2024

BRITISH KEELBOAT LEAGUETHINK Football Champions League
SAIL British Keelboat League

CAN YOUR SAILING CLUB QUALIFY?

7 BRITISH LEAGUES

Each with up to 12 clubs participating.

Clubs can enter as many leagues as they like, or choose one best suited to your team.

One womens only league.

LEARN MORE

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1 BRITISH FINAL

Sailed over a 3 day weekend.

1st two clubs in each league will compete in the final in J70’s at The Royal Southern Yacht Club at the end of September.

Enter a league to get to the final.

2023 Results

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7 CLUBS IN EUROPE

Top four clubs in the final plus highest womens and youth team will qualify to represent Britain in one of the Sailing Champions League Qualifiers in 2025.

Previous venues, Portugal, Italy, Germany, Poland.

2024 SCL

SAILING CHAMPIONS LEAGUE

Each British qualifier will sail in one league in Europe with high performers passing through to a final league to become the top European club.

LEARN MORE

BRITISH KEELBOAT LEAGUE2024 LEAGUES

Leagues are organised and run by RYA clubs using a format agreed and authorised by the British Keelboat League. BKL leagues comply with the guidelines of the International Sailing Leagues Association.

Ryde School with Upper Chine (Black) - Winners

LEAGUE 1March
9 - 10th

Host
ROYAL THAMES YACHT CLUB

1st – Ryde School

2nd – Sherbourne School

3rd – Oxford

See Report

See Results

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LEAGUE 2March
16 - 17th

Host
SCOTTISH STUDENT SAILING

1st – Strathclyde 1

2nd – Strathclyde 3

3rd – Dundee 1

See Report

See Result

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LEAGUE 3May
11 - 12th

Host
ROYAL SOUTHERN YACHT CLUB

Entries are now open.

Start your journey towards representing British clubs in the Womens Sailing Champions League in Europe 2025

Sailed in RS21’s with asymmetrical spinnakers on Southampton Water in the RYA Southern Region, this is a women’s event.

Entry Open

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LEAGUE 4May
18 - 19th

Host
ROYAL CORINTHIAN YACHT CLUB

Sailed in Hunter 707’s with symmetrical spinnakers on the river Crouch in the RYA Eastern Region.

Entry Open

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LEAGUE 5June
15 - 16th

Joint Hosts
MARCONI SC & STONE SC

A league in the RYA Eastern region sailed in SB20’s with Asymmetric spinnakers on the river Blackwater in Essex.

NOR Coming Soon

LEAGUE 6July
20 - 21st

Host
RUTLAND SAILING CLUB

Sailed in RS 21’s with asymmetrical spinnakers on Rutland Water in the RYA Central Region.

NOR Coming Soon

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LEAGUE 7DATE
t.b.d.

Host
WPNSA

Sailed in Elliot 6’s in Portland Harbour and organised by the RYA and the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy.

NOR Coming Soon

BRITISH KEELBOAT LEAGUEBRITISH FINAL

1st and 2nd places from each league will be invited.

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Sept 27 - 29th

The top clubs from the British Leagues will compete in J70’s in Southampton Water to become British Keelboat League Champions.

The top four clubs plus womens and youth teams will receive an invite to travel to Europe to represent themselves and the BKL in a Sailing Champions League event in 2025.

LEARN MOREHOW LEAGUES ARE RACED

Boats are provided so teams simply #rockupandrace.

Fleets of 5 or 6 boats are raced by 10 or 12 teams who rotate around the boats so that every team sails on every boat multiple times throughout the weekend.

Races last no longer than 15 – 20 mins on two lap windward leeward courses. Turn around between races is swift and as many races are sailed as can be fitted in during the day.

The race area will be supported by a hospitality boat or close to shoreside facilities for use whilst a team is between races.

Races are umpired and protests are immediately settled during the race.

A high points scoring system is used and league positions are immediately known.

The team with the highest average score per race wins the league.

JOIN THE CLUB

LEARN MORE

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BRITISH KEELBOAT LEAGUEWHO ARE THE SAILORS

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CLUB RACERS

Put members together from across your club. Youth's, seniors, ladies, mixed.

If you’ve got racers used to handling symmetrical kites, then enter a league that sails a fleet matching your experience.

DINGHY RACERS

If you can race a dinghy, you can race a keelboat. Our fleets are just big dinghies really.

But don’t let that put off your cruiser racers, just make sure they’re hanging on when you pop the kite and get on the plane!

FUN

Arguably the most fun style of sailing available to sailors in the UK.

Tom Low - West Hoe SC

EXCITING

The short format racing was really exciting. I enjoyed it a lot.

Jemma Clarke - Marconi Ladies Team

SIMPLE

The fact that boats are provided makes it dead easy getting onto the startline.

Simple Sailor - No Boats SC

COMPETITIVE

We enjoy sailing against teams from diverse ages, backgrounds, and disciplines and the opportunity to share or gain knowledge from them between races.

Jake Miller - Strathclyde Uni SC

OUR 2024 SAILING CHAMPIONS LEAGUE REPRESENTATIVES

Winning their places to race in leagues in Portugal, Germany and Poland against the top European league clubs.

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BRITISH KEELBOAT LEAGUELATEST NEWS

19Mar

Sailing Champions League Qualifier 1 – 2024

Sailing Champions League Qualifier 1 – 2024 After practice sailing on Thursday, come race day, the fog closed in and wind was zero at Vilamoura Portugal on Friday 15th March. The first of three qualifiers was being sailed in a fleet of J70’s and with the top league racing club teams from around Europe amusing...

18Mar

Scottish Students March Forth to BKL 2024 Finals

Scottish Students March Forth to BKL 2024 Finals Inverkeithing Bay on the Forth was the backdrop for the BKL Forth/Scottish Student Sailing Keelboat Championships over the weekend of 16-17th March, organised by Scottish Student Sailing and Port Edgar Yacht Club. The first day brought excellent conditions with good wind and sunny weather. Race Officer Eilidh...

14Mar

1st Two Teams Qualify for the 2024 BKL finals in September.

Ryde School with Upper Chine travelled from the Isle of Wight with 3 teams of four sailors to compete in the first of the 2024 British Keelboat Leagues. They were joined by 3 teams from the Royal Hospital School, 2 from both Tonbridge and Winchester and 1 each from Claires Court, Cokethorpe, Kim Bolton, Oxford,...

2024 British Keelboat League Gets Under Way this Weekend

04Mar

BKL 2024

2024 British Keelboat League Gets Under Way this Weekend

2024 British Keelboat League Gets Under Way this Weekend March 9th & 10th sees the start of the British Keelboat League (BKL) with the first event being sailed at Queen Mary reservoir in West London. BSDRA Schools Keelboat League This first event, which is restricted to School teams, is being run by the Royal Thames...

MORE NEWS

2024 HOST A BKL EVENT?

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