The Brits at RS Sailing know a thing or two about establishing standardised classes. Even against the Laser, which has been firmly established for decades, they have achieved great success with the RS Aero. Even though it has yet to be nominated as an Olympic class, it still sells hundreds of times over.
The brand, which relies on its own developers but external production, is now also hoping for a coup like this with the RS 21, a sports boat with a catch-up T-keel that is intended to compete with the blockbuster J/70 in league sailing and club regattas.
The prerequisites for this are, technically at least, good. Unlike its much more conservative rival, the RS 21 is visually and conceptually fresher and bolder. It is smaller, lighter and, with its uncovered foredeck, looks more like a dinghy than a yacht. Nevertheless, it offers storage space for sails, clothes and food.
Its ecological footprint is truly innovative. The foam core of the hull, which is built using the vacuum infusion process, is largely made from recycled PET bottles. The vinyl ester resin is obtained from biomass. And the electric auxiliary drive, which is located in a shaft and can be completely retracted, comes from Torqeedo. This means that the RS 21 can even be used on sensitive inland waterways without any problems.
She can also sail very well. On the Seldén carbon mast, almost 25 square metres of sail area are available upwind, which corresponds to a sail carrying capacity of 5.7. A 40-square-metre gennaker gives her a leg up when she is under sail. During the YACHT test in western Sweden, the RS 21 proved to be nimble, if not explosive, while remaining easy to control at all times. This suits the overall design, which is more moderate than the striking appearance of the sports boat.
Is that enough to knock the J/70 off its throne? Not yet. The almost 1,500 boats of the US brand are only matched by five dozen RS 21s sold. What else does the slender Briton do that makes her special?
