Sail Navy Slide News

Year 2009 and Its Journal

Hello All.

It has been ages since the last time I wrote here. Happy New Year to all readers. May this new year brings more prosperous plannings and fruitful undertakings. May you also find a good leisure to escape all the stress and hustle-bustle of current global living style.

The year 2009 has ended. However, there was one article remaining that I owed this column to share about Cdr Malik Sulaiman. May he also finds more advancement in 2010 in yachting and sports in overall.

—————————————————————————————————————————————–
Friday, October 30, 2009, 09.24 AM
 
Cover Story: Anchors aweigh!
2009/10/28
HARIS HUSSAIN
With the eighth installment of the Royal Langkawi International Regatta just months away, HARIS HUSSAIN gets a taste of what it feels like to be on the high seas.
“TACKING!” yells the skipper of the Royal Malaysian Navy yacht Zuhal, RMN Commander Malik Sulaiman.

The deck becomes a flurry of activity as mates run to their stations, clipping carabiners to safety cables, securing rigs, manning winches and checking lines, preparing for the next maneouvre.

Everyone notes their positions on the deck, careful not to step on lines that could snag or trip them and throw them overboard once the skipper makes his turn.

Off to the port side, a yellow buoy bobs in the distance. The mainsail on this 15.8m-long boat is flapping in the breeze.

The sea off Kuah in Langkawi is calm and we’re doing a languorous 2.6 knots but we’re already tilting at a crazy angle; I’m guessing once we round the buoy, we’ll be whipping the ponies and going hell bent for the horizon.
We’re hauling the mail now! Waves break on the bow as Zuhal barrels along at 18 knots.
Behind us, Zuhal’s sister ship, Zuhrah, is gaining on us. She had already beaten us on the first run, and Malik is determined not to let them get a clean sweep.

The words of the commodore of the Navy’s yacht club, Capt Mohd Hatim Saad, 48, are still fresh on everybody’s mind.

“Gentlemen, I do not intend to be on the losing boat.”

Malik, 43, glances behind, turns his gaze to the mainsail, and then to the marker buoy. He eyeballs the opposition again behind his Oakleys and without word, starts his turn.

I grab the railing as Zuhal turns on a dime and whips past the buoy. The violent turn rolls the boat to a 30-degree angle and everyone struggles to hang on. Up at the fo’c’sle, deckhands hoist the spinnaker. It billows and catches the wind.

Almost immediately, the boat thrusts forward, its bow slicing through the water like a hot knife through warm butter.

We’re hauling the mail now! Waves break on the bow as Zuhal barrels along at 18 knots

I look up at the base of the mainmast at a clump of digital displays — from heading to our speed in knots — and see that we are clocking a zippy18 knots. We’re leaving Zuhrah in the dust.

Stoked after gaining this tactical edge, the crew fine-tunes the rigging on the boat. Any drag-inducing protrusions are locked away and stowed. It’s down to the wire now.

The gap between Zuhrah and us is widening and for the first time in two hours, this crew is chugging along like a well-oiled machine.

And then the unthinkable happens.
We’ve got wind in our sail! Note the boat’s attitude in relation to the horizon. – Pictures by Haris Hussain

Stressed beyond its limits, a cable that holds the spinnaker snaps with a loud crack.

Almost immediately, the sail goes limp. Our collective hearts sink.

As the crew stows the spinnaker, no one notices that the Zuhrah is slowly closing the distance.

“Check mast! C’mon, boys!” Mohd Hatim yells to the crew.

We’re mast-to-mast now and the finish line is just a few metres away. The crews trade good-natured jibes and put-downs, but Malik, a silver medallist in the Super Moth Class (open category) in the 1998 Bangkok Asian Games, is single-minded in his resolve. He wants this race. The tension aboard Zuhal is palpable.

We’ve got wind in our sail! Note the boat’s attitude in relation to the horizon. - Pictures by Haris Hussain

The marshals from the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club finally blow the horn, signaling the end of the race. The mood aboard Zuhal is subdued. No one dares to celebrate. This one is too close to call.

Moments later, the race marshals make it official. Zuhal had won this round by the skin of her teeth. The crew goes wild and the boat erupts in celebration.

The two-boat race was a prelude to the eighth installment of the Royal Langkawi International Regatta, scheduled for Jan 8-15, next year.

