Excitement for America's Cup youth program reaches Feva pitch
by 35th America's Cup 9 Jul 2015 13:14 BST
9 July 2015
Excitement for America's Cup youth program reaches 'Feva pitch' © Tommy Andersson Photography / RS Sailing
RS Sailing is the latest industry heavyweight to get behind the America's Cup community sailing program, Endeavour, providing eight RS Feva dinghies for youth sailors.
The RS Feva is a world leading double-handed sailing dinghy with a huge following across the globe. It has been the world's bestselling two-person sailboat in recent years, and is an ISAF Class, winner of Dinghy of the Year in the USA, Coup de Coeurs in France, and an RYA Supported Junior class.
In the America's Cup Endeavour youth program, the RS Feva complements a fleet of Optimist, Hobie Wave and O'pen Bic dinghies, all of which will be used over the coming years to get 9-12 year old Bermudian youths on the water.
"The RS Feva is a perfect two-handed dinghy for young sailors to develop their skills, as it comprises of a three-sail set up which allows younger sailors to establish their crew skills and asymmetric spinnaker mastery early on. This makes it a great feeder into other high-performance dinghies where the style of sailing is similar to what we see in the America's Cup," said Tom Herbert-Evans, the Community Sailing Program manager for the America's Cup.
"We want to expose as many kids as possible in Bermuda to sailing while the spotlight of the America's Cup raises the profile of the sport here. Having the support of industry partners like RS Sailing is critical in helping us reach that goal."
"We are extremely proud to be part of such a fantastic project and especially excited to have the RS Feva as the chosen two-handed dinghy for the young sailors in Bermuda. The fleet is growing in the region and we are confident that the RS Feva will not only give the first time sailors a great experience, but also play a part in getting them hooked on the sport and provide foundations for their future enjoyment and development as a result of sailing; a philosophy fundamental to our values." Riki Hooker, VP Sales - RS Sailing
The Community Sailing Program has three pillars, including a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) educational component, the youth sailing initiative, and an internship opportunity for US College sailors and coaches.
The Endeavour youth sailing program will operate from bases in Bermuda later this summer, and STEM visits to the ORACLE TEAM USA base are already taking place.