The Feva in Canada: Guidelines for Clubs and Parents
The Feva double-handed dinghy is emerging in Canada as a youth sailing boat. In just a year, a fleet of some 30 boats was built in British Columbia. There is also a number of boats in Ontario. The boat is likely to continue its growth, as it serves an important strategic role for the development of youth sailors, from the very beginner to the advanced racer. The boat is proven to be particularly attractive to girls and those sailors who do not want to sail single-handed. We present here guidelines for clubs and parents, to help understand how the Feva can best be used for youth sailing development.
Learn to Sail
While using the same hulls and spars, there are two versions of the Feva. The Feva S caters for those who are new to sailing. It is typically only sailed with a main and a jib. The main is a bit smaller than the Feva XL (5.5 v. 6.5 square meters) and is reefable. The boat can be used by two beginners, or near beginners, from say age 10 or even younger.
While some sailors will have already been for example in the Optimist, others will start directly on the Feva. Both situations are OK. In practice, it’s useful to pair a novice sailor with one with at least a few weeks of experience. In the context of a Learn to Sail program, the roles of helm and crew can be changed regularly, even within the same day, so both sailors can learn helm and crew skills. Very quickly, the sailors can grasp the basics of sailing upwind, downwind, etc. which will bring them to the next level, i.e. learn to race.
Learn to Race
Sailor development evolves at different speeds, according to the age, focus, amount of training and talent of the sailor. Sailing is a sport for life. There is no rush to get into a Learn to Race level, if the sailor is not yet ready. But those who are ready should move to this next level. This can happen at age 12, 13 or 14, maybe even before, maybe later, There are no strict rules.
For Learn to Race programs, the Feva rig to use is called the Feva XL. While the hull and the spars remain the same, there are some key changes. First, the sails are in mylar. Second, the mainsail is larger - 6.5 square meter - and is not reefable. And third, there is a gennaker / asymmetric spinnaker. Starting in lighter winds, the sailors will learn how to hoist and tune the gennaker. This is an amazing asset of the Feva XL, as gennaker handling and asymmetric downwind sailing are now the rule with modern sailboats, such as 29ers and Nacra 15s. The Feva XL has emerged a proven racing machine for youth sailors. It’s fast, provides adrenaline, yet is safe. It helps develop all the key sailing skills that are needed for the boats that will come later in the sailor’s development, be them single handed (Laser 4.7, Radial, Waszp, etc.) or double-handed (420, 29er, Nacra 15 etc.).
Racing
Again, depending on his/her speed of development, the sailor will sooner or later get into actual racing. There, many skills are at play, including advanced boat speed, boat handling, strategy, tactics, athleticism, and so forth. But, with the Feva, there is a smooth transition, and there is no need to change boats. If the boat is club owned, the sailor can participate in advanced racing on a club owned boat. If the boat is privately held, the sailor can continue his/her development with the same hull and spars as from the very beginning. Obviously, sails need to be changed from time to time for advanced racing, typically once a year. But for the rest, if well taken care of, the boat will remain perfectly suitable for racing.
Canada is fortunate that there is already active racing in the Feva South of our border, for example in New England. And we are also fortunate that the European and World Championships are still Open, meaning that teams willing to participate can do so without the cumbersome national or North American level selection processes that exist in several other classes. It’s how six Canadian teams, i.e. 12 sailors, participated in the Feva Worlds in Florida in 2018. They had an amazing experience, even if no team was truly competing for a podium position. The 2018 Worlds were won by Ben Hutton-Penman and Abi Jayasekara from the UK (picture)
Until when the Feva can be sailed? Typically, as long as paired with a crew with a slightly lower weight, the Feva can be sailed up to approx 140 lbs. Such weight can be reached at various ages, depending on the sailor’s physique and growth, but typically, the boat can be sailed up to age 16 / 17, even if some sailors will move to another boat at say age 14 or 15. As the sailor has by then reached a certain level of maturity, a well informed decision can then take place as to the kind of boat the sailor will want to sail afterwards.
A First Pan-Canadian Regatta: the 2019 Sail Canada Youth Championships
With emerging fleets of Feva XLs in British Columbia and Ontario, the Feva will be part of the 2019 Canadian Youth Championships, to be held in Kingston on August 12-16.
There are sailors expected to come from British Columbia, Ontario and possibly other provinces. Sailors from the USA and maybe even from overseas may also attend. The company RS Sailing has committed to make charter boats available, so that sailors who do not have access to a Feva can get one chartered for the event.
What will be important is for Canadian clubs and individuals with Fevas, even if not fully organized in the context of club-level race teams, to make the effort to attend, so that there is a significant fleet of Fevas - say 10 to 15 boats, maybe more - at this event. Such success will be critical for a continued growth of the Feva in the country, as a way to provide more options to clubs and parents to foster quality youth sailing and to develop the sailors of tomorrow.