It was also a chance for the Navy to showcase its two boats that will take part in the event.

Mohd Hatim says Zuhal and Zuhrah’s crews will spend the next two months at the RLYC, honing their seamanship in a series of work-ups before the event.

“We want to give our boys enough time to prepare and get acclimatised to the sea and wind conditions in the competition area.”

Organised by the RLYC, the RLIR was first held in 2003 and has become a popular race among sailors.

It is already a permanent fixture in the Asian Regatta Calendar and has become one of the world’s premier sailing events.

Abdul Rahman Mahani, senior manager of the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club, says the races proper will be from Jan 11-15, 2010 and will be divided into several categories — racing class, the sportsboat class, multi-hulls and club cruisers.

This year’s event saw the participation of 33 boats.

Last year, the secretariat introduced the round-the-island race format and plans to retain it due to its popularity among the participants.

“Apart from the usual windward/leeward courses, challenging courses are also being designed for next year’s event,” he says.

• Watch a short video of the race. Click here
CAPT Mohd Hatim Saad is an old sea dog.

A 25-year veteran of the Royal Malaysian Navy, he’s right out of Hollywood central casting — raspy voice, mischievous grin, a complexion that’s been seared repeatedly from countless hours of being exposed to the sun and a sense of humour that’s unlike that of professional shark hunter Quint, Robert Shaw’s character in Steven Spielberg’s Jaws.

“I love the sea,” he says.

“You won’t understand it now, but I guarantee you, when this is over, you’ll get what I mean.”

That grin again.

Mohd Hatim is the Commodore of the Royal Malaysian Navy’s Yacht Club, an administrative post that doesn’t allow him to be out at sea with the boys as often as he would like to. But he admits with a smile that he still jumps at it, every chance he gets.

Spend some time with him and it’s clear that he’s very proud of the Navy’s two racers/cruisers — Zuhal and Zuhrah — and the men who make up the crew.

Built at a cost of RM4.75 million each, the boats, based in Lumut, Perak, have been fitted out with the latest in sat-nav technology which enables them to plot their position with amazing accuracy, a whizz-bang communications suite, and all the creature comforts one would expect of a modern yacht, including air conditioning, two toilets (heads, in Navy parlance), 11 beds (bunks), and a small kitchen (galley) with a three-burner stove.

The boats are of carbon and epoxy composite construction with post-cured low-density ‘super light’ balsa in high load areas forward.

Both are powered by a 56-horsepower Yanmar turbo-diesel engine. Fuel capacity is 200 litres.

The two boats were designed by Farr Yacht Design Ltd, in Annapolis, Maryland, (home to the prestigious US Naval Academy) and built by DK Yachts of Batu Berendam, Malacca.

The contract was for the “design, construction, installation, testing, supply and delivery of two 52-foot sloops for training” for the Royal Malaysian Navy. The boats were delivered on budget on Dec 22, 2005, ahead of schedule.

Glossary

Fo’c’sle: A superstructure in the bow of a merchant ship where the crew is housed.

Gybe: Changing direction with the wind aft; to change from one tack to another by turning the stern through the wind.

Leeward: Downwind.

Mainmast: A ship’s principal mast.

Mainsail: Boomed sail projecting aft from the mainmast.

Port: Left.

Spinnaker: A large, light, balloon-shaped sail set forward of the mainsail when running before the wind.

Starboard: Right.

Tack: Working to windward by sailing close-hauled on alternate courses so that the wind is first on one side of the boat, then on the other.

Windward: Upwind.

Zuhal’s skipper Malik Sulaiman keeps his eyes on the marker buoy while the rest of the crew hang over the side to prevent the boat from tipping over.

For the Gallery

The Monsoon is here Once Again

It is that season of the year again. Despite the political turbulance earlier this year and numerous request to clarifications, it did not stop the spirits of World Match Racing to happen once again in Pulau Duyong, Terengganu.

Don’t forget to get busy with updates from Monsoon Cup 2008 either through its official site, tv networks or other related medias.

Happy Eid Fitr to All Readers all over the World

Wishing all readers a Happy Eid Mubarak and merry celebration for this festive season. 1 Syawal 1429H

Pride goes on…

Author wanted to congratulate Malik Sulaiman (the Malaysian Yacht Racer) on his new promotion which brings the title of Commander (Royal Malaysian Navy) on 2nd June 2008.

