Excitement builds as the Royal Malaysian Yacht Club prepares for its greatest annual event – the Raja Muda Regatta – in which we too take part! Races are held from here, the estuary of the Klang northwards to Pangkor, and then to Penang where we race around the harbour, finally to Lankawi, where we finish at the school’s home port.

I have been assigned to my duty and it is an exceptionally exacting one. Both the available Day Skippers – Richard (Mr Brash) and me will stay in Kay Sira, he to manage the deck, I to act as navigator – while Principal Instructor Barry serves as Captain.

Later today I hope to collect the Sailing Instructions for Kay Sira, which I must study with the greatest care. Then I must pore over charts and develop as comprehensive a knowledge of the waters in which we shall race as I possibly can. At all times I must be aware of the effect of the tide on our courses, and the effect of the wind direction and strength. I will also help Richard when required, but at other times I shall sit in solitary splendour on the poop, ready to answer questions posed by the skipper, and shall periodically disappear down the after companion way to work at the chart table.

During yesterday’s pilotage up the Klang I got a hint of how it might be. Kay Sira was the last of the three boats to enter the estuary, but arrived at the offing of the Yacht Club first. It was terribly exciting as we raced just outside the buoyed channel, allowing us to ignore the  big ships passing.

As we passed by the other two, I was able to exercise the giant telephoto lens I am always banging on about!

Here is an action shot.

This is Sadé, the third of the school’s boats.  And here is a shot of Aeolus, my old home for the week after the first classroom part of the course.

I expect the next phase to be full of these exercises of skill!