Join the Canadian Feva Community
If you own a Feva, or sail one, or simply are interested in it, best is to join the Canadian Facebook Group and the Canadian Class Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/groups/402259617239567/ - https://www.facebook.com/rsfevacanada/
For information, simply contact the Canadian Feva class at: rsfevacanada@gmail.com
Suggested Videos
Highlights of the 2016 Feva XL Europeans held in the Czech Republic
https://youtu.be/Co8HQFMnJuw
RS Feva World Championships 2018 - Final Wrap
https://youtu.be/koyqDK0Q1-c
Video by RS Sailing about the Growth of the Feva in North America
https://youtu.be/4Gfslgt8K4s
Learn to Sail
While using the same hulls and spars, there are two versions of the Feva. The Feva S caters for those who are new to sailing. It is typically only sailed with a main and a jib. The main is a bit smaller than the Feva XL (5.5 v. 6.5 square meters) and is reefable. The boat can be used by two beginners, or near beginners, from say age 10 or even younger.While some sailors will have already been for example in the Optimist, others will start directly on the Feva. Both situations are OK. In practice, it’s useful to pair a novice sailor with one with at least a few weeks of experience. In the context of a Learn to Sail program, the roles of helm and crew can be changed regularly, even within the same day, so both sailors can learn helm and crew skills. Very quickly, the sailors can grasp the basics of sailing upwind, downwind, etc. which will bring them to the next level, i.e. learn to race.
Learn to Race
Sailor development evolves at different speeds, according to the age, focus, amount of training and talent of the sailor. Sailing is a sport for life. There is no rush to get into a Learn to Race level, if the sailor is not yet ready. But those who are ready should move to this next level. This can happen at age 12, 13 or 14, maybe even before, maybe later, There are no strict rules. For Learn to Race programs, the Feva rig to use is called the Feva XL. While the hull and the spars remain the same, there are some key changes. First, the sails are in mylar. Second, the mainsail is larger - 6.5 square meter - and is not reefable. And third, there is a gennaker / asymmetric spinnaker. Starting in lighter winds, the sailors will learn how to hoist and tune the gennaker. This is an amazing asset of the Feva XL, as gennaker handling and asymmetric downwind sailing are now the rule with modern sailboats, such as 29ers and Nacra 15s. The Feva XL has emerged a proven racing machine for youth sailors. It’s fast, provides adrenaline, yet is safe. It helps develop all the key sailing skills that are needed for the boats that will come later in the sailor’s development, be them single handed (Laser 4.7, Radial, Waszp, etc.) or double-handed (420, 29er, Nacra 15 etc.).
Racing
Again, depending on his/her speed of development, the sailor will sooner or later get into actual racing. There, many skills are at play, including advanced boat speed, boat handling, strategy, tactics, athleticism, and so forth. But, with the Feva, there is a smooth transition, and there is no need to change boats. If the boat is club owned, the sailor can participate in advanced racing on a club owned boat. If the boat is privately held, the sailor can continue his/her development with the same hull and spars as from the very beginning. Obviously, sails need to be changed from time to time for advanced racing, typically once a year. But for the rest, if well taken care of, the boat will remain perfectly suitable for racing. Canada is fortunate that there is already active racing in the Feva South of our border, for example in New England. And we are also fortunate that the European and World Championships are still Open, meaning that teams willing to participate can do so without the cumbersome national or North American level selection processes that exist in several other classes. It’s how six Canadian teams, i.e. 12 sailors, participated in the Feva Worlds in Florida in 2018. They had an amazing experience, even if no team was truly competing for a podium position. The 2018 Worlds were won by Ben Hutton-Penman and Abi Jayasekara from the UK (picture)
Until when the Feva can be sailed? Typically, as long as paired with a crew with a slightly lower weight, the Feva can be sailed up to approx 140 lbs. Such weight can be reached at various ages, depending on the sailor’s physique and growth, but typically, the boat can be sailed up to age 16 / 17, even if some sailors will move to another boat at say age 14 or 15. As the sailor has by then reached a certain level of maturity, a well informed decision can then take place as to the kind of boat the sailor will want to sail afterwards.A First Pan-Canadian Regatta: the 2019 Sail Canada Youth Championships
With emerging fleets of Feva XLs in British Columbia and Ontario, the Feva will be part of the 2019 Canadian Youth Championships, to be held in Kingston on August 12-16.
There are sailors expected to come from British Columbia, Ontario and possibly other provinces. Sailors from the USA and maybe even from overseas may also attend. The company RS Sailing has committed to make charter boats available, so that sailors who do not have access to a Feva can get one chartered for the event.
What will be important is for Canadian clubs and individuals with Fevas, even if not fully organized in the context of club-level race teams, to make the effort to attend, so that there is a significant fleet of Fevas - say 10 to 15 boats, maybe more - at this event. Such success will be critical for a continued growth of the Feva in the country, as a way to provide more options to clubs and parents to foster quality youth sailing and to develop the sailors of tomorrow.
Join the Canadian Feva Community
If you own a Feva, or sail one, or simply are interested in it, best is to join the Canadian Facebook Group and the Canadian Class Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/groups/402259617239567/ - https://www.facebook.com/rsfevacanada/
For information, simply contact the Canadian Feva class at: rsfevacanada@gmail.com
Suggested Videos
Highlights of the 2016 Feva XL Europeans held in the Czech Republic
https://youtu.be/Co8HQFMnJuw
RS Feva World Championships 2018 - Final Wrap
https://youtu.be/koyqDK0Q1-c
Video by RS Sailing about the Growth of the Feva in North America
https://youtu.be/4Gfslgt8K4s
