Ten RS Fevas from clubs around Belfast Lough rounded off their season with a Final Fling at Royal North of Ireland Yacht Club recently.

After the initial strong wind died down to just in time to allow the event to take place, the fleet of ten boats came to the line, five from Ballyholme, including Kirsty and Rory McGovern, new to the class and five from the host club.

Race Officer Terry Rowan set the course and got three races away without delay. This was a bonus for the fleet to have the experience of three short races and practice at starts.

The Rideout sisters - Emily and Annabelle from Ballyholme, won Race 1, and Matt and Peter Rideout pipped them to the finish line on Race 2. However, the girls got back to win the third race and took the overall prize. Sally Nixon and Jess Dadley-Young from BYC got in three good races with a second and two thirds. Niamh Coman and Ellie Nolan (RNIYC) had their top result of a fifth and two sixths whilst Mum Aileen and son Louis were consistent to finish 4th overall. As the afternoon progressed the wind died to nothing, and the sailors were ably assisted to shore by the rescue crews.

After racing the competitors enjoyed a meal together, everyone being awarded prizes including the youngest helm and crew (Martha Nolan and Cara Coman), newcomers to the fleet (Izzy Stout and Amelie Stevenson) and best capsize (Finlay Pierce and Benjamin Wallace).

The RS Feva Southern Championships, scheduled for this weekend at Monkstown Bay Sailing Club, has unfortunately been cancelled due to the bleak forecast throughout the weekend.

Saturday's wind in Cork Harbour is expected to increase throughout the day, and Sunday's conditions are predicted to be even worse.

The event organiser, Ewen Barry, expressed his regret over the cancellation and extended his appreciation to the parents and children who had entered, including six boats that had planned to travel from Dublin.

With 23 entries, the event was shaping up to be a great one. Barry assured that all entry fees will be refunded and the organisers are now looking to reschedule the event as a one-day affair during October.

Fourteen boats with a mixture of duos and family crews took part in the East Down Yacht Club hosted RS Feva Northern Ireland championships over the Bank Holiday weekend.

The club is situated on the sheltered shores of Holm Bay on the western side of Strangford Lough and is blessed with acres of room on a very large site, with parking for caravans, tents, cruiser-size yachts and dinghies.

The results were in three divisions, with the Ballyholme YC pair of Emily and Annabel Ridout winning the Youth section with a run of four firsts and a third and they were fortunate to discard an NSC in Race 3. The runners-up in that section, Felix Dion and Lucas Browne, who travelled from the National Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire, also discarded an NSC. Felix and Lucas are well-travelled this season, having finished 11th overall out of 46 in the UK Championships at Pwllheli in Wales earlier. In third slot was the host club pair of Jakub Ozarek and Daniel Long.

Emily and Annabel Ridout leading downwind at the RS Feva Northern Championships Photo: EDYC

Topping the Juniors were Sally Nixon and Jessica Dadley-Young (BYC), who finished 20th in the UK Nationals with Niamh Coman and Ellie Nolan of the Belfast Lough club, Royal North runners up, and in third place were Zara Whelan and Polly Jackson representing Ballyholme and National Yacht Clubs.

The Feva Northerns also included a family division, which Matt and Peter Ridout from Ballyholme won with Aileen, Louis and Andrew Smith runners-up. In third was the Royal North pair, Ross and Martha Nolan.

For the six races on a mixture of Triangular and Windward Leeward courses, conditions were very different on each of the two days. Saturday’s three races saw about 14 knots, and Sunday was the opposite with light airs, making the tide harder to negotiate.

Vice Commodore Liam Kelly was pleased that the club rose to the occasion: “East Down YC has always had a strong history of dinghy double-handed sailing. Traditionally, we have used our fleet of Fevas for training – the main, competitive fleets being Mirrors, Wayfarers and GP 14s. Last year, to the club’s welcoming surprise, the RS Feva Association proposed if our club would like to host the Northern Championships, with a more rapid focus on extending the fleet and celebrating junior/youth sailing in double handed sailing. We took it on, and following a gruelling seven months of training that never deterred the enthusiasm of the young sailors or dedicated volunteers, EDYC had four boats race ready for their debut championship. The event itself was wonderful test of our race management skills, commitment from the volunteers around the lough, and a testament to how much our youth sailing had grown”.

RYA Northern Ireland has issued the Notice of Race and opened entries for the 2023 edition of the RYANI F10 Marine Youth Championships, which will take place on the weekend of 9-10 September.

