RS officially announces new identity as RS Marine Group
Following continued expansion and collaborations with companies which complement its core ethos, RS Sailing has officially announced a new overarching identity: RS Marine Group.
The companies within RS Marine Group’s portfolio include RS Sailing, RS Electric Boats, Cheetah Marine and the all-new Ocean Play (which will be making Picos and more with Jo Richards).
“Each of the companies will retain its individual identity while functions such as finance, marketing, design and business growth will be shared. Common drivers such as sustainability will be brought to the fore as the group expands and utilises its significantly widened network base,” says Jon Partridge, RS Marine Group’s CEO – Commercial (pictured below right).
All RS Marine Group’s current sales and production locations will continue to operate.
In 2014 RS Sailing was a £5 million operation. In 2023, the group’s total revenue is forecasted to be £25 million, and the aim is to significantly grow this over the next five years.
Alex Newton-Southon, RS Marine Group’s CEO – Technical (pictured above left), welcomes the benefits that the new group brings to all the brands/companies currently in its sphere.
“The benefits are extraordinary,” he says. “We have technical expertise across such a wide range of products; imagine the insight we can gain from sharing our experience and ideas. The collaboration benefits are endless as we push toward innovative, sustainable, accessible craft for our customers.”
RS Marine Group’s companies share a common goal to improve handling, performance and user-friendliness across the sailing and power boat sectors, including specific focus on ever greater sustainability and accessibility attributes. These will build on, for example, Cheetah’s heritage of creating boats for the Wet Wheels Foundation (the national disability power boating charity already utilises seven catamarans from Cheetah, with more on order for 2023), RS Sailing’s RS21 (where eco-friendly construction uses bio-derived resins and recycled core materials) and RS Electric Boats’ development of the all-electric Pulse 63 RIB.
“We’re passionate about both sustainability and accessibility,” says Partridge. “Within the group, we now have sail and power products that enable everyone to join the water-based community – and given that the disabled community in Europe is estimated to be about 30-40 million, we are delighted that we, as a marine group with sail and power, are helping people to enjoy their passion for the water.”
As an example of this, RS Sailing hosted and supported RS Venture Connect Para-worlds in Oman in November 2022, with 39 teams from 19 nations competing. This programme makes sailing possible to almost anyone. The boats’ design is straightforward with plug-and-play options (including sip/puff electronic controls) so that the boat can be configured for most disabilities.
“I welcome all the teams of people, now under our group’s umbrella,” says Partridge, “and thank them for their support in getting to where we are, for their ongoing enthusiasm and drive to develop these ranges and their distribution.”
Partridge says everyone in RS Marine Group is excited about the future and the group will continue to keep a keen lookout for UK companies with an eye for innovation, sustainability and accessibility as it grows.
RS Sailing recently announced that the International RS Venture Connect sailboat class is partnering with UK-based watersports clothing firm Rooster. RS Venture says Rooster has become the sailing kit provider of choice for many RS sailboat sailors, after the two firms previously partnered on racing events run by RS classes and RS Sailing.
