One design keelboat racing
There are many options for one design keelboat racing in the UK
How can you get involved?
How do you choose the right boat for you?
The UK is lucky to have a wide variety of different One Design Keelboats racing competitively. Choosing the right fleet to be part of though can be tough.
If you are looking for a one design fix there are plenty of options to choose from in yacht and keelboat racing. From traditional designs over 100 years old to modern planing boats with asymmetric spinnakers we list many of the classes currently active in the UK.
One of the first questions you might ask is do you want to own, or can you get your one design fix in another way? There are some options for those looking to compete on a level playing field without having to buy a boat.
Match Racing – one on one racing in supplied keelboats.
Team Racing – there are a handful of two boat team racing events in the UK.
British Keelboat League – sprint racing in supplied keelboats with umpires to keep it fair.
Clubs with pay to play keelboats
The following clubs have keelboats for the use of their members.
One Design Keelboats
Find links to class associations affiliated to the RYA below along with other key one design keelboat classes in the UK
2.4 Metre class
single handed keelboat
Ajax Class association
23 foot keelboat raced in Harwich and Falmouth
Bembridge Redwing
Open keelboat raced from Bembridge, Isle of Wight
Brightlingsea One Design
Clinker built wooden one design raced mainly in Brightlingsea
British Folkboat
Longkeeled boat with a small cabin. Various methods of construction. perennial winner of the Round the Island Race.
Daring Class Association
Traditional, Long keeled, keelboat. Based on the 5.5 metre. Raced from Cowes
Devon Yawl
two person day boat with a Yawl configuration (mizzen overhangs the stern) fibreglass construction to look like clinker built
Dragon Association
Long keeled open day boat. Strong international competition with fleets in Cowes and Burnham and other UK locations.
Etchells 22
three/four person open keelboat. Strong international racing. UK racing centred around Cowes and the Clyde
Flying Fifteen
2 person open keelboat designed by the great Uffa Fox. Strong international competition and fleets around the UK
Illusion
one person keelboat with a spinnaker. Mainly raced in Bembridge, Isle of Wight.
International Six Metre
Open one design keelboat with multiple generations of designs of designs still competing. Strong international competition.
Loch Long
Open dayboat. Raced on the Clyde and at Aldeburgh
Salcombe Yawl
two person open dayboat in yawl configuration (mizzen extends beyond the stern). Raced from Salcombe.
Sandhopper Class Association
Bilge keel, shallow draft version of the Squib. Mainly raced in Thorpe bay and Murrays Bay
Soling
Former Olympic class, three person open keelboat. Fleets across the UK
Sonar Class Association
Three person open keelboat. Previously used in the Paralympic Games. Fleets across the UK.
Squib Class Association
two person open keelboat. Distinctive with their mace brown sails. large attendance at national championships with fleets across the UK
St Mawes One Design
wooden two person open dayboat. Raced mainly in Falmouth.
Sunbeam
Open keelboat with fleets in Falmouth and Itchenor with different configurations.
Swallow
Three person open dayboat. Primarily raced from Chichester Harbour.
Victory
Open dayboat in wood or fibreglass. Racing from Portsmouth Harbour
X One Design
Over 100 years old, the XOD is a three person open keelboat which regularly sees large turn outs for national championships. Raced on the South coast from Chichester to Poole.
Yeoman Kinsman
The Yoeman and Kinsman are the same hull but the Yeoman has a fixed keel where the kinsman has a lifting keel. Fleets race across the UK
One Design Sportsboat
Find links to class associations affiliated to the RYA below along with other key sportsboat classes in the UK
1720
5/6 person asymmetric sportsboat. Developed for the Royal Cork Yacht Club but raced in the UK as well. Sometimes modified for IRC.
J24
Symmetrically rigged, 24 foot sportsboat. Local fleets across the UK. Strong international circuit.
J70
Very popular asymmetric sportsboat raced by three to five people. Mainly south coast based but strong international circuit.
J80
Asymmetric sportsboat with good UK racing. Strong international events.
K6
two or three person hiking asymmetric sportspboat.
Melges 24
High performance four or five person asymmetric sportsboat. Limited UK racing but strong international circuit.
RS 21
asymmetric sportsboat, easy to handle and aimed at clubs looking to provide pay for play racing.
RS Elite
three person symmetrically rigged sportsboat pitched as a modern classic. Some class racing in the UK including Cowes Week.
SB20
three or four person restricted hiking asymmetric sportsboat. Class racing in the UK with strong international circuit.
VX One
two person high performance asymmetric sportsboat. UK class racing and international events.
One Design Yachts
Find links to class associations affiliated to the RYA below along with other key one design yacht classes in the UK
Cape 31
High performance asymmetric one design, new to the UK in 2021
Contessa 26
26 foot cruiser/racer with active class racing in the UK.
Contessa 32
Legendary 32ft cruiser racer, famous for her classic looks and stability, with well supported inshore and offshore cruising and racing throughout the UK.
Impala 28
28 foot cruiser racer, limited one design racing but successfully campaigned under IRC
J/109
35 foot asymmetric cruiser racer with owner driver and amateur crew.
J/111
36 foot performance asymmetric cruiser/racer. class racing in the Solent and good international events.
Sigma 33
33 foot cruiser/racer with class racing around the UK
Sigma 38
38 foor cruiser/racer. limited class racing but popular for offshore racing
Sonata
22 foot cruiser/racer with class racing around the UK. Strong annual national championship.
Close Rating Yachts
Not technically one design, these classes run racing for groups of similar yachts that allow for close racing on the water where one design racing is not possible due to fleet numbers in the individual classes.
