Liga Layar Malaysia at Port Klang - Day 1
by Norzuhaira Ruhanie 13 Nov 2015 11:59 GMT
13-15 November 2015
Rashidee making his skipper debut on day 1 of Liga Layar Malaysia Port Klang © Norzuhaira Ruhanie
Three rookie teams for seventh LLM 2015
The seventh edition of the Liga Layar Malaysia (LLM) 2015 kicked off today with three new teams having their first taste of match-racing.
Sahril Abdul Razak is captaining team Siput, representing the Selangor Yachting Association. The team is already active in keelboat sailing and has obtained line honours in fleet racing. At the helm of Muara Watersport is Mohd Rashidee Shariff, who is making his skipper debut in Port Klang. He has raced as crew in previous LLM legs. Megat Ahmad Aslam Megat Azman, while a regular in the LLM, is competing with a totally new line-up of rookie sailors this time around.
"It was fun. The biggest challenge for me was the rules but I'm learning from the umpires and the other sailors," said Sharil about his first match race today. His team managed to notch two wins and is currently second in the standings.
Rashidee had a tougher time on the water, with spinnaker problems ruining his chances of a win in three races completed today.
"We did not get a win but I'm happy with my crew. We learned from our mistakes and hopefully would not repeat them," Rashidee said.
Megat Aslam too was satisfied with his team's performance, taking a win against Rashidee to settle in third place at the end of the first day.
"They were pretty impressive, despite their lack of experience and were quick learners," said Putrajaya-based Megat Aslam.
Races in the first round robin were completed by noon, which were dominated by top-ranked Hazwan Hazim Dermawan and hazOne Racing Team. However, race officials were unable to continue with the second round robin due to strong currents.
Round-Robin Standings: (after six races)
Hazwan Hazim Dermawan (hazOne Racing Team) – 3-0
Sharil Abdul Razak (Siput Racing Team) – 2-1
Megat Ahmad Aslam Megat Azman (Bakat Racing Team) – 1-2
Mohd Rashidee Shariff (Muara Watersport Team) – 0-3
About Liga Layar Malaysia
The Liga Layar Malaysia (LLM) is a league format match-sailing competition that was conceptualized to give an opportunity to local sailors to gain exposure through competitions held in various states in the country. Since its inception, there has been an improvement in the Malaysian sailing industry in terms of public interest and support, facilities, number of instructors, sailors and sailing training centres. This year, the LLM will be held at 8 different locations, namely Pulau Indah, Selangor; Lumut, Perak; Pulau Langkawi, Kedah; Port Dickson, Negeri Sembilan; Putrajaya, Kepong, Port Klang and Johor. The winner of each LLM leg will take home RM6,000 in prize purse, second and third place pockets RM4,000 and RM3,000 respectively while fourth and fifth place takes home RM1,000 each.