RS Sailing
Premier Way, Abbey Park
Romsey Hampshire SO51 9DQ
01794 526760
RS Sailing
Premier Way, Abbey Park
Romsey Hampshire SO51 9DQ
01794 526760

The RS21 – Poised and ready to bring youth keelboat racing to the next level

August 6, 2021
RS21 British Keelboat league event,The Solent

Considered a staple of one design keelboat racing, the RS21 is used by clubs and individuals alike, for everything ranging from top international events to Wednesday night racing. Given its popularity and continued growth, it comes as no surprise that the RS21 is attracting the attention of a new, growing group of sailors, youth multihanded sailors.

Multihanded youth sailing has been around for a while, about 100 years to be exact. In 1921, Commodore Herbert Sears of Eastern Yacht Club held the first-ever Sears Cup, a competition of Junior sailors across Massachusetts competing in multihanded boats. Throughout the years, the event has grown in scope and size; today’s event sees sailors from across the country competing for the illustrious Cup. It was only fitting that this year, for the historic 100th year of the Sears Cup, racers will be competing in the RS21

Interest and participation in youth multihanded keelboat sailing has seen remarkable growth since the first running of the Sears Cup a century ago, especially in the last decade. More and more youth programs and camps are including keelboat sailing instruction as part of their program offerings. This has created a whole new generation of competitive keelboat sailors. In the last ten years new events, such as the J/70 Youth Championship and The Rose Cup, have emerged to meet the demand for junior keelboat sailing. Crucial to the success of youth keelboat sailing is finding boats that are fast and responsive, without overpowering young sailors.

The RS21 was designed to be a club keelboat for everyone, to be both exciting and well balanced. This makes it an obvious choice for youth sailors. The boat’s ergonomic design means it can plane at 11-12 knots while maintaining stability and is responsive to roll tacking and gybing. A large open cockpit, with minimal obstructions, comfortably fits 4+ crew and reduces bruising. Low sheet loads make it easy for youth sailors to trim and ease, and reefable packages are available to fit different crew weights and sizes. Its versatility and extremely reasonable cost make it a high-value option for clubs and individuals.

Though the RS21 is poised and ready to bring youth keelboat racing to the next level, the history of behind junior multihanded sailing has not been forgotten. The boat fits Commodore Sear’s original goal of promoting youth keelboat sailing while continuing its trailblazing path in a new era of competitive keelboat racing.

The Sear’s Cup will be held August 9th-13th at Eastern Yacht Club in Marblehead, Massachusetts. To learn more about the event head to their website. And to learn more about the RS21 click here!

 

Share this!

 

SUBSCRIBE

  • Sign up for RS stories, offers, epic wipeout videos and much more!
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Australian Sailing & Sailing Raceboats announce partnership

Australian Sailing & Sailing Raceboats, our RS Dealer in Australia, announce their new partnership with the clear goal of expanding opportunities for sailing participation in Australia. The...

The Evolution of the RS Catamaran Range: A Journey of Design, Innovation, and Multihull Success

At RS Sailing, the pursuit of creating world-class catamarans began over a decade ago, with a vision to develop boats that were not only fun to sail but also offered exceptional engineering and...

7th RS Aero World & Youth World Championship – Entry now open!

The International RS Aero Class Assoication are excited to confirm that online entry is now open for the 7th RS Aero World & Youth World Championship!   Head to the event page for full...

Share Your RS Quest Photo: Enter the 10-Year Anniversary Competition!

The RS Quest has been an integral part of the sailing community for a decade, and 2025 marks 10 years of training adventures, personal stories, and fun family moments on the water. As we celebrate...

RS Fest Miami 2025

RS Fest Miami 2025 promised a true celebration of all things RS, and it didn't disappoint! From Friday, March 28th, to Sunday, March 30th, the RS Tera, RS Feva, RS Aero, and RS21 fleets, absolutely...

RS Fest Miami 2025 – The celebrations have started and racing kicks off tomorrow

Racing at RS Fest Miami kicks off in the morning, with festivities already in full swing at Coconut Grove Sailing Club. Sailors have been taking part in the pre-regatta clinics, gaining...

