The RS Aero is a British sailing dinghy that was designed by Jo Richards as a one-design racer and first built in 2014. It is an international class recognised by World Sailing and hosts an annual World Championships.
Production The design is marketed and distributed by RS Sailing of Romsey, United Kingdom.
Design The RS Aero is a single-handed recreational sailboat, built predominantly of fiberglass. It has an unstayed carbon fibre mast, a raked stem, a vertical transom, a transom-hung rudder controlled by a tiller with a tiller extension and a daggerboard. It displaces .
The Aero can be fitted with one of four different rig and sail sizes to accommodate a range of sailors of different weights, ranging between approximately 45 and 95kg.
Variants RS Aero 5 The RS Aero 5 was designed with youth in mind and has 5.2 m² of sail area. It is typically suitable for sailors between 45 and 65kg. RS Aero 6 The RS Aero 6 was designed in 2019 and released in 2021 with the aim of providing an option for women and smaller adults to sail in a less youth-centric fleet. It was designed to fit between the 5 and 7 rigs with a sail size of 6.3 m². It is typically suitable for sailors between 55 and 75kg. RS Aero 7 The RS Aero 7 was designed for medium weight sailors and has 7.4 m² of sail area. It is typically suitable for sailors between 65 and 85kg. RS Aero 9 The RS Aero 9 was designed for heavy weight sailors and has 8.9 m² of sail area. It is typically suitable for sailors between 75 and 95kg.
Operational history
The design has won several awards, including the 2014 Paris Boat Show Coup de Coeurs, the Netherlands 2015 HISWA Product of the Year Award and the 2015 Estonian Sailing Federation Surprise Award.
The boat was also named the Sailing World Boat Of The Year in 2015, as Best One-Design. The magazine described it as "a stunning singlehander that is more than comparable to the Laser." It was cited for its "construction quality, lightweight hull, versatile rig with multiple combinations, technical details, and price".
In a 2014 review, George Yioulos, wrote, "sailing the Aero is unlike other boat I’ve evaluated before. It’s a designer’s brew of lightweight construction, precise craftsmanship, and clever design that allows for high quality production in multiple locations. While it’s still a single-person fiberglass dinghy, after a day on the water it’s more an extension of the sailor themselves than any other non-trapezing boat I’ve sailed." He further noted, "The Aero utilizes a unique mix of modern technology, all-around performance and very easy handling. Maybe it’s not ironic that these are similar to the characteristics that propelled the growth of the Laser some 40 years ago."
Events
World Championship
RS Aero 5
Male YearGoldSilverBronze2017201820192022202320242025
Female YearGoldSilverBronze2017201820192022202320242025
RS Aero 6
Male YearGoldSilverBronze202320242025
Female YearGoldSilverBronze202320242025
RS Aero 7
Male YearGoldSilverBronze2017201820192022202320242025
Female YearGoldSilverBronze201720182019202320242025
RS Aero 9 YearGoldSilverBronze2017201820192022202320242025
European Championship
RS Aero 5
Male YearGoldSilverBronze201620192021202220242025
Female YearGoldSilverBronze201620192021202220242025
RS Aero 6
Male YearGoldSilverBronze202220242025
Female YearGoldSilverBronze202220242025
RS Aero 7
Male YearGoldSilverBronze201620192021202220242025
Female YearGoldSilverBronze20162019202120222024
RS Aero 9 YearGoldSilverBronze20162019202220242025
North American Championship
RS Aero 5
Male YearGoldSilverBronze20192021
Female YearGoldSilverBronze201920212022202320242025
RS Aero 6
Male YearGoldSilverBronze20232025
Female YearGoldSilverBronze2023
RS Aero 7
Male YearGoldSilverBronzeSource20172018201920212022202320242025
Female YearGoldSilverBronze20172019202120222025
RS Aero 9 YearGoldSilverBronze2017201820192021202220232025
See also RS Aero World Championships RS Aero European Championships List of sailing boat types
References
External links