Rutland Sailing Club is looking forward to welcoming competitors from across Europe and beyond for its International Inclusive Keelboat Championship 2026.
Taking place on England’s largest reservoir from 19 November – 22 November, eight teams are already signed up and there’s still time to enter the #rockupandrace championship.
Competitors will take to the water in a fleet of six RS21 keelboats in teams of four or five sailors. Entry is just £530 per team and includes the use of boats, opening ceremony buffet and Saturday evening meal, plus on-water coaching support on 19 November before racing begins on the Friday.
Entry is open until midnight on 16 November and all the details, including the Notice of Race, are available at the International Inclusive Keelboat Championship 2026 hub.
The club is a premier inland venue located on the south shore of Rutland Water. It is a renowned centre of excellence for both Sailability for people with disabilities and for running major national and international championships.
Event director David Wilkins, of Rutland Sailing Club, said: “We’re getting set for three action-packed days of fast turnaround racing using a keelboat league format with short windward-leeward courses. There’s also an opportunity for teams to get some advance practise in the boats with our coached support sessions the day before the championship gets underway.
“It would be fantastic to welcome teams from other Sailability and Help for Heroes/Invictus groups in the UK as well as from overseas, who may have competed at the recent World Sailing Inclusion Championships, or who may find our Rutland event more accessible. Our keelboat events are known for their friendly and supportive atmosphere both on the water and ashore. It’s going to be a really fun, competitive and sociable weekend and there’s still time to enter!”
Boosting opportunities for participation
Inclusion sailing aims to increase opportunities for participation in events up to international-level sailing, specifically for disabled sailors whose disability does not meet the para classification ‘Minimal Disability’ (MD) criteria. For the Rutland event, at least two of the crew shall consider themselves as a disabled person and must be active in sailing the boats, including the helm.
Among the teams already entered are competitors from GBR Blind Sailing, who recently won the Vision Impairment title at the 2026 World Sailing Inclusion Championships in Portimão, Portugal. The club is encouraging other International VI teams to come to the Rutland event to take on again the GBR teams who were successful at the Worlds.
All facilities at Rutland Sailing Club are fully accessible, with sailing taking place in front of the clubhouse, making it ideal for spectators as well as competitors.
The club is well connected for transport links with several major airports within easy reach. Oakham Railway Station is just a 10-minute car ride from the club and the journey from Stansted and Birmingham Airports by train is just over one hour, with a number of other UK airports accessible by train or road.
Find out more and enter as soon as possible to secure a spot for your team at the International Inclusive Keelboat Championship 2026. For further information / any questions please contact David Wilkins or Rutland Sailing Club.
