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1 or 2 person boat for kids

Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: General
Forum Name: Choosing a boat
Forum Discription: Ask any questions about the sport!
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6705
Printed Date: 28 Mar 24 at 1:09pm
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Topic: 1 or 2 person boat for kids
Posted By: SX-ed up
Subject: 1 or 2 person boat for kids
Date Posted: 10 May 10 at 1:47pm

I'm thinking of getting a boat for my oldest daughter, a small 13 year old, but not sure what to get. She's done some children’s’ sailing weeks in a Pico so feels happy with one of those but I'd be interested in any alternatives. I don’t know how she’ll take to it so I’m not buying new and since I don't want to spend all year fixing or painting it needs to be GRP or Rotomoulded.

My first thought was a Topper but she wants something she can take a friend out on, so that's out. My current favourite is a Topaz Uno with the plus pack (a jib) which she could sail 1 or 2 up, if she takes to it there's always the Race or Race X rig to add later. Apart from that there’s a GRP Mirror but that is 2 person only        

 




Replies:
Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 10 May 10 at 2:05pm
A good question is always what the other youngsters at your club sail...
At our club they take friends out in their Toppers often enough...
To my mind the Feva is by far the nicest of the teens rotomould boats.


Posted By: alstorer
Date Posted: 10 May 10 at 3:02pm

Feva is a fairly good choice- if I recall correctly it can be rigged as an Una-rig, without shrouds, and there's a sail that can roller-reef like a topper/pico/topaz.

Of the teen-rotomolds, the Topaz is, by contrast to the Feva, by far the worst. i'm not quite sure exactly what it is about it, but having sailed all three (admittedly I'm far larger than they're designed to take) the Topaz is the most uncomfortable and the most frustrating to sail.

 

Alternative to the Feva, there's the RS Q'Ba which whilst it has a silly name, does have a jib option too- in fact, the Pico and Topper have jib-pack options, though they're not much good (in the case of the Pico, I swear it reduces the performance of the boat).



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-_
Al


Posted By: radixon
Date Posted: 10 May 10 at 3:36pm
It also depends on how it is going to be stored.

I personally prefer the Laser Pico over the RS and the Topper version due to the durability of the plastic and the Saleability of the boats once you have had enough of it.

The RS Feva is a great boat and can be sailed with just a main sail alone but I wasnt aware of a sail that can be rolled similar to a pico. The mast is supported by shrouds for the kite, the jib is only rope fed so doesnt support the mast like other boats.

Depending on budget I'd go for the Pico, loads around. If sailing with others, then there is the Feva. After the Pico, they may want to move onto the Laser Radial.


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Posted By: alstorer
Date Posted: 10 May 10 at 4:36pm
the roller furled main is the "RS Feva S Reefable Mainsail" they sell. Still hoists using the halyard.

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-_
Al


Posted By: A Seabadger
Date Posted: 11 May 10 at 6:27pm
Feva has a socail scene for teenagers.

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I don't suffer from insanity...I enjoy every moment of it.


Posted By: zailor
Date Posted: 11 May 10 at 9:34pm

If you have a sailing area that hard to launch/recover from get a Pico, more or less bullet proof.

Feva is a good boat that performs better and is more versatile



Posted By: MerlinMags
Date Posted: 12 May 10 at 8:54am
I vote for the Cadet every time, but I guess the best advice is to go with what is popular at your club.


Posted By: SX-ed up
Date Posted: 12 May 10 at 11:29am

Thanks for all this advice, it looks like the Topaz gets the thumbs down and I'll be stretching the budget for a Feva.

Cheers

Steve



Posted By: Jack Sparrow
Date Posted: 12 May 10 at 2:40pm
what sort of weight?

My 13 year old sails our Splash and he is very light. Under 40kg. If she is 45kg upwards it would be worth thinking about.

For a crewed boat... it's a Mirror every time for me.


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Posted By: Rupert
Date Posted: 12 May 10 at 8:46pm
My son, age 10, sails his Mirror singlehanded in conditions he is no way capable of handling in a seamanlike way, yet always seems to come out of it OK, and has yet to tip her in. And always seems to come in with a smile. Not many glass ones around, though, at a reasonable price.

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Firefly 2324, Puffin 229, Minisail 3446 Mirror 70686


Posted By: Medway Maniac
Date Posted: 13 May 10 at 11:39am

I recommend the Feva regularly, but i wonder how a 13-year-old would get on on her own. Certainly the XL rig is a challenge for a couple of 14-year old girls I've coached (fortunately they enjoy falling out of the boat and capsizing...)

