The 2000 Class Association has announced that, following a Committee vote held in April 2026, the class will officially adopt the “RS” branding of manufacturer RS Sailing into its logo and class identity.
As part of this decision, the class will move forward with new boats being branded as RS2000, replacing the previous “2000” class designation.
The move reflects a long-standing and successful relationship between the Class Association and RS Sailing, which acquired the build ownership and manufacturing rights for the 2000 in 2013. Since then, RS Sailing has spent the past 13 years producing and delivering boats while working closely alongside the Class Association to support owners, events, training, and class development.
Over that time, the 2000 has continued to establish itself as one of the UK’s most versatile and popular double-handed dinghies. While highly regarded on the race circuit, the boat has also become a favourite among families looking for a stable and enjoyable cruising boat for weekend adventures, as well as an established training platform for sailing centres and institutions, including Army, Navy and Royal Air Force sailing programmes.
The class’s long-standing tagline – “fast, family, fun” – has aligned naturally with the values and ethos of RS Sailing since the manufacturer first adopted the class.
“The 2000 Class Association are pleased to be working closely with RS and to include new RS2000 branded boats in the class activities. Including the RS name into the class title is a logical progression as we continue to work alongside RS with everything to do with the 2000 and the class community that has been created,” said Rob Burridge, Chair, 2000 Class Association
Commenting on the announcement, Alex Newton-Southon, Managing Director of RS Sailing, said: “We’re incredibly honoured that the Class Association has chosen to include the RS name as part of the class identity. Since 2013, we’ve been proud custodians of the boat and have greatly enjoyed working alongside the class and its fantastic community of sailors.
Bringing the RS2000 name into line with the wider family of RS boats helps strengthen that connection while respecting the heritage and personality that have always made the class so special.”
The updated branding will begin appearing across official communications, class materials, events, and digital platforms over the coming months.
The Class Association has also emphasised that the 2000 Class Association will remain an independent organisation, separate from RS Sailing, in the same way as the other independent class associations supported by the manufacturer. The Class Association will also remain as the members’ organisation for previous versions of the class under the Laser 2000 and LDC 2000 titles.
