RS Feva
RS Feva Association of Ireland : www.rsfevaireland.com
International : www.rssailing.org
The Feva is suitable for all sailors from age 12 up. The ideal weight for competitive sailing is combined 100-110 kilos. The ideal age for those interested in making competitive sailing a sport for life is 13-15.To get an idea of power it has 15.6m of sail including genneker, similar to a mirror. By comparison, the 420 has 19m of sail.
"The startline at Lough Ree"
Getting started is easy. It’s the fastest selling 2 handed dinghy in the world with over 4000 shipped in 5 years since it’s launch. First - look at the link on our homepage to the RYA Feva skills training podcast to get a feel for sailing and racing a Feva. Then contact your Class Captains, see below, or a Class officer thru the site and they can arrange a loan boat, or get you on a coaching session. The racing main packs quite a punch. It must be rigged flat in breeze. Beginners are recommended to start with the smaller white training main.
A new boat is under €5,000 with racing specification. Details of suppliers on the site. As the top sailors only sail a Feva for 2 seasons it is easy to pick up a second hand boat for about €3,500. See the buy-and-sell section of the site. As they are made from PU they are pretty indestructible apart from the race main which must always be rolled and washed regularly, like all high performance sails.
Each year there is a Leinsters, Munsters, and Nationals. There is weekly fleet racing for the Dun Laoire clubs and at Crosshaven for RCYC and the new fleet in Cobh. There is no age restriction except at the ISA pathway event(s). A few adults race them in Greystones. The RYA have started sending their top crews, a rib and coach to the Nationals which adds interest. We have a large silver “Open” Championship trophy as well as an Irish National Champion’s trophy. The biggest event for the Class every year is the World’s.
"The Irish sailors in Sweden"
The table below sets out the Clubs which have Feva fleets. To date the numbers at events have been between 15 – 25. This year the Class expects to break the 30 barrier. Howth went quiet for a few seasons but now have 5 active boats out regularly. The smaller clubs have not been travelling to date but their captains tell us to expect a few from each at Class events this year.
"Racing a Feva"
RS FEVA CLASS – 2010 – CLUBS AND CAPTAINS
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Club
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Fevas
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Feva Captain
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Email address
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Phone contact
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Greystones SC
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9
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Roy Van Maanen
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087-2649490
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Royal Irish YC
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11
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Rosie Johnson
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087-8269356
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Galway Bay SC
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8
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Noel Harvey
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086 3573459.
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Royal Cork YC
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15
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Mairead Roberts
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086-8195677
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Waterford Harbour SC
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5
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Rob Landers
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087-2209811
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Royal George YC
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17
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Dave Kelly
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086-8149296
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Howth YC
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6
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Joan Harris
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086-2511145
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Cobh SC
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8
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Richard Marshall
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086-6686281
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Lough Ree YC
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5
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Dara White
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090-6475976
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National YC
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1
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Rory Byrne
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087-2142868
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NI Various Clubs
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23
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Robert Hastings
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007798823926
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PATHWAY STATUS
“It is great to see the buzz around the FEVA class at the moment; it provides a great option for Optimist sailors to try something new and challenging. In the UK FEVA “graduates” are already successfully competing in the 420 class. The ISA is confident the FEVA will soon be in the ISA Pathway as our Junior (U15) Doublehanded boat.”
James O’Callaghan – ISA pathway manager
FAQ
Q. Why should I sail a Feva as it is a junior boat and after my Oppie there will only be two seasons before I’m ready for a 420 or Laser ?
A. The age 13-15 are what Sports Physiologists call “The Formative Years” and to succeed it is essential that the comfort zone be widened as much as possible during those crucial years. It’s as simple as that.
Q. Why should I go double hander ?
A. If you see yourself making sailing a life sport it is essential to learn how to manage a good helm-crew / crew-helm relationship. Managing a two hander at a young age, on and off land also teaches you essential life and organisational skills. Also the sooner you get really good in a boat with three sails the better a sailor you will be, moving on.
Q. Is it very serious racing in the Feva Class ?
A. As serious or as fun as you want to make it. It’s very competitive at the top end of the fleet but with two in the boat it’s still good fun at the back of the fleet. Irish Feva Class rule number One – Have Fun.
Q. Do you have to qualify for international events ?
A. No
Q. Is there a squad system ?
A. No.
Q. How do I get a crew ?
A. Keep looking, maybe you have a friend who wants to get into the scene but doesn’t want to helm, maybe they would share the cost of a boat. It’s good if your crew is a friend, but not essential. Pairing off with a crew or helm is the biggest part of progressing out of an Oppie into a two hander so work hard at getting someone that suits you. Very often, good crew combinations stay together for years.
Q. What’s the craic like ?
A. At every event there are non sailing activities like visits to theme parks, swimming, and land sports. Parents have enough fun themselves at the venues and so are encouraged to leave sailors to get to know each other and have their own fun.
Q. Do the boats take much looking after ?
A. Not the hulls, just the sails.
Q. Is it easy to get spare parts ?
A. New and replacement parts can be ordered from Jim Slattery of fun boats in Fermoy who will courier them up to you, or on line from LDC sailing in London.
Q. What is the ISA Summer instruction like in a Feva ?
A. In February 2010 for the first time Tony Wright presented the Feva at a skills session at the ISA instructor conference. The Class ran an accreditation system for instructors in 2007 to kick start things. Since then the instructors have been gradually getting used to them as after oppies and Lasers they are now the biggest fleet in the country.
Q. Is it a difficult boat to sail ?
A. That is like asking is a 29er or a 49er difficult to sail. To sail a Feva with the race main in a blow you need confidence and experience. Once you have it, it’s like riding a bike.
Q. Are they easy to right and rescue ?
A. Yes, very, if you know how. See safety and rescue downloads on the site.
Q. How do they trail ?
A. One stacks on top of the other with trolley connecting brackets, test it a few days before you leave, to make sure you have the bits !
Why the Feva ? Here’s what Jane Butler and Jenny Andreason, who successfully used the Feva as a transition boat, have to say.
“We had great fun sailing the RS FEVA and it presented us with a cool challenge when we left the Optimist early. It meant we learnt about sailing together which made the transition into a 420 smoother than it is for most people”
Jane Butler and Jenny Andreason.
Jane and Jenny when they sailed the 420, were the top Irish ladies four years in a row, ranked 5th in the Uk, and finished 11th at the 2009 Worlds.
"How many can crew in a Feva ?