If she always sailed two-up then Feva would certainly be the way forward, but it's a bit big to lug about on your own, whereas kids seem to manage Toppers OK alone. And as Jim says, you can take a friend in a Topper (at least as a 13-year old). The 'how many of us can we fit into a Topper' game is pretty popular during Junior week.



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Posted By: Flick-Flock
Date Posted: 13 May 10 at 1:07pm
Originally posted by radixon

The RS Feva is a great boat and can be sailed with just a main sail alone but I wasnt aware of a sail that can be rolled similar to a pico. The mast is supported by shrouds for the kite, the jib is only rope fed so doesnt support the mast like other boats.


The feva's small rig doesnt use the shrouds, so the sail can be permanently stored on the mast, although im not sure if its wise to use the jib without the stays, we never tried that.

From my experiance of all of them the Topaz has been the nicest to sail, and it goes the best in light winds. However the kids at the local sailing club prefer the Feva, but that might be because they were on a trip away and had their first real taste of spinnaker sailing in one.
I'd certainly pick the Topaz over a Pico as they have more scope for upgrades (including a spinnaker), and when its light the Topaz seems to sail massively better.

If you do go for the Feva, your daughter should be able to manage the small rig on her own, when i taught in them we had 11 year olds single handing them up to a F3-4 without getting wet.

Originally posted by alstorer

Of the teen-rotomolds, the Topaz is, by contrast to the Feva, by far the worst. i'm not quite sure exactly what it is about it, but having sailed all three (admittedly I'm far larger than they're designed to take) the Topaz is the most uncomfortable and the most frustrating to sail.


I personally find the topaz much comfier for a larger person as its got a more open design (you've got the gunnels that slope into a little foot kick in the middle and thats it, where as iirc the fevas got a lot more molding to get in the way)

But, thats besides the point because the OP isnt asking about one for adults


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Swimming after Laser 5000 5069


Posted By: Mister Nick
Date Posted: 05 Jun 10 at 10:15pm
I would suggest a Topper Topaz. They are great little
boats, lots of options for upgrading them and pretty much
indestructible (short of dropping one off a skyscraper or
packing it with C4). My scout group has 7 of them (4 Topaz
Duo's, 2 Race X's and a Tres X) that we have had for about
5 years now. They get used pretty much twice weekly by
people of all abilities, and they are still going strong.
Not much maintainence needed (Only replacing things that
break etc.)and really easy to use.

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Posted By: Hector
Date Posted: 06 Jun 10 at 6:09pm

If you want her to stay interested, get what the other kids at your club are sailing. Then she's far more likely to be included as part of the group.. , and in my opinion, it's the social aspect of sailing and apre sailing thats most likely to grab kids more than any other.

Almost all the plasic boats are very very durable - training Toppers and Picos are certainly regularly run aground at our club with lttle significant damage.  The club Feva is very popular, but not singlehanded - its to big for the little sail and the kids have more fun messing about in Toppers - very often two up  - or more!



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Keith
29er 661 (with my daughters / nephew)
49er 688 (with Phil P)
RS200 968
Vortex (occasionally)
Laser 2049XX


Posted By: doeywizard
Date Posted: 28 Nov 10 at 8:13pm
the topper topaz is good because there is so many differnt rig options, or there is the feva wich is also a zone squad boat so more of a competative fleet


Posted By: doeywizard
Date Posted: 12 Dec 10 at 7:44pm
there is the tera, it only has one sail but I learnt to sail in one and have taken people out in it with me


Posted By: radixon
Date Posted: 13 Dec 10 at 8:18am
You have resurfaced an old post from the beginning of the season.
Chances are they have either bought a boat or lost interest, I am sure the original poster will inform you.


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Posted By: SX-ed up
Date Posted: 13 Dec 10 at 10:17am

Thanks to everybody for their continuing attention.

 

I bought a nearly new Topaz for my daughter at the beginning of the season from somebody at work (with a jib, plus all the extras - combi trailer, covers for everything etc.) I added a Race (Mylar) sail for when I wanted to have a play, but with the weather we had over the summer that sail hasn't even been used.

She's now decided she wants something faster (serves me right for taking her out on the Shockwave). So the Topaz will be going (any offers) to be replaced either by an older small cat, perhaps a Dart 16 or one of the Topaz ones, or we'll sail together on a Hurricane 5.9 in 2 sail mode (at first) until she decides it’s not cool to be seen with dad.

 
Cheers
 
Steve



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