RS21 World Championship 2026 Showcases a Class Growing Across the Globe
by RS Sailing 4 Nov 17:43 GMT
28-31 October 2026
RS21 World Championship at Cannes © Code Zero Digital / RS Sailing
The RS21 World Championship in Cannes (28-31 October 2026) wasn't just a battle for the world title, it was a snapshot of a class expanding at remarkable speed.
40 teams from 13 nations lined up at Yacht Club de Cannes, with established powerhouses such as Italy, UK and Netherlands, joined by emerging fleets including first-timers Greece and Hungary. Across four days of light-air racing, tactical precision mattered more than outright speed, producing a constantly shifting leaderboard where, as Furio Benussi put it, "every centimetre counts."
Greece's Remarkable Rise
No story captured the momentum of the RS21 International Class better than Greece.
George Chryssikos only discovered the RS21 six months ago. By the time the World Championship began, his brand-new boat had arrived in Cannes - and by the end of the week, his team, Grivalia (GRE 359) had become World Champions in the Corinthian division.
"I saw this boat for the first time back in May and immediately fell in love with the RS21," said Chryssikos. "This is the reason I came back to sailing. I hadn't sailed for 30 years."
Working alongside the Yacht Club of Greece, Chryssikos helped launch the Hellenic Sailing League, which has already grown to 20 RS21s and an active community of more than 100 sailors after just one season.
"We've already held a number of regattas in Athens, and the fleet keeps growing."
That first season of racing in Greece proved the perfect preparation for the Corinthian world title. His crew reflected another strength of the class - a mix of experience and youth, with two sailors in their 50s racing alongside two in their 20s: "It's really nice that we're mixing two generations of sailors."
A Fleet Packed with World-Class Talent
The international growth of the fleet has been matched by the calibre of sailors it now attracts.
Italian offshore legend Furio Benussi - multiple Barcolana winner and skipper of iconic maxi yachts including ARCA SGR, Alfa Romeo and Jena - returned to one-design racing aboard Frecciablu (ITA 293).
"It's a great pleasure being back on a one-design boat after so many years," he said. "I'm re-learning to sail closer to the water, where nobody gives you anything."
Benussi embraced the intensity of the racing, comparing the RS21's responsiveness to a dinghy.
"You tack and gybe as if they were dinghies. Every centimetre counts."
He also praised both the fleet and the class' use of technology: "I'm also learning the Vakaros system, and I must say it's fantastic."
Just days after announcing his move from Luna Rossa to Tudor Team Alinghi, America's Cup star Francesco 'Checco' Bruni made his RS21 World Championship debut aboard Torpyone (ITA 239) as tactician for Edoardo Lupi.
"For years, I've always wanted to race with the RS21, but I never managed it because of other commitments. It's a really fun boat. It's really reactive, and I like it very much," he said.
The team finished second overall, just four points behind eventual World Champions Mela (ITA 241), skippered by Andrea Rossi.
A Championship that Went Down to the Wire
And that was a title race that remained open until the final day.
Frida Racing (ITA 330), skippered by Paolo Cordiglia and featuring 2024 World Champion crew member Niccolo Bianchi, led before slipping just off the podium. Defending champions Les Freaks (HKG 295) surged into third, while Rossi's Mela held their nerve to secure the world title.
For Cordiglia, the result, even in fourth to finish, marked an extraordinary turnaround.
"Last year I wanted to stop after finishing last at the first Italian Cup event. One year later we're here."
He believes the attraction of the class goes beyond the racing: "The level is incredibly high, but the most beautiful thing is the family feeling in the class."
Racing Hard, Celebrating Harder
That sense of community remained one of the defining themes of the week.
Socials included evenings at the club, nights out exploring the town together, and a rooftop prize-giving overlooking the Bay of Cannes.
"The socials were iconic," said RS Sailing's Head of Commercial Michiel Geerling. "Cannes delivered everything it's known for - great food, great drinks, and my wallet might be a little lighter after some very fun few days in the French Riviera."
The class's inclusive spirit was equally evident on the water.
Magique et Terrible (ITA 230) successfully defended the Women's title while also finishing third in Corinthian. Geerling watched his six-year-old daughter become captivated by the all-female team throughout the week: "They truly inspire generations on the water."
The French youth team RS France (FRA 222), skippered by Charles Trolard, finished second in Corinthian while claiming the Under 23s title.
Looking Ahead
The RS21 momentum shows no sign of slowing.
During the prize-giving, RS Sailing's Greek dealer Babis Charalampolos was recognised for helping grow the Greek fleet from zero to 20 boats in just a year - a number expected to challenge Italy's surging fleet size in the near future.
RS21 International Class Manager Liam Willis also outlined an ambitious international calendar ahead, with national circuits confirmed in Italy, Canada, Greece, the UK & Ireland, and a new Dutch series launching in March 2027.
The next major milestone will be the European Championship in Scarlino, before the class reaches another landmark with the 2027 World Championship in Weymouth - the first time the event will be hosted in the UK.
RS Sailing Managing Director Alex Newton Southon believes the venue is a fitting stage for the class' continued growth.
"Weymouth is the National Sailing Centre and Olympic venue for a reason. It delivers fantastic racing in the bay, and the inner harbour provides another world-class racecourse when conditions demand it. We can't wait to welcome the world to the UK and showcase everything the RS21 class is about."
Overall Results:
1st - ITA 241 | Mela | Skippered by Andrea Rossi (Club Nautico Marina di Carrara) with
Simon Sivitz Kosuta , Stefano Orlandi , Giulio Desiderato
2nd - ITA 239 | Torpyone | Skippered by Edoardo Lupi (Varazze Club Nautico) with
Lorenzo Lupi , Vittorio Zaoli , Francesco "Checco" Bruni
3rd - HKG 295 | Les Freaks | Skippered by Marco Pocci (Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club) with
Giacomo Ferrari , Giorgia Bertuzzi , Giovanni Meloni
Corinthian Results:
1st - GRE 359 | Grivalia | Skippered by George Chryssikos (Yacht Club of Greece) with
Stavros Alevras , Filippos Koulouris , Konstantinos Chryssikos
2nd - FRA 222 | RS France | Skippered by Charles Trolard (Yacht Club Mauguio Carnon) with
Merlin Kerfourn , Quentin Bourrust , Guillaume Jacolin
3rd - ITA 230 | Magique et Terrible | Malika Bellomi (Circolo Vela Arco) with
Sofia Giondi , Elisa Ziletti , Lucia Marchi , Chiara Degli Angioli
Women's Results:
ITA 230 | Magique et Terrible | Malika Bellomi (Circolo Vela Arco) with
Sofia Giondi , Elisa Ziletti , Lucia Marchi , Chiara Degli Angioli
Under 23s Results:
1st - FRA 222 | RS France | Skippered by Charles Trolard (Yacht Club Mauguio Carnon) with
Merlin Kerfourn , Quentin Bourrust , Guillaume Jacolin
2nd - ITA 193 | Skippered by Massimo Bettinardi (Yacht Club Cala dei Sardi) with
Riccardo-Hai Gessa , Salvatore Garippa , Riccardo Serra , Giorgio Nocella
See full results.
Behind Every Championship
The RS21 Class thanked Yacht Club de Cannes for outstanding hospitality and race management, alongside the race committee, volunteers, supporters and Code Zero Digital for capturing the action throughout the week.