Langkawi Regatta

The 22nd Royal Langkawi International Regatta took place from the 19th to the 24th of January 2026. It attracted 34 boats in seven divisions with fierce competition right up until the tenth and final race. Favourable notheasterlies provided excellent racing conditions – a top wind speed of 28 knots was recorded and there were even ‘complaints’ of too much wind as boats and crews were put to the test during the five-day event!

Stark cliff faces provided stunning backdrops as crews rounded verdant islands and novices joined seasoned crews in experiencing this paradise on Malaysia’s border with Thailand. Newcomers were amazed to find themselves swimming with monitor lizards as they cleaned hulls and tuned rigs. For the record, the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club has been home base since the regatta began in 2003.

What began as a week of ‘shifting fortunes’ ended with razor-thin margins, as teams battled exhaustion, gear failure and a final day of intense tactical duels that decided the prestigious Prime Minister’s Challenge Trophy.

The first day of racing was inside Bass Harbour on flat water and light airs. The second day was outside the harbour along the east coast of the island with more wind and a light chop. The third day was, again, inside but with a twist that included a number of roundings of southerly islands ‘inside’ the harbour and out past the international cruise terminal. Some boats suffered gear failure while others were unable to finish.

Day 4 saw everyone back out on the water competing in the Around the Island race. Slower yachts could start earlier and self-time their start so as to be further up the course which, in turn, enabled them to finish around the same time as the faster boats.

The final day of racing saw The Next Factor claw back a deficit to claim overall victory by a single point. While the Reichel-Pugh 66 Alive showed blistering speed — taking line honours and crushing the Around 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.

Overall, races went smoothly with a few minor incidents, one being confusion around gate navigation in the distance Around the Island course. Incidentally, the jury worked one evening for some four hours spread over a number of boats due to the sailing instructions not matching the marks on the course. All four yachts won their protest and were not penalized – exacting stuff this yacht racing!

Parties were punctuated by free and easy nights – a nice balance which allowed competitors to savour the local cuisine. Event organizers worked night and day to assemble canopies, stages, and audio visual equipment for the event’s festivities. A spread of local Malaysian food was hosted for two event dinners: one on kick-off night and the other during the 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.

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)

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)

Malaysian Multihull Challenge Trophy
Winner : Parabellum (Skipper : Dan Fidock)
Runner-Up : Haruki (Skipper : Dougal Jackson)
Third Place : WOW (Skipper : David Liddell)

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)

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)

Multihull Cruising Class
Winner : Serendipity (Skipper : Jeff Harris)
Runner-Up : North Star (Skipper : Rob Azzopardi)

Full results can be found at https://langkawiregatta.com/homepage-official-rlir-2026/results-rlir-2026/

 - photos SEA Yachting