Get set for the 2023 RYA Two-boat Keelboat Team Racing Championship

Royal Thames YC racing Sonars at the Global Team Race Regatta 2022 © NYYC

Requests for invitations are now being accepted for the 2023 RYA Two-boat Keelboat Team Racing Championship for the Carmela Cup.

Organised annually by the Royal Thames Yacht Club, this year's Championship will see up to eight teams competing in the Club's fleet of new Sonars.

The event takes place at London's Queen Mary Reservoir, 15-16 April, and teams are encouraged to request an invitation by completing the online request form by no later than 1700 on 1 March.

Entry is £500 per team. A team is comprised of two boats, each with a crew of four people. Additionally, the total number of males or females per team cannot exceed six.

Invitations will be issued no later than 4 March 2023 and race documents are now available on the official notice board. The racing format will be based on the number of teams entered and may include a round robin, split fleet round robins and a knockout series.

The winners will be invited to the Club's annual Prize Winners' Dinner in November 2023, to receive the elegant RTYC Carmela Cup, a perpetual trophy.

RYA Keelboat Development Manager Richard Moxey said: "The RYA is grateful to the RTYC who have given this event a home for so many years, so much that its colloquial name is simply The Carmela Cup! The Club is leading the way on the British keelboat team racing scene, and with 12 new Sonars the Club hopes to rival their American cousins, known for their keelboat team racing prowess.

"This Championship is also a selection event for the British American Cup, the illustrious team race which some say was where the famous 'gybe-back' was invented. The 2023 edition is this side of the Atlantic, 28-30 September at Queen Mary Reservoir, with Royal Thames YC hosting in their new Sonars."

Jenn Lancaster, RTYC Director of Racing, further explains: "The Carmela Cup kicks off a busy year of team racing events at RTYC. A highlight is The BA Cup, the oldest international team race, which dates back to 1921 and has attracted an impressive who's who of sailing throughout its history. With a 4v4 format in keelboats with kites, this year sees the 4th and final match of the 6th series of the Cup - the current series is led 2-1 by the US, with both teams winning their respective home matches thus far."

For any questions contact Royal Thames YC or find further information in the Notice of Race.