May this blessings bring more success to life!

Related Article: http://www.navy.mil.my/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=335&Itemid=18 

Malaysian Yachting Calendar (Mar – Apr 2008)

DATE	COMPETITION	COURSES / SEMINARS	VENUE	EXPECTED CLASSES & CONTACTS
29 Feb – 02 MAC	KFC-PSC International Regatta (Ranking)		Penang Swimming Club	Optimist, Laser Standard, Laser 4.7, Laser  Radial, Open Dinghy, Race Board & Formula sailmalaysia@gmail.com noraini_772000@yahoo.com pscregatta@hotmail.com
March 07 -09	RMN Open /National Match Racing Championship (01/08)		Royal Malaysian Navy Yacht Club, Lumut	Farr Platu Malik_2881@yahoo.com
May 08-13	KEJOHANAN MSSM 2008		Komplex sukan pelayaran  kebangsaan Di Langkawi	sailmalaysia@gmail.com afendyzeta@yahoo.com.my
March 13-15		Coaching  Rule course	Komplex sukan pelayaran  kebangsaan Di Langkawi	sailmalaysia@gmail.com afendyzeta@yahoo.com.my
March 16		Coach CPR course	Komplex sukan pelayaran  kebangsaan Di Langkawi	sailmalaysia@gmail.com afendyzeta@yahoo.com.my
April 03 -05	KFC-Johor Open Regatta (Ranking)		Pantai Pasir Layar,Tanjung Langsat, Pasir Gudang,  Johor	Optimist- A,B,&C ,Laser Std, & Radial, Int  420  ,& Marathon Optimist & Laser sailmalaysia@gmail.com afendyzeta@yahoo.com.my
08 April -14 April		Kem Pemilihan akhir Int 420- Int 470	Royal Malaysian Navy Yacht Club, Lumut	sailmalaysia@gmail.com afendyzeta@yahoo.com.my
April 15 -17	-	Race Officer Clinic	Royal Malaysian Navy Yacht Club, Lumut	sailmalaysia@gmail.com afendyzeta@yahoo.com.my
April 18 – 20	KFC-Navy Day Open Regatta & National Youth (Ranking)		Royal Malaysian Navy Yacht Club, Lumut	Optimist, Laser, Int 470, Int 420, Open,Keel Boat & Windsurfing sailmalaysia@gmail.com afendyzeta@yahoo.com.my
April 08 -12		Kursus Jurulatih Tahap I	RPDYC Port Dickson	sailmalaysia@gmail.com afendyzeta@yahoo.com.my
April 24 -30		Kursus Jurulatih Tahap III Pilot Course	Komplex sukan pelayaran  kebangsaan Di Langkawi	sailmalaysia@gmail.com afendyzeta@yahoo.com.my

Royal Langkawi International Regatta 2008 – Video Show

Posted on YouTube by Virtual Malaysia.

About Malaysian Regatta on Final Day of RLIR 2008

The Star Online > SportsSunday January 13, 2008Malaysian yachtsmen capable of the taking on the big boys

By LOGANATH VELLOO

LANGKAWI: The just concluded sixth Royal Langkawi International Regatta (RLIR) witnessed the coming of age of Malaysian sailors in the racing class categories.

Although the local sailors are more comfortable competing in the smaller dinghy, optimist and sports boat events, the ability to take on the big boys in the racing classes has begun to take root.

Despite their modest preparation, the Royal Malaysian Navy entrants Zuhal and Navy Janda Baik managed several top-five finishes over the five-day Racing Class competition. They were sixth and seventh respectively in the nine-boat overall standings.

Joyful: Quantum Racing skipper Ray Roberts (sixth left) and crew lifting the Prime Minister�s Challenge Trophy on Friday

But it was the performance of the all-local Mata Hari crew in the IRC class that made heads turn.

Skippered and funded by Vincent Chan, the Mata Hari crew, made up of seven men and two women who are all former national sailors, were in the hunt for the IRC overall title till the very end of the final race.

Although they faltered at the crucial moment to settle for third spot, their courageous display could herald the start of a new dawn for keelboat racing among Malaysians.