Rooster, a brand born from a love of dinghy sailing, sponsors RS Fest Miami

RS Sailing are excited to announce a new event sponsor onboard for RS Fest Miami 2025, a brand born from a love of dinghy sailing, Rooster. The second edition of RS Fest Miami, our multi-class...

The Eric Twiname Trust RS Tera & RS Feva Scheme 2025

RS Sailing is honoured to collaborate with the Eric Twiname Trust again in 2025 for the 14th RS Tera ET Scheme and the 1st RS Feva ET Scheme to facilitate junior racing classes...

RS Sailing Store – 15% off any combo of racing sails with early-bird nationals entry

The RS Sailing Store is proud to support the UK RS Class Associations, and this year, they are sharing an exclusive offer of 15% off* any combo of racing sails to all sailors who enter and pay for...

10 days to go – RS Fest Miami 2025

It's just 10 days until RS Fest Miami 2025! RS Fest Miami is a three-day regatta, celebrating the RS Sailing racing classes in North America! Hosted by Coconut Grove Sailing Club, regatta racing...

The Evolution of the RS Catamaran Range: A Journey of Design, Innovation, and Multihull Success

At RS Sailing, the pursuit of creating world-class catamarans began over a decade ago, with a vision to develop boats that were not only fun to sail but also offered exceptional engineering and...

7th RS Aero World & Youth World Championship – Entry now open!

The International RS Aero Class Assoication are excited to confirm that online entry is now open for the 7th RS Aero World & Youth World Championship!   Head to the event page for full...

Share Your RS Quest Photo: Enter the 10-Year Anniversary Competition!

The RS Quest has been an integral part of the sailing community for a decade, and 2025 marks 10 years of training adventures, personal stories, and fun family moments on the water. As we celebrate...

RS Fest Miami 2025

RS Fest Miami 2025 promised a true celebration of all things RS, and it didn't disappoint! From Friday, March 28th, to Sunday, March 30th, the RS Tera, RS Feva, RS Aero, and RS21 fleets, absolutely...

RS Fest Miami 2025 – The celebrations have started and racing kicks off tomorrow

Racing at RS Fest Miami kicks off in the morning, with festivities already in full swing at Coconut Grove Sailing Club. Sailors have been taking part in the pre-regatta clinics, gaining...

Rooster, a brand born from a love of dinghy sailing, sponsors RS Fest Miami

RS Sailing are excited to announce a new event sponsor onboard for RS Fest Miami 2025, a brand born from a love of dinghy sailing, Rooster. The second edition of RS Fest Miami, our multi-class...

The Eric Twiname Trust RS Tera & RS Feva Scheme 2025

RS Sailing is honoured to collaborate with the Eric Twiname Trust again in 2025 for the 14th RS Tera ET Scheme and the 1st RS Feva ET Scheme to facilitate junior racing classes...

RS Sailing Store – 15% off any combo of racing sails with early-bird nationals entry

The RS Sailing Store is proud to support the UK RS Class Associations, and this year, they are sharing an exclusive offer of 15% off* any combo of racing sails to all sailors who enter and pay for...

10 days to go – RS Fest Miami 2025

It's just 10 days until RS Fest Miami 2025! RS Fest Miami is a three-day regatta, celebrating the RS Sailing racing classes in North America! Hosted by Coconut Grove Sailing Club, regatta racing...

Top 10 Features of the RS Quest

2025 is a pretty special year – 10 years of the RS Quest! This training dinghy has become the go-to for sailing schools and youth programs all over the world. Initially created in partnership with...

7th RS Aero World & Youth World Championship – Entry now open!

The International RS Aero Class Assoication are excited to confirm that online entry is now open for the 7th RS Aero World & Youth World Championship!   Head to the event page for full...

Share Your RS Quest Photo: Enter the 10-Year Anniversary Competition!

The RS Quest has been an integral part of the sailing community for a decade, and 2025 marks 10 years of training adventures, personal stories, and fun family moments on the water. As we celebrate...

RS Fest Miami 2025

RS Fest Miami 2025 promised a true celebration of all things RS, and it didn't disappoint! From Friday, March 28th, to Sunday, March 30th, the RS Tera, RS Feva, RS Aero, and RS21 fleets, absolutely...

