Rutland Sailing Club hosted sailors from 15 different countries for the highly anticipated International Inclusivity Keelboat Event last week.  

The four-day competition bought together seven teams with a blend of athletes with varying physical and sensory disabilities. As the biggest event hosted by Rutland Sailing Club since the 2015 World Team Racing Championships, this event was an incredible showcase of inclusivity and the power of sport. 

The event attracted top competitors from around the world, featuring two major competitions. The RS Venture Connect World Championships catered primarily to sailors with medium to serious physical disabilities who require hoisting to embark and disembark from the boats. The International Inclusive Keelboat Championships, which was raced in Rutland Sailing Clubs four RS21 boats, was for athletes that have non-physical or mild physical disabilities, such as deafness or blindness, competing at the highest level. 

Event organiser David Wilkins was immensely proud that RSS was able to host such an inspiring event. "The sailors from all the countries had a though test of sailing and competition in a wide variety of winds over the 4 days of racing," he said. 

"It was a great honour for Rutland Sailing Club and Sailability to be chosen to run this massive event. The social interaction in the club's wet bar and club room was just amazing. This event took around 50 volunteers over the 4 days and a big thank you to all their efforts." 

With 46 races in total over the four days, every team had the opportunity to race in at least 26 races across the event. 

The teams had to navigate wet and windy conditions throughout the competiton. (Photo: Rutland Sailing)

UK Blind Sailing Team 2, helmed by Lucy Hodges with her crew Steve, Darryl and Karl, gave a masterclass throughout the event, winning all 25 out of their 26 races. In each team for the Keelboat Championships, a minimum of 2 sailors from each 4–5-person team were able to self-certify that they are a sailor with a disability. GBR Blind Sailing and Deaf Sailing UK were some of the organisations that supported the event, entering multiple teams. 

Overall, the event was a raging success as a display of the passion and hard work of the athletes, as well as the love Rutland Sailing Club and Sailability has for the sport, demonstrating inclusive sailing at its finest.