Travel » Malaysia Sailing

Malaysia: rising star

Malaysia: like many other countries, has a small but It local sailing scene is trying hard to attract young people and more local interest. Marinas and sailing clubs are taking a leading role here, with various training pro­grammes already established and others in the pipeline.

A key part of the ongoing campaign to win new hearts and minds is the Raja Muda Regatta, with its declared aim to ‘provide enjoyable and com­petitive racing for all boats whatever design or vintage’. The event – part of the three part Perpetual Cup (with Thailand’s King’s Cup and the Singapore Straits Regatta) – has been a prime factor behind a surge of interest in sailing in recent years. The regatta — which takes in almost the en­tire west coast — visits several of the country’s best ma­rinas and clubs, uniting the yachting community and pro­moting the country’s attractions to newcomers.

Given the beauty of Ma­laysia’s marine environment, it’s not surprising there’s now a growing interest in charter­ing boats for sailing and div­ing trips. The cruising environ­ment is superb and the choices of destination are considerable. The number of operators is relatively small at present, but that’s certain to be a tempo­rary situation only.