RS Fest Miami 2025 – The celebrations have started and racing kicks off tomorrow

Racing at RS Fest Miami kicks off in the morning, with festivities already in full swing at Coconut Grove Sailing Club. Sailors have been taking part in the pre-regatta clinics, gaining...

Rooster, a brand born from a love of dinghy sailing, sponsors RS Fest Miami

RS Sailing are excited to announce a new event sponsor onboard for RS Fest Miami 2025, a brand born from a love of dinghy sailing, Rooster. The second edition of RS Fest Miami, our multi-class...

The Eric Twiname Trust RS Tera & RS Feva Scheme 2025

RS Sailing is honoured to collaborate with the Eric Twiname Trust again in 2025 for the 14th RS Tera ET Scheme and the 1st RS Feva ET Scheme to facilitate junior racing classes...

RS Sailing Store – 15% off any combo of racing sails with early-bird nationals entry

The RS Sailing Store is proud to support the UK RS Class Associations, and this year, they are sharing an exclusive offer of 15% off* any combo of racing sails to all sailors who enter and pay for...

10 days to go – RS Fest Miami 2025

It's just 10 days until RS Fest Miami 2025! RS Fest Miami is a three-day regatta, celebrating the RS Sailing racing classes in North America! Hosted by Coconut Grove Sailing Club, regatta racing...

Top 10 Features of the RS Quest

2025 is a pretty special year – 10 years of the RS Quest! This training dinghy has become the go-to for sailing schools and youth programs all over the world. Initially created in partnership with...

International Women’s Day 2025 – Accelerate Action

It's International Women's Day 2025, and the theme this year is #AccelerateAction.    "At the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158, which is roughly five...

Share Your RS Quest Photo: Enter the 10-Year Anniversary Competition!

The RS Quest has been an integral part of the sailing community for a decade, and 2025 marks 10 years of training adventures, personal stories, and fun family moments on the water. As we celebrate...

RS Fest Miami 2025

RS Fest Miami 2025 promised a true celebration of all things RS, and it didn't disappoint! From Friday, March 28th, to Sunday, March 30th, the RS Tera, RS Feva, RS Aero, and RS21 fleets, absolutely...

RS Fest Miami 2025 – The celebrations have started and racing kicks off tomorrow

Racing at RS Fest Miami kicks off in the morning, with festivities already in full swing at Coconut Grove Sailing Club. Sailors have been taking part in the pre-regatta clinics, gaining...

Rooster, a brand born from a love of dinghy sailing, sponsors RS Fest Miami

RS Sailing are excited to announce a new event sponsor onboard for RS Fest Miami 2025, a brand born from a love of dinghy sailing, Rooster. The second edition of RS Fest Miami, our multi-class...

The Eric Twiname Trust RS Tera & RS Feva Scheme 2025

RS Sailing is honoured to collaborate with the Eric Twiname Trust again in 2025 for the 14th RS Tera ET Scheme and the 1st RS Feva ET Scheme to facilitate junior racing classes...

RS Sailing Store – 15% off any combo of racing sails with early-bird nationals entry

The RS Sailing Store is proud to support the UK RS Class Associations, and this year, they are sharing an exclusive offer of 15% off* any combo of racing sails to all sailors who enter and pay for...

10 days to go – RS Fest Miami 2025

It's just 10 days until RS Fest Miami 2025! RS Fest Miami is a three-day regatta, celebrating the RS Sailing racing classes in North America! Hosted by Coconut Grove Sailing Club, regatta racing...

Top 10 Features of the RS Quest

2025 is a pretty special year – 10 years of the RS Quest! This training dinghy has become the go-to for sailing schools and youth programs all over the world. Initially created in partnership with...

International Women’s Day 2025 – Accelerate Action

It's International Women's Day 2025, and the theme this year is #AccelerateAction.    "At the current rate of progress, it will take until 2158, which is roughly five...

The Benefits of Learning to Sail on a Catamaran

In recent years, catamarans have become an increasingly popular choice for learning the fundamentals of sailing. But what makes these multihulls a preferred learning option compared to traditional...

Pin It on Pinterest