Please select your home edition
Edition
Switch One Design

British Keelboat League kicks off 2024 season in style

by British Keelboat League 21 Mar 2024 02:17 PDT
Sailing Champions League qualifier 1 in Vilamoura © Joao Costa Ferreira

The British Keelboat League has kicked off its 2024 season in style. A record number of teams raced in the first two BKL qualifiers of the year and two British clubs have been competing with the SAILING Champions League in Europe.

The BKL aims to break down barriers to keelboat racing with a #rockupandrace series offering inter-club fleet racing at venues around the country.

With a rigged and ready-to-go fleet of keelboats at each weekend qualifier, teams compete in a series of short sprint races against other clubs.

The top teams are then invited to a national final to battle it out for the overall BKL title and a chance to compete in the SAILING Champions League 2025.

This year's final will be hosted by the Royal Southern Yacht Club in September 2024.

Schools championship

The first two teams to qualify for the BKL 2024 final are Ryde School with Upper Chine and Sherborne School after the season got under way with the BKL Schools Championship in London (9-10 March 2024).

Eighteen teams from 11schools took the opportunity to race the Royal Thames Yacht Club's fleet of Sonar keelboats at Queen Mary Sailing Club, in an event promoted by the British Schools Dinghy Racing Association.

More than 40 races in total saw Ryde School with Upper Chine posting an impressive series of results to finish first overall with 12 wins, five 2nds and three 3rds, with Sherbourne Gold second overall and Oxford third.

As Brian Mumford, Head of Sailing at Kings School Canterbury, summed up: "What a great event!"

Scottish students march forth

Elevens team competed in the second qualifier of the year with the BKL Forth/Scottish Student Sailing Keelboat Championship (16-17 March 2024).

Organised by Scottish Student Sailing and Port Edgar Yacht Club, Inverkeithing Bay on the Forth provided the backdrop for the racing in Hunter 707s.

The Saturday saw a building breeze and sunshine for an action-packed 14 races but a lack of wind on the Sunday meant it wasn't to be on the second day.

Strathclyde University, with two teams in first and second overall, qualified for one place in the BKL final, and Dundee University in third overall claimed the other spot.

Scottish Student Sailing thanked all who supported the event, including race officer Eilidh Millar, Port Edgar YC, K-Sail, RYA Scotland, Tunnocks and the volunteers.

SAILING Champions League

Teams have also been in action with the SAILING Champions League in Europe after qualifying with last year's BKL.

Marconi Sailing Club and West Hoe Sailing club competed in Vilamoura, Portugal (15-17 March), finishing 12th and 15th respectively.

Although neither qualified for the final, as Marconi SC helm Dan Nickalls explained afterwards: "It was a fantastic few days of high-quality racing. We were genuinely competitive throughout, our boat handling underwent some minor transformations learning from other teams and our tactical skills developed as we learned from our mistakes. Exhausted but happy!"

West Hoe SC's Tom Low said his club's newly assembled team was on an "almost vertical learning curve" but had relished the challenge and enjoyed "the honour of sailing in such a highly competitive international event".

British teams at Sailing Champions League Qualifier 1

Next up for British clubs in the SAILING Champions League will be teams from Royal Thames Yacht Club and Solent University competing in Berlin, 12-14 April.

Take part!

Could your club make it to the 2024 BKL finals and win through to compete in Europe?

Entries are now open for the third qualifier on the calendar, the Women's BKL Championship, sailing asymmetric RS21keelboats.

Part of the Women's Open Keelboat Championship, 11-12 May at the Royal Southern Yacht Club, Hamble, early bird entries close 31 March 2024.

The BKL is open to teams from any British sailing club. Look out for entries opening in for the rest of the 2024 qualifiers and save the dates!

  • 18-19 May, Royal Corinthian YC, Burnham on Crouch, Hunter 707
  • 15-16 June, Marconi SC/Stone SC, East Coast, Essex, SB20
  • 20-21 July, Rutland SC, Midlands, RS21
  • Date to be confirmed, BKL Sailability, WPNSA, Dorset, Elliott 7M
  • 27-29 September, BKL Final at Royal Southern Yacht Club, J70

Keep up to date with all the news by following @britishkeelboatleague on Facebook and Instagram and at britishkeelboatleague.co.uk

Related Articles

2026 Junior Worlds set for Medemblik, Netherlands
A famous and beautiful sailing venue with a deep-rooted legacy in Olympic-class racing The International 49er and Nacra 17 Class Association proudly announces that the 2026 Junior World Championships for the 49er, 49erFX, and Nacra 17 classes will take place in Medemblik, Netherlands, from July 19 to 26th, 2026. Posted today at 12:21 pm
Dalton claims Alinghi are still recruiting
Emirates Team NZ CEO claims the Swiss America's Cup team Alinghi are still actively recruiting. In the course of a TV interview following the announcement of the venue for the 38th America's Cup, Emirates Team New Zealand CEO claimed that the Swiss America's Cup team Alinghi, were still actively recruiting, despite being in an "orderly wind-down". Posted today at 11:14 am
Etchells North American Championship day 1
A strong day for Masfen, Cooke and Wilkinson give the NZL team top position Day one of the Etchells North American Championship started off under an AP flag with mostly cloudy skies. After an almost 90 minute delay, Race 1 got under way at 12:55 with a course bearing of 235 with 1.2 nm legs. Posted today at 7:44 am
May 2025 edition of FINNFARE published
In a new look magazine, the focus is on original feature length content In a new look magazine, the focus is on original feature length content, illustrated with the usual extensive photos. Posted today at 6:12 am
Bulwarks and Bulldust – watch Episode Two
Three time Jane Tate Memorial Trophy winner, Annika Thomson, talks racing and rubbish... Episode Two of Bukwarks and Bulldust featuring Annika Thomson from Ocean Crusaders is now up and running. The three time Jane Tate Memorial Trophy winner talks about her favourite subjects - racing and rubbish... Posted on 16 May
WMRT adds first ever Ireland stage
Dublin Match Cup joins the 2025 tour season as a tier 2 world tour event The World Match Racing Tour is pleased to announce the addition of its first ever tour stage in Ireland with the launch of the Dublin Match Cup. Posted on 16 May
Dragon Worlds at Vilamoura day 5
'Provezza Dragon' has already secured the title Day 5 of the Dragon World Championship by Tivoli Hotels & Resorts brought light winds and only one race, but it was enough to make history: Provezza Dragon, led by Andy Beadsworth, has secured the 2025 Dragon World Champion title, ahead of the final da Posted on 16 May
44Cup Porto Cervo day 2
Team Nika edges ahead after lumpy day For day two of the 44Cup Porto Cervo, organised between the RC44 class and the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, Sardinia served up very different conditions to Thursday. Posted on 16 May
Formula Kite Europeans in Urla day 3
Racing cancelled, so let's focus on IKA being recognised as clean class The International Kiteboarding Association (IKA) is proud to have been recognized as a Clean Class by Sailors for the Sea, a leading ocean conservation organization. Posted on 16 May
ILCA 6 Women's and ILCA 7 Men's Worlds day 4
Clearing Skies and Fresh Breezes: Racing Finally Begins in Qingdao After four consecutive days of still air and thick fog, the ILCA World Championships in Qingdao finally saw its first official races on Day 5. Posted on 16 May
Allen Dynamic 40 FooterMySail 2025Palm Beach Motor Yachts