Firstly an apology; after the initial hype and launch, there has been silence regarding the Irish Sailing League. Unfortunately for me, a diagnosis of severe neck pain led to the necessity for two replacement disks in the neck; this led obviously to a setback in the planning timeframe for the League. I want to take this opportunity to thank all the people who contacted the league to register interest; the response was both phenomenal and uplifting!

However, everything is back on track. Final negotiations are in place for the venue, and all is going to plan; the league will be held in a prominent public location meaning public engagement and viewing will be possible. Our boats are confirmed with RS Sailing! The race committee, jury and team behind the scenes are coming together very well.

We are delighted to announce that the official Notice of Race and Entry Form will be online by the end of the week.

Working with lots of support from the International Sailing League Association and two prominent Irish sailors involved with the Swiss Sailing League, the final touches are being put to the event and its format. Rather than reinventing any wheels, the tried, trusted and proven method is being chosen as the format for this year’s events.

While clubs and their teams eagerly await the official NOR and entry process, we can confirm that;

1. The event will be sailed over three weekends, in late June and early July in Dun Laoghaire, and the plan is to race in Scotsman’s Bay vicinity.
2. In the first instance, each club is limited to one entry, but this may be increased based on the number of clubs wishing to participate. Worth noting, too, that in future years the plan would be to extend the event to include regional rounds in North, South, East and West.
3. Each Club must nominate a crew. The maximum crew number is 4, all members of the same club, and one crew must be female. The crew number and lineup cannot be changed later than seven days before the first race without a points penalty.

We are super excited to release the Notice of Race later this week.

Following the announcement of the new Irish Sailing League earlier this week, organisers say they have been “overwhelmed with the number of enquiries” as they reveal more details of its structure and future plans.

As previously reported on Afloat.ie, well-known Dun Laoghaire sailor Kenny Rumball is backing the new league which would see competitors represent their clubs in short, grandstand-style sprint races sailed in RS21s with crews of four, in a series held over a number of weekends.

Boats would be provided at each event location, with the organisers saying this “breaks down the many barriers to keelboat sailing”.

In a video update, Rumball confirms that a full information pack will be released in January which will include the first season’s event schedule and locations.

Initially the league will comprise a single open division with one team per club — pending greater demand — but it’s hopeful to garner enough interest for a women’s league and an U25 division.

There is no maximum or minimum weight requirement for the four-handed RS21 dinghies, but Rumball adds: “Generally speaking most crews sail with a combined crew weight of 350kg.”

In addition, Rumball clarifies that teams in the Irish Sailing League will be nominated by their club, and every crew member must have a valid membership of the club they represent.

“This, we feel, will aid participation from clubs and membership for clubs as well, as this is a sailing league for clubs,” he says.

Based on demand, the league may run different divisions which will be sailed off towards a final, allowing more teams per club for those with a higher level of interest.

On the other hand, if clubs are struggling to find ways to select a team, Rumball says: “We have a fleet of identical boats and can help clubs organise one design events from which to nominate their team.”

More will be revealed in the New Year.

The upstart Irish Sailing League is aiming to shake up the inter-club racing scene in Ireland.

Backed by Kenny Rumball of Dun Laoghaire’s Irish National Sailing School, the new league would see competitors represent their clubs in short, grandstand-style sprint races sailed in RS21s with crews of four, in a series held over a number of weekends.

Boats would be provided at each event location, with the organisers saying this “breaks down the many barriers to keelboat sailing”.

Well-known Dun Laoghaire sailor Kenny Rumball has been working behind the scenes to announce the Irish Sailing League this Christmas Photo: Alexis Courcoux/Figaro

Teams would battle it out to become the Irish Sailing League champions and give their club the right to proclaim itself the best sailing club in the country.

What’s more, the champion club would have the opportunity to represent Ireland at the annual Sailing Champions League, where sailing clubs from across Europe and beyond put their skills to the test.

Fully affiliated with the International Sailing League Association, the Irish Sailing League is now encouraging sailors and clubs to register interest for a 2023 season start.

Exact dates and locations are to be released very soon for the 2023 season in Ireland. 

Clubs will be required to nominate a team, which Rumball hopes will encourage more club-level competition in the country which has been declining over a number of years.

RS Sailing is backing the Irish Sailing League for 2023 by providing Ireland with the required six one design boats for the league. The RS 21 is widely used by lots of leagues in Europe, including the British Keelboat League & Italian Sailing League

League Sailing is Club against Club with each club being represented by a team of which each member must be a member of that club. Through a series of races, the winning team will claim their club is the best sailing club in the country. The winning team then has the opportunity to represent their country at the sailing champions league, competing against teams from the best clubs in other countries that run a league affiliated with the International Sailing League Association. More in this vid below