RS Feva Training at Emsworth Slipper Sailing Club
by Rob Allan 8 Oct 2008 07:56 BST
4-5 October 2008
With many younger sailors at ESSC enjoying sailing Feva’s this summer, and taking a keen interest in joining the Feva Squad’s this winter, it was decided to run a training weekend to polish their skills, before the final squad selection weekend at Draycote SC.
As ESSC is a Volvo, RYA Championship club, we secured the experienced help of the National Feva coach Jonathan Lewis for the weekend. With 12 boats sailing per day, whose experience ranged from National Squad, to younger sailors with only a few months in a Feva.
Jon’s indoor demonstration using a full Feva rig on its side, showing the effects of the kicker was very enlightening to all concerned, including the parents.
The weather forecast looked terrible, however it turned into an excellent weekend, with a whole range of winds experienced to challenge the sailors. Saturday was fast and furious, with high speed gybing the order of the day. The video taken through the day, was shown and discussed during the debrief. This kept everyone entertained and mesmerised how the experienced boats could sail so fast and flat.
Sunday’s wind was lighter thankfully even though we woke to a force 8. Racing and starts were the order of the day, and the improvement and growth in confidence was evident by the end of the weekend. The final race with the helms and crews swapping roles resulted in a very tense atmosphere, which was shown on many faces!
A good time was had by all, and the Feva is going from strength to strength in the Emsworth area, and hopefully many will take part in the squads this winter, and represent ESSC in Lake Garda for the Europeans in 2009.