L’Escala Officially Launches the RS21 World Championship 2024
by Helena Geis 24 Sep 06:30 PDT
21-28 September 2024
L’Escala officially launched the RS21 World Championship 2024 © Code Zero Digital
The 2024 RS21 World Championship in L’Escala officially began on Monday, September 23rd, with an opening ceremony conducted at 6pm in the Regatta Village at Club Nàutic L’Escala.
The ceremony featured speeches from Club Commodore Gerard Marín, RS Sailing’s Commercial Director Michiel Geerling, and the Mayor of L’Escala and Girona Provincial Council Representative, Josep Bofill.
Following the speeches, the highlight moment occurred: the raising of the class flag on the signal mast. Sailors, guests, organizers, and companions enjoyed drinks and canapés, with locally sourced anchovies from L’Escala taking center stage.
Crews and their RS21 boats have been arriving since Saturday, September 21st. Teams settled in prior to the championship start with boat measurements ashore and test sails in the bay of Empúries.
A pioneering regatta
The RS21 World Championship is set to be one of the most pioneering regattas alongside the America’s Cup. For a second time, L’Escala is hosting a one-design boat competition designed for high sustainability. The RS21s are constructed using materials made from low-impact resins. When not sailing, they run on electric motors.
Event organizers are also implementing GPS-controlled automatic marks through MarkSetBot. The race courses will be marked out while minimizing any effect on the seabed, illustrating the advantages of innovative practices that support environmental sustainability.
Ready, set, action!
Today, Tuesday, September 24th, marks the final preparation day as the fleet participates in a training race.
From Wednesday, September 25th to Saturday, September 28th, the qualifying races for the RS21 2024 World Championship will occur. As many as 40 crews from Great Britain, Lithuania, Holland, Italy, Poland, Ireland, Australia, Turkey, and Greece will vie for the world title.
Organizers plan to conduct three races daily between noon and 5pm, followed by various social events designed for participants to engage and enjoy themselves. On Saturday, September 28th, the championship will conclude with a 6pm prize-giving ceremony.
The RS21 2024 World Championship in L’Escala
The RS21 2024 World Championship is organized by Club Nàutic L’Escala in conjunction with the RS21 International Class, supported by the Catalan Sailing Federation and the Royal Spanish Sailing Federation.
The event has the backing of the L’Escala Town Council, Girona Provincial Council, Costa Brava Tourist Board, and the General Secretariat of Sport of the Catalan Government. Supporters include Hyundai Fornells Motor, RS Sailing, Camping la Ballena Alegre, Consejo Superior de Deportes, Ports de la Generalitat, Nautivela, and RS Veleros.
The regatta is funded by the Recovery, Transformation and Resilience Plan backed by EU funds – Next Generation EU, as part of a collaboration agreement entered into this summer between L’Escala Town Council and Club Nàutic L’Escala to promote sustainable maritime activities and non-motorized nautical events.
