Overview
The British Keelboat League, established in 2016, was introduced with the aim of increasing participation in keelboat racing across the United Kingdom. This is delivered through the concept of concentrated inter-club team sailing, which is highly successful in other parts of Europe and across North America. Sailors compete representing their club in a series of short sprint races against teams from other clubs in their region in a qualifying round of weekend racing. The finest teams from each region then battle it out in a national final to be crowned the British Keelboat League champions.
This approach to racing provides a level playing field for all competitors and breaks down some of the historic barriers to participation in keelboat racing, as boats for the competition (RS21) are provided by the British Keelboat League. Throughout the events, sailors will alternate between the fleet of one design small keelboats (crews of 4 or 5 depending on class).