Among the Mata Hari crew were 2002 Busan Asian Games medallists Andrew Yeow and Looi Sing Yew.

Said Vincent: �I am surprised with Mata Hari�s good performance. My crew only took up keelboat racing seriously about three years ago, and we cherish the experience of competing against the top yachts.

�But Malaysian teams are at a disadvantage because of the lack of competitive practice in the country. Right now, there are only two regattas (Royal Langkawi and Raja Muda Selangor), and both events are held between November and January. It leaves the local racing yachts idle for the rest of the year.

�Thailand host four regattas a year, and local competitors would benefit if another regatta is held in the middle of the year, preferably in the East Coast.�

Apart from the two local regattas, Malaysia also hosted the Monsoon Cup challenge in Kuala Terengganu, contested in a one-on-one race match format and featured mostly foreign participations.

The Miri Yacht Club in Sarawak also hold an annual regatta, but its location failed to attract entries.

Zuhal skipper Lt Commander Malik Sulaiman agrees that Malaysian racing yachts could make a bigger impact if they are exposed to more competitions.

�Malaysian teams are still inexperienced in the racing categories. Teams like (RLIR overall champions from Australia) Quantum Racing compete in about 20 regattas a year, while we only take part in two. The best way to improve is by competing more often against world-class opponents.

�It costs a lot of money to manage a crew and transport the yacht to an overseas tournament. Even competing in a local regatta costs a team about RM15,000. We plan to compete in regional regattas, but we need the approval of the Malaysian Navy�s Sports Club who fund our expenses,� said Malik.

On the organisation side, the RLIR organisers� decision to bring forward the annual competition from February to January was a masterstroke.

The RLIR is now sandwiched between the Phuket King�s Cup and the Singapore Straits Regatta, allowing more yachts to stop and compete in Langkawi while heading south from Phuket to Singapore.

Due to the rescheduling, this year�s competition in the blue riband Racing and IRC classes managed to attract some of the top competitors in the region.

The decisions to introduce an under-25 sports boat youth category and host races close to the Kuah Jetty to get the public interested in the competition were also plus points for the RLIR.

Sydney-based Quantum Racing skipper Ray Roberts believes that the RLIR is catching up with the popularity of the King�s Cup as the best-organised and most competitive regatta in South-East Asia.

Prime Minister�s Challenge Trophy: Quantum Racing (Aus)

Royal Langkawi Yacht Club Commodore�s Challenge Cup: Sofa So Good (Bri)

LADA-IRC Class Challenge Trophy: Phoenix (Jpn)

Langkawi Sports Class Trophy: Raimond Land (Aus)

Malaysia Multihull Challenge Cup: Motor Inzi (Bri)

Skipper Made Debutant Remarks for Malaysia Tourism

The report made by VIRTUAL MALAYSIA – The Official e-tourism Portal for Ministry of Tourism as part of VMY Campaign:

Quantum Racing has done it again

Langkawi, January 11 – The Royal Langkawi International Regatta (RLIR) 2008 witnessed an outstanding sailing performance by Quantum Racing from the racing class, skippered by Ray Roberts who again, won the Prime Minister’s Challenge Trophy. Being champion in 2007, they held on to the title and once again, proved to be invincible.

Today marks the last day of the fleet racing that took place at Tanjung Lembong, Kuah for five consecutive days. All classes faired well amidst stiff competition.

Other classes such as club cruising, premier cruising multihull, IRC, sports boat and firefly were won by Sofa So Good (John Ramsden), Xcatriot (Bob Brindley), Phoenix (Neils Degenkolw), Navy1 (Mohd.Razali B. Mansor), and Moto Inzi (Roger Kingdon) respectively.

Skipper Malik Sulaiman of team Zuhal (Team Malaysia) said that there was a lot to learn from the international sailors who had a great deal of experience prior the race. Team Zuhal came in seven in the racing class category.

The most exciting and challenging match area was nearer to Toba Island, which is located at the south of Langkawi. As the area had strong currents, the greatest challenge for them was to not to make any mistakes and make the wind work for them.

After a long sunny race and to celebrate the victory of many, there was a prize giving ceremony at the yacht club presented by Tourism Minister, Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor at the dinner to mark the close of the regatta.