Rarely is there a boat that just begs you to hop in and go sailing. There are plenty of boats that make you want to explore them, but walk past the RS Feva display at an in-water boat show and you might find yourself trying to figure out a way to blend in with the kids waiting in line at the Vanguard display to strap on a bike helmet and take various dinghies for a test sail in a corner of a marina.
The Feva is well known in Europe where is it is a popular class boat, but was recently introduced in the United States. Sure it was designed for kids—11- to 14-year-olds mostly—but that doesn’t mean adults won’t be clamoring to hop in for a ride. The Feva bridges the gap from Optimist to Club 420 by introducing young sailors to a headsail, and, best of all, an asymmetrical spinnaker. That spinnaker means speed and speed means fun.
Made of roto-molded plastic that by all accounts has come a long way since the first roto-molded plastic dinghies were introduced a decade ago, the hull is durable and forgiving for those not quite up to speed on their docking procedures, and stiff enough to offer all the performance the sail plan is capable of. Not to mention, folks just looking to have fun can rest much easier keeping their roto-molded boat on the beach for the summer instead of a fiberglass hull just waiting to get soggy. The hull has encapsulated buoyancy making the boat unsinkable and the 15-foot aluminum mast comes in two parts. The mainsail is on a halyard, rather than a sleeve that fits over the mast.
Now about the kids. Sure they are going to have a great time on this boat. But given that the Feva can be singlehanded by a proficient sailor and even doublehanded by two adults willing to compromise a small amount of performance in moderate air, families might want to think about buying two Fevas right off the bat. Mom and Dad want to go sailing too.
