supplied with water stored in sustainable packaging to reduce plastic waste

The Royal Selangor Yacht Club aims to reduce plastic pollution in the seas by supporting the United Nations-led Clean Seas campaign. 

In a conscious effort to reduce its plastic footprint and marine litter, the RSYC will be providing each boat competing in the 2018 Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta (RMSIR) with reusable drinking bottles for each crew member and Ō Pure natural artesian water, sponsored by Delta Marine and Leopad.

Regattas generally see sailors purchasing large quantities of bottled drinking water where the empty plastic bottles are later thrown away after each race. In previous years this will result in several thousand plastic bottles being dumped in waste bins. Delta Marine and Leopad will be sponsoring sufficient quantities of the 10-litre Bag in a Box water to supply sailors with throughout the regatta. The water will be distributed free at the RMSIR checkpoints in Port Klang, Pangkor, Penang and Langkawi.

The Ō Pure Bag in a Box is artesian spring water packaged in a stowable cardboard pack lined with flexible foil. Sailors will be able to refill their drinking bottles from the small tap and have zero plastic to dispose of once the Box is empty as it collapses flat and can be recycled onshore.

“Sailors in the RMSIR will now be able to stay hydrated while helping in the battle against plastic bottle pollution. The Ō Pure Bag in a Box comes in eco-friendly packaging and we strongly recommend that all participating boats use this boxed water rather than packs of plastic bottles,” said RMSIR chairman Jeff Harris.

Registration is still open for the latest edition of the Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta (RMSIR), Southeast Asia’s most challenging sailing event. The 29th RMSIR will run from 16 to 24 November 2018 and retain the regular course along Malaysia’s west coast.

This world-class event will see participating boats push onwards from the start point at Port Klang and make their way – via the Straits of Malacca – to the various checkpoints at the islands of Pangkor, Penang and Langkawi in an attempt to win the prestigious Raja Muda Cup, among other prizes.

RMSIR veteran Jerry Rollin is returning as the Principal Race Office overseeing race management while Malaysia’s Leonard Chin will head the International Jury. This year’s event will continue to use the Yellow Brick (YB) Yacht Tracking system – introduced last year – for live tracking overnight passage races from Port Klang to Pangkor, then Penang and finally Langkawi.

The RMSIR is organised annually by the RSYC in association with the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC) and the Malaysia Sailing Association; assisted by the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) and Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN). The RMP’s Marine Police play an instrumental role in escorting the boats out to the starting points and back to the finish line in the whole regatta. 

Tourism Malaysia and Selangor Tourism have returned as main sponsors, along with container port Westports Malaysia and Scottish whisky brand Old Pulteney. Other sponsors include the Port Klang Authority and the Langkawi Development Authority (LADA).

The updated Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions for the 2018 RMSIR can be downloaded from www.rmsir.com. This year’s regatta offers six event classes which will start from Port Klang, as well as an additional multihull class that will start from Penang.

The RMSIR was established in 1990 by the RSYC’s Royal Patron, the Sultan of Selangor HRH Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah, who was then Raja Muda Selangor, together with Dato’ Johan Ariff and Jonathon Muhiudeen.

Yachts competing in the regatta range from top class IRC1 racers to beautiful classic cruisers with long overhangs dating back over 100 years. Skippers and crew will have to cope with the unpredictable weather, changing tactics and heavy shipping traffic in the Straits of Malacca, all of which make the regatta a matchless experience.

Known for its unpredictable winds, weather and tide, the RMSIR provides excitement for even the most experienced of sailors, along with an interesting challenge. Add to that a little bit of sightseeing and fun social events at every stop and you have a regatta with everything.

The month of November typically marks the height of the northeast monsoon on Peninsular Malaysia where sailors can expect anything from glassy waters and light breeze to a sea heaving with two metres of swell or higher and 30 knot squalls blowing off the coast. In other words, these northeast monsoon months bring conditions that are challenging enough even for seasoned sailors.

For more information and for the official results, log on to www.rmsir.com or www.facebook.com/rmsir.