World Sailing approves International RS21 Class Association application

International Class status for the RS21 keelboat © RS Sailing

RS Sailing is pleased to announce the successful ratification of an application made to World Sailing for International Class status for the RS21 keelboat.

The World Sailing Equipment Committee members, as part of their agenda for the 2021 Mid-year meeting on Monday, May 10th voted unanimously in favour of the application. The decision to approve the RS21 International Class Association application now formally enables the RS21 Class to host a number of international level, World Sailing endorsed events including World Championships.

RS Sailing Technical CEO and co-designer of the RS21, Alex Newton-Southon commented, "We are delighted that the RS21 Class received a unanimous vote in favour for International Class status, this decision serves to further cement the RS21 in the keelboat sector. I want to thank all those passionate individuals and the sailing programs they represent that have worked hard to establish the RS21 so far and, on behalf of the rest of the RS team, we look forward to seeing this activity grow to new levels as a result of this exciting news."

This latest successful Class application now brings the total number of RS classes that are able to promote themselves as World Sailing Class Associations to six, with the RS Tera, RS Feva, RS Aero, RS100 and RS500 classes all having enjoyed international class recognition.

With RS21 fleets now established in countries including the United Kingdom, Italy, Norway, Germany, Poland, USA, Bermuda and Australia as well as fleet development projects well under way in other parts of the world such as the Middle East, Central / South America and Asia, the next couple of years will no doubt see a large growth of the class in all continental regions.

The RS21 is a modern keelboat designed with corinthian racing at its heart - keelboat racing the RS way. Finished and completed so you can enjoy close one design sailing without the complex choices. The powerful rig and distinct chines are balanced by well-mannered boat handling and an ergonomic deck layout to ensure everyone sailing has a key role to play. RS Sailing's sustainability focus has actively influenced the design, resulting in a boat built from eco-friendly materials, with multiple environmental attributes.