The countdown is on for the 2024 RS21 World Championship in L'Escala, Spain
by Helena Geis 17 Sep 02:15 NZST
21-28 September 2024
RS21 World Championship © RS Sailing
Club Nàutic L'Escala will host the 2024 RS21 World Championship between the 21st and 28th of September. The official presentation of the event took place on Thursday 12th September at 11am in L'Escala Town Hall and marked the start of the countdown for a competition that will place the Costa Brava on the international regatta calendar.
Around 200 sailors from 14 different countries will experience eight exciting days of competition and fun.
The President of the Club Narcís Carreras, the Sports Councilor of the Alt Empordà Regional Council Núria Escarpenter and the Mayor of L'Escala, Josep Bofill, attended the event.
Sustainable sailing boats
The Club's Sports Director and Event Organiser, Xavi López, gave details of the upcoming RS21 World Championship. The RS21 is a one-design keelboat by RS Sailing. The design, in addition to its performance and fun handling, also stands out for being sustainable. Its structure is made from bio-derived resins and recycled materials and it is equipped with an electric motor for maneuvering in confined spaces and getting out to the start lines.
The ultimate racing keelboat, the RS21 sails with crews of up of four or five people. On this occasion, 11 nations are represented, with entries from countries including Spain, Great Britain, Greece, Italy, Ireland, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, as well as those from further afield in the United States, Australia and the United Arab Emirates. In order to assist the competitors, the Club's organisers have gathered a team of more than 40 people.
Eight days of competition
The regatta will open its gates on the 21st and 22nd of September for training and measurements. There will be an event hub and regatta village, located in the Club's headquarters' square, with several moorings located nearby.
The opening ceremony will take place on the 23rd at 6pm and will kick off four days of official competition, during which three races will be held every day between 12pm and 5pm. Races will be followed by social events in the evenings, with plenty of fun off the water too. On the last day of the competition, the 28th September, the 6pm prize-giving ceremony will bring the 2024 RS21 World Championship to a close.
Responsible event
The 2024 RS21 World Championship is eligible for the platinum seal of Sailors for the Sea's Clean Regattas programme, which has been endorsing the sustainability of events that take place on the water since 2006. The Club has developed four pledges to minimise the impact of the regatta on the surrounding natural environment. These are the correct management of waste, responsible water consumption, the prevention of toxins entering the sea and the organisation of a coastal clean-up.
In its social aspect, the regatta will be integrated into the Community Service Project of the IES El Pedró de l'Escala secondary school. Under this project, a group of students will participate as volunteers in the organisation of the regatta, which will allow them to extend their learning in the active exercise of citizenship, as well as to put their knowledge and skills at the service of the community.
The RS21 2024 World Championship is organised by Club Nàutic L'Escala and the RS21 International Class with the support of the Catalan Sailing Federation and the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation.
The event has the institutional support of L'Escala Town Council, Girona Provincial Council, the Costa Brava Tourist Board and the General Secretariat of Sport of the Catalan Government. It is also supported by Hyundai Fornells Motor, RS Sailing, Camping la Ballena Alegre, the Consejo Superior de Deportes, Ports de la Generalitat, Nautivela and RS Veleros.
The regatta will be financed by the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan financed by European Union funds - Next Generation EU, as part of the actions that form part of the collaboration agreement signed this summer between L'Escala Town Council and Club Nàutic l'Escala with the aim of promoting sustainable activities at sea, as well as non-motorised nautical events.