Langkawi: The willingness to cut their race short to assist a capsized yacht during the Royal Langkawi International Regatta (RLIR) 2025 earned the ATM Sailing Team the Tunku Abdullah Sportsmanship Award. The ATM Sailing Team, representing Malaysia in the Racing class with their yacht Uranus, were the first to assist the Australian team Boreas after their yacht capsized during the fourth day of the regatta on Friday.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the incident occurred around 11 am, when ATM Sailing Team captain Hasani Izhar and his team were still competing in the eighth round. They noticed the nearby Boreas yacht had capsized. “Upon seeing their yacht overturn, we discussed and unanimously decided to stop and end our race to assist Boreas. When we arrived, we immediately provided emergency first aid to one crew member who had a shoulder injury,” Hasani said. The team then transferred five other crew members and their belongings to Uranus, provided ropes, and contacted the Marine Police for emergency assistance and efforts to salvage the capsized yacht.

Hasani recounted that after stabilising the capsized yacht, some of his team members assisted the Boreas crew in pumping out water from 4 pm until 8 pm. “Although we were competing for points in the race, emergencies involving lives at sea are a responsibility we cannot ignore. We later learned this was the first instance of a yacht capsizing during RLIR’s history. Even though we didn’t win in the Racing class, we are deeply honoured and proud to receive this meaningful award. It is the first time we’ve been recognised with such an award since our debut in RLIR in 2006,” he added.

Karen Rowlands, 72, a crew member of Boreas, competing in the Multihull class, suffered head, right shoulder, and right thigh injuries and was transported to Sultanah Maliha Hospital, Langkawi, for further treatment. The special Tunku Abdullah Sportsmanship Award is presented to individuals or teams who demonstrate exemplary sportsmanship, whether at sea or onshore, throughout RLIR. The winner is determined by the highest number of votes cast by race participants.