Adapting to the needs for para sailing

RS Sailing set out with the goal to develop the RS Venture keelboat into the most versatile Para Sailing platform on the market. The result is the RS Venture Connect, a doublehanded boat with side by side seating with an optional factory supported electronic assistance package.

This platform was recently selected by World Sailing for doublehandle Para Sailing should Para Sailing be reinstated into the Paris 2024 Paralympic Games. The boat received a good test at the 2018 U.S. Para Sailing Championships and will be among the equipment used for the 2018 Para Sailing World Championships in Sheboygan, Wisconsin.

“It’s very exciting to see the hard work of the RS Sailing Team pay off after years of development,” notes RS Sailing North America’s Todd Riccardi. “The U.S. championships is the first time the RS Venture Connect has ever been raced and we are learning together with the athletes, US Sailing, and World Sailing.

“It’s very impressive to see the sailors take what we have given them and adapt it for their specific needs. For instance, second place skipper Cristina Rubke is using our electronic joystick servo but her father rewired it and attached it to a mount to allow her to steer with her chin. This is both absolutely incredible and gratifying to see someone sail the boat like this.”

The 2018 Para Sailing World Championships will be held September 18-22 with racing in three boat classes: Hansa 303, 2.4m OD, and RS Venture.

Additional detail: http://www.paraworldsailing2018.com