Feva v. 29er: A Few Elements of Comparison

The Feva and the 29er are mostly complementary boats, as the Feva can be sailed from say age 10 to age 17 or so, while the 29er is typically sailed say from around age 15 to age 19 or so.

More and more, in a number of countries where both boats are present, sailors learn sailing and racing in the Feva, and then move to the 29er, or even the 49er FX.

So for say a period of about 2 years, there is an overlap between the two boats. And actually this great. The Feva is a boat suitable from beginners to advance racers, while the 29er is only suitable for advance racers.

Having such overlap is allowing to bring into the sport adolescents, who get into sailing say at age 12, 13 or 14, and still fit in the Feva (but not in an Opti) and obviously don’t have the skills to jump into a 29er.

So there is a bit of overlap between the two boats, and the question of cost arises.

There, there is a big difference between the two boats. And that can be a critical element. The difference in cost arises not only at the time of purchase, but also for charters, which are necessary when one competes internationally.

So let’s compare, and we will use Canadian $ prices here.

In terms of purchase, the listed price, taxes included for a 29er is 20,250$, while the price of an RS Feva XL Club Sailboat w Gennaker is 10,065 $.

In terms of boat charters, if one takes the asked prices at the 2019 worlds in the two boats, with sails, for one week, the charter price for the 29er is 3,400$ while it is 900$ for the Feva.

These are substantial differences, and they matter to clubs, and families.

To sail the 29er, it’s double the cost for a new purchase, and triple the cost for a charter, compared to a Feva.

Of course, it's possible to purchase cheaper second hand boats, yet the prices of the new boat is a clear indication. And top sailors need quality boats, not tired second hand boats. For the charter boats, the prices are the prices - no negotiations there.

What’s also important to stress is that the Feva is really suitable both for club and families. It’s a sturdy boat that will last several years, even in the context of learn to sail / learn to race programs. The 29er is high performance boat that is more fragile and may be less suitable for club ownership.

The experience of the Royal Vancouver Yacht Club is worth mentioning. They decided recently not to continue the purchase of Club 420s. They purchased 10 Fevas and 5 29ers. These are all club owned boats, and this greatly facilitates the access to the sport.

The Fevas and even more the 29er are transition boats, and club ownership avoids the trouble for the families to purchase the boat, especially when the cost is shared. Indeed, there is usually no stability in the crew composition, which makes things complicated and often is a deterrent to the sport.

A final element. In terms of regatta opportunities, with the rapid growth of the Feva in North America, there are actually more opportunities in the Feva now than in the 29er, even if the 29er has been around for a much longer time. For Eastern Canada sailors, there are opportunities in New England, which is driveable and cost effective to attend. For the 29er, it's mostly on the West Coast, in California and Florida. Participation levels in Eastern Canada, for example in Quebec and Ontario, is low, due to the limited number of teams racing the boat.

Again, as stressed at the beginning of this article, the Feva and 29er are mostly complementary boats. The Feva can be seen as a « feed » to grow the 29er fleets. It would be great to see both classes grow in Montreal and elsewhere.

Sources: http://49er.ca ; https://foghmarine.com/ ; https://29erworlds.org/event-logistics/29er-charter-boats/ ; https://www.rssailingstore.com/charterboats/RS-Feva-Charter-Boats/RSFevaWorld-Championships/2019-RS-Feva-Worlds-Charter-Fully-Rigged-FEV-CH-004

Read also: The Feva in Canada: Guidelines for Clubs and Parents -- https://optimist-openbic-sailing.blogspot.com/2019/03/the-feva-in-canada-guidelines-for-clubs.html

Join the Canada Feva Sailing Group on Facebook! https://www.facebook.com/groups/402259617239567/

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