RS Sailing, the British Dinghy Brand Filling American Sailing Programs

From a London chandlery to a global dinghy brand

The company behind RS goes back to H. Taylor and Son (Brockley) Ltd, incorporated in South East London in 1957, which began trading as the London Dinghy Centre chandlery in 1973. In 1993 Martin Wadhams and Nick Peters, then running the business, had the idea for a new sailboat brand, and in 1994 RS Racing was born when the RS400 and RS600 were launched at the London Boat Show.

The name changed to RS Sailing in 2003 with the RS Feva, the first polyethylene boat in the range, designed for training as well as racing. That is also when RS began building an international dealer network. RS Electric Boats followed in 2018, and in late 2022 RS Sailing, RS Electric Boats and Cheetah Marine were grouped as RS Marine Group. The headquarters is at Abbey Park in Romsey, Hampshire.

Racing, training and the RS Zest

The range splits into performance boats, such as the RS Aero, RS100, RS200, RS400, RS800 and the RS21 keelboat, and all-purpose boats for clubs, schools and families, including the RS Tera, Feva, Zest, Quest, Venture and the RS CAT beach catamarans. Designers include Phil Morrison, Paul Handley and Jo Richards.

The RS Zest is the model we cover. Launched in 2017 and designed by Jo Richards with RS, it is an 11-foot 9-inch, 161-pound rotomolded trainer with a reefable roller-furling main, an optional jib, a pivoting centerboard and a kick-up rudder. It holds two and can be sailed alone. SAIL named it a Best Boats winner for 2018 at a sailaway price of $4,274, and a US dealer listed it at $6,999 in 2026. In the RS lineup it sits between the smaller Tera and the more technical Feva, with the larger Quest above it as the company's most popular teaching and family boat.

Buying and owning an RS in the US

RS sells in North America through independent dealers, so prices and stock vary from one dealer to the next. Parts and sails come through those dealers and RS's own store. Rotomolded trainers suit sailing programs because they shrug off docks and groundings and need no varnish, which keeps used Zests, Fevas and Teras in steady demand when clubs refresh fleets. Racing classes such as the Aero depend more on a local fleet, so check for one before you buy.

• Look for deep gouges or soft spots in polyethylene hulls
• Test the rudder lift-and-lock and kick-up action
• Check the centerboard pivot and case for wear
• Inspect the mast step, gate lock and furling gear
• Look for UV damage and broken battens on the sail