New “Irish Sailing League” Aims to Shake Up Inter-Club Racing Scene

19th December 2022

The Irish Sailing League is now encouraging sailors and clubs to register their interest for a 2023 season start

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

Published in RS21 Keelboat, Irish Sailing League, INSS

Published in RS21 Keelboat

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About the RS21 International One Design Class

The RS21 International One Design Class is a modern keelboat, which promoters say is 'responsibly designed with performance racing at its heart'.

The powerful rig and distinct chines are balanced by well-mannered boat handling and an ergonomic deck layout to ensure everyone on board has a vital role and ease of use.

The RS21 was developed with sustainability at the core of its design, not only in terms of materials but also considering the carbon footprint in the supply chain, a reduction in single-use plastics and a focus on efficient logistics.

The RS21 International One Design Class is growing from strength to strength, with fleets active over three continents and racing calendars that escalate each year, nationally and internationally. "Removing the arms race and ensuring epically close racing in the RS21 is the future of keelboat racing," said class aficionados.