Buying new boat

alternatively there is the byte (or the cII) or the MX RAY if you wanted a bit more of a challenge. it would be a challenge trying to find an mx ray in the first place i think. plus they are shocking upwind but good for quick downhill run. byte cII is a good boat. its pretty nippy if you get it right, what with the 29er-esque sail.

Originally posted by mike ellis i'd go for the feva over the topaz. the topaz is a truely awful boat.

I'll second or third that having sailed one for a day around Chich harbour (admittedly I was a bit big for it), Is the daggerboard the same as a topper? A bodge of a boat.

i'd go for the feva over the topaz. the topaz is a truely awful boat. its just a big compromise that fouled up really badly. also th feva has quite large fleets around the country and attracts good numbers to open meetings. when you get a bit better you will appreciate this a lot more. i dont think the topaz even has class association. i did learn to race in a feva though so i am biased but honestly the feva is a better boat. also the feva is good fun on your own too.

when you get bored of sailing with your sister and grow out of the boat, if youve been sailing a boat with a good fleet and hence have picked up the basics of racing then it will be a lot easier to go into another class and get reasnable results. the feva wil provide much better racing.

and the feva will be easier to sell on than the topaz and hold its value better because it is an RS boat and so has the class association and support that all RS boats benefit from.

oh and finally, dont go for the S version of the feva, get the set up with kite and jib and main with the long top batten (this is noramlly the standard set up), otherwise its just not as balanced. and the not battened main is a right pain to make go upwind.

Edited by mike ellis

Feva sounds good to be, its a nice little boat with quite a neat hull shape etc.

Not if he's just learnt to sail, I think!  What boats are other youth members at your club sailing? It would probably be best to go for something similar, so you have people to race against when you get more confident, and for advice etc.  It's also more fun racing in a fleet of the same boats.  A Topper would probably be good, although that's not very good for two people - there aren't many boats around that do both.