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Get an inside look at our keelboat & sports boat teams thrilling 2024 season - packed with intense racing, unforgettable moment, some import lessons and rigorous testing of our new gear.
Sam Mabey
The 2024 sailing season has been busy, full of learning, challenges, and plenty of fun. My two main focuses were the Cape 31 circuit and getting back into dinghy sailing with the Aero 6 after almost six years away from a boat! Alongside those, I took a trip to the south of France for some classic racing with Varuna, started match racing with the Cowes Match Racing Academy and headed to Greece/Valencia to deliver FINN an N53 trimaran.
In the Cape 31 fleet, I raced as bowman with Jiraffe. We had a solid season, achieving consistent results and finishing 4th in the standings, despite an eventful final race where a kite trawl at the last leeward mark dropped us from first to 15th sending the season out with a bang! My Aero journey was more of a learning curve. I began training in March and quickly realised it would be tougher than expected. I dedicated as much time as I could ahead of my first event in June, the RS 30th regatta, where I performed well in light conditions. However, I struggled at the European Championships in heavier winds, yet still finished with a result I felt good about and headed into the worlds more confident. Although the first few days were challenging with a few capsizes and some amateur hour moments, I found my rhythm later in the week, leaving with valuable experience and a smile, despite the result.
This season, I also had the opportunity to test Rooster’s upcoming yachting gear, including the inshore smock, SB1 gear, and new deck trainers. I typically prefer running shoes or gym trainers over sailing brand trainers for their grip, so I was pleasantly surprised by the Rooster trainers—they kept their grip throughout the season and endured the demands of bow. Testing the SB1 smock in wet and windy conditions on the Cape was a highlight and can't wait to get my hands on the final version. Having a hand in the development of these products was rewarding, especially as I've been hoping for a Rooster dry smock, a key item in my inshore sailing kit.
It’s been a busy but fulfilling season, with the Cape Europeans and more match racing still ahead. I’m looking forward to building on all I’ve learned next season.
Liam Willis - RS21 Team Dark & Stormy
As the 2024 season comes to a close I thought I would reflect on a fantastic season of sailing, flying the flag at the events and helping with product development, in particular the SB1 range. I have had a set of SB1 Inshore kit for a year or so and have been putting it through its paces and it has performed brilliant in every application.
We started the season with a photoshoot with the Rooster team, sailing RS21s from Hamble, despite the lack of wind it was a fun day out and great to get some nice photos of us all in our kit.
My racing season kick off in big style with my first regatta of the year being Antigua Classics week on board a Spirit 65 as tactician, we had a fantastic week of sailing in the warm weather and came away with a good result.
Back in the UK with the RS21, the first event for us was Round 2 of the RS21 UK and Ireland Cup which was also the RS Sailing 30th Anniversary regatta held at Hayling Island. It was amazing to see so many boats out and such a large RS21 fleet, we were excited to crack out our new team kit for the year at this event. It was a tricky weekend with the light winds, but we were delighted to come away with the win. Next up was RS21 Cup Round 4 in our home town of Lymington, fantastic conditions all event with sunshine and big winds so was a lot of fun blasting around the Solent. Hard fort racing but bagged ourselves the win.
I then hopped out to Guernsey for another regatta on the spirit were the SB1s were the perfect items of clothing for the week with it being chillier than it maybe should have been in June but warm enough that heavy weather waterproofs were too much. Another fun week of racing and socialising with the team.
With the RS21 we then teamed up with fellow Rooster riders Team Rolfe to head to Ireland for the iconic Cork Week regatta. The event lived up to its reputation and put on an epic event both on and off the water. Despite the full range of conditions over the week, the team were on form and we managed to take 11 race wins out of the 12 races to win the class.
The event we were leading up to all year was the RS21 Nationals which were held in Dartmouth, having had a great start to the year we were determined to continue. Despite the lower turnout for the event than hoped the racing so still incredibly close and we had to work very hard. We were very pleased to pull it of with a race to spare and become the national champions.
The following week we began our European tour, again joining forces with Team Rolfe we packed up and made the drive south to Lake Garda for the RS21 Italian nationals. With a larger fleet of 40 boats and far higher standard of full professional sailors, we were unsure how we would fair. The fleet was very tight and mistakes were punished but Garda delivered and we had amazing conditions to enjoy. Not to mention the lovely scenary, food and drink off the water too. With some good results and some not so good, we took 10th place. Next up was the world championships in Spain, in L’Escala, with a similar high quality fleet from all around the world we knew we had a tough time to be near the front of the fleet, however day 1 couldn’t have been better as we took the race win in race 2, our first international race win in the RS21. A couple of not so good races over the next couple of days in harsh big winds and big waves drops a few places to finish 13th overall.
It has for sure been a busy year of sailing, with some downs but that just makes the ups feel even better. Looking forward to the next one!
Nigel Rolfe - RS21 Team 5'o Clock Somewhere
2024 has been a standout year, with our focus on the UK series laying a strong foundation for future success. We saw new sailors join the ranks and seasoned veterans return, making for competitive and exhilarating races.
We kicked off with midweek training in Hamble to shake off the winter rust. The first event was a breezy, cool regatta in Hamble, requiring full Rooster gear to keep warm. Lymington followed with intense competition, though we were reminded of the importance of tides a bit too late, costing us some results. We tested our new, lighter SB1 kit here—it was perfect for the warmer, wet conditions.
Next up was Cork, where the opening day brought heavy winds and waves, even challenging the local mark layers! Racing was tight, especially among the top five boats, with rain gracing us only while sailing. Cork also topped the social calendar with lively club activities and reunions with old friends.
All this was great preparation for our big challenges—the Italian Nationals and the 2024 Worlds in Spain. Italy’s Lake Garda proved hot, teaching us not to skimp on accommodation without air conditioning. Doh! With early morning starts in breezy conditions, we debuted the new Vakaros compass, which added a strategic edge to our race starts with precise distance-to-line readings.
The grand finale was the World Championships in L'Escala, Spain. With high winds and waves, it was a true test for both our gear and our teamwork. The conditions exposed the narrow margins for error, making it a humbling experience despite a year of progress together.
Reflecting on an unforgettable season, we’re ready for a winter break to reset and return even stronger next year. We’ll be back!