RS Feva Receives Backing of Optimist Parents

A recent meeting of junior sailor parents reached a consensus that the RS Feva should be supported as the next step boat for sailors who are looking to move on from Optimists.

A randomly selected group of interested junior sailor parents/members met in the club recently for a chat.
There were no club Officers present and this had no official club involvement.  It was prompted by many and various discussions amongst interested parents and volunteers over the summer months as to what options are out there for our sailors who still sail or are about to leave Optimists.

Here is a brief summary of the chat:

• 24 people turned up.
• After a general discussion on all the options available (all were discussed and commented upon) there was general agreement that the Two Handed RS Feva should be encouraged as the next step boat for our sailors who are looking to move on from Optimists (due to size, age or social).
• It was agreed that sailors who are still sailing Optimists (one or two years to go say could `tandem` the Feva by helming or crewing while still sailing the Optimist.
• The RS Feva will help bridge the large divide between sailing an Optimist and the other more high performance boats in the club such as the 420 or Laser.
• It has the potential to serve sailors from 13 to 15 and maybe 16 years of age.
• The 420 and Laser 4.7 or Radial shall still be encouraged as the boat after the Feva.
  Interested Sailors are still open to step straight into the 420, Laser or others if they wish.
• The club will facilitate any class once there are sufficient numbers there and a structure.
  As there are 7 boats in the club already it was agreed that the preferred night for racing the Feva is the Wednesday. This will allow sailors to race both Optimists on the usual Tuesday night and the Feva on the Wednesday night.
• Any growing or developing fleet should minimize the amount of travel to outside events. This will allow `a presence` in the club to encourage other sailors to join and build the fleet locally.
• A class structure is already present in the club with John Morehead and Grattan Roberts running things at present.
• Contact details, class captain and general info on the boat etc to be posted on the club website asap.
• The same should be carried out for the 420 (contact Paddy Costigan) and the Laser (contact Mike Sullivan).

The Topaz was discussed as a possible boat for the beginner sailor who may be too old or big for an Optimist and may find the Feva too challenging to start off with.

The main message from the chat was `Keep our sailors sailing`. See also summary attached of the various options available at present. All of these boats were discussed.