It’s All About Staying On Course – RSYC Racing Clinches Win At Langkawi Regatta
RSYC Racing Team manager Ash Alwi says many percieve sailing as an “elite sport”, when it is actually more accessible than what most people think.


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It was all smiles and cheers for The Royal Selangor Yacht Club (RSYC) Racing Team when they took home the first place trophy under the Sports Boat class at the 2025 Royal Langkawi International Regatta.
The event, which took place from 20 to 25 January at the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club, saw 32 sailing yachts from Malaysia, China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, Denmark, United Kingdom, and Australia all competing in six classes to win prestigious trophies.
The classes include: Prime Minister’s Challenge Trophy (Racing Class), LADA-IRC Challenge Trophy (IRC 1 Class), PSC-IRC 2 (IRC 2 Class), Langkawi Sports Trophy (Sports Boat class), Malaysia Multihull Challenge Cup (Multihull Class), and RLYC Commodore’s Challenge Cup (Club Class).
Pitman and Team Manager for the RSYC racing team Ahmad Kashfi Alwi, or Ash Alwi, shared a post on instagram last Sunday (26 January), featuring photos of his team and a little bit of history on how they began sailing as just a leisurely weekend activity.
“We started from nothing, quite literally. What began as a sailing activity with newfound friends at the Royal Selangor Yacht Club was the impetus for our tiny racing team.
“We started winning small races and participated in several regattas. We lost a few, gained momentum, and lost again, but we never looked back and stayed on course (pun intended),” Ash said in his post caption.

A niche, yet quite accessible sport
Speaking to TRP, Ash said there is usually not much media coverage on the sport of sailing, adding that many consider it a “sport for the elite”, which makes it seem inaccessible to the average Joe.
He also mentioned that event organisers of the sport tend to pull in more sailors to participate, instead of marketing it towards spectators.
“It’s not like Formula 1, where the races are also heavily marketed towards spectators who want to watch,” Ash explained.
Some of you might be asking “how do we watch a race that’s happening out at sea?”.
Interestingly, regatta events have spectator boats that you can get on and follow the race. This could be a good starting point to test your interest in the sport.

Starting sailing as a hobby or sport
When asked about how one can start sailing, Ash first said to ask yourself “What do you want out of the activity? Do you want to enter events and compete, or just sail to chill?”.
The next step would be to research or ask people in the sport where you could get sailing classes, depending on your location. For example, if you live in Kuala Lumpur or Selangor, the RSYC would be an ideal choice for sailing lessons.
Ash recommends taking basic lessons first, just to establish a foundation in knowledge about sailing. These beginner lessons teaches participants everything including safety, parts of the boat, how the boat works, knots, how to read the wind and the weather, and how to rig a boat, among many other things.

If you’re looking to develop your sailing skills further, you can sign up at a school under the International Sailing School Association (ISSA) and learn more advanced sailing.
Unfortunately, a search on their website found that there are no ISSA schools here in Malaysia, and the closest ones are in either Singapore (Asian Yachting Academy), or Thailand (Andaman Discovery Diving & Yachting Center).
There’s no finish line in sailing
Ash parted some words of wisdom about sailing, which is that there is no “end” in the journey of the sport.
“There will always be something new to learn. The environment and weather changes over time, technologies evolve, and so does every aspect of sailing with it.
“Sailing also builds character, as it teaches you how to be resilient and adapt to situations that change all the time,” he said, adding that sailing does not consider a person’s wealth or social status, as when you’re all out at sea, everyone is “on the same boat”.
Want to dip your feet in the world of sailing?
The RSYC hosts an event called Everything That Floats from time to time, which offers a chance to everyone who wants to dive into the world of sailing and powerboating. It’s suitable for beginners or just anyone who likes being on the open sea.
All you have to do is register for the event with the RSYC and make a payment of RM80 (RSYC members) or RM90 (visiting members) by contacting them at:
Phone: 012-9721882
Email: sailing@rsyc.com.my
Or simply scan the QR code in the RSYC post below.
For more information and updates on the Royal Selangor Yacht Club Racing Team, check out their official instagram page.
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