Following the cancellation of last year’s championships due to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, RYANI welcomes back the prestigious event to uncover the Northern Ireland champions across junior and youth sailing classes that include Toppers, Optimists, Fevas and 29ers, ILCA 4 and 6 and a regatta fleet.

Andrew Baker, performance manager at RYANI said: “Our annual Youth Championships is a major event in the youth sailing calendar and for many their first experience of a larger event. Whether a sailor turns up as the favourite to win or it’s their first time on a racecourse, the event really delivers something for all young sailors in NI.

“It is probably the biggest event we run alongside our clubs, at times it can be logistically challenging and demanding on volunteer resources but ultimately demonstrates what can be achieved when everyone plays their part and gets involved.”

RYANI is also excited to announce a new headline sponsor for the event in F10 Marine, an online boat shop that offers a wide range of products for boating enthusiasts and provides quality items to enhance the boating experience and cater to diverse needs.

Damian Goodman from F10 Marine said: “F10 Marine is proud to announce its sponsorship of the RYA Northern Ireland Youth Championships, scheduled to take place in September. This significant partnership reflects F10 Marine’s commitment to supporting youth development in the field of sailing and its dedication to promoting water sports in the region.

“By supporting this event, F10 Marine is actively contributing to the growth of the sailing community and empowering young sailors to pursue their passion for the sport.”

On the announcement of the sponsorship, RYANI chief executive Greg Yarnall said: “It is fantastic to have a company like F10 Marine on board to support the RYANI Youth Championships, we would like to thank F10 Marine for their support, and we hope it will be the start of a long lasting partnership between the two organisations that can enable us to further develop sailing and boating in Northern Ireland.”

It is 36 years since the father of Ben Greenhalgh, winner of the RS Feva UK Nationals at Pwllheli, raced in the same waters in the Cadet Worlds in a team from Ireland. Simon Greenhalgh from Ballyholme YC was part of a team competing all those years ago before the days of RYA NI instructors and coaches. None of that team won the Worlds, but happily, at least recently, Ballyholme Yacht Club not only had three boats in the 2023 RS Feva Nationals but those three plus one from Royal North and one from East Down made their mark on the overall results.

They were accompanied by Performance Manager and Coach Thomas Nixon, who has been working with the fleet at home.

Racing was in a big fleet of nearly 100 at Plas Heli in Pwllheli in North Wales

Racing in the big fleet of nearly 100 at Plas Heli in Pwllheli in North Wales were the five-strong team from the North. From East Down YC on Strangford Lough were Rose Kelly and Kate Jennings, from Belfast Lough clubs, Ross and Ellie Nolan (Royal North of Ireland YC), and from Ballyholme were Matthew and Peter Ridout, Emily and Annabel Ridout and Jessica Dadley-Young and Sally Nixon.

In the Gold Fleet, Matt and Peter came 3rd in the family class and 19th overall, counting a fifth as best result. Emily and Annabel Ridout, with a fifth top result, were 4th in the Family class (20th overall). Ross and Ellie Nolan from RNIYC were 38th overall, finishing one race at seventh in what was Ellie’s first big event. In the Silver Fleet, Rose Kelly and Kate Jennings from East Down YC were 31st, finishing ninth in their best race, and Jessica and Sally from BYC were 38th, counting a fifth as their top score.

On Days 1 and 2, the competitors raced randomly in four colour groups to produce rankings for the last two days’ racing. The fleet was then ranked into Gold (top 47 boats) and Silver fleet (lower 47 boats) for days three and four.

Team NI at the UK RS Feva Nationals

Conditions varied during the event, but the sun remained consistent. Winds ranged from light and shifty to stronger, no wind, and finally, perfect sailing weather.

RYANI was very pleased with the NI sailors’ results posting on Facebook; “With a fleet just shy of 100 boats, our sailors did a great job and were competitive despite limited previous training. In our new Strategic Aims to Improve Diversity, Re-Imagine Pathways and Maxamise Athlete Potential, double-handed sailing is a critical area of development. We do have good fleet racing for double-handed sailing in NI; however, it has been less so in the youth and junior fleets that historically go down single-handed pathways of Topper / ILCA. It is our mission to have sustainable pathways for these age groups and build them into our Youth Performance Programme. This in turn will not only feed into the established classes in NI but ensure we have the opportunities in place for those aspiring to towards future Olympic class competitions”.

The next big event for the RS Fevas is the Northerns, to be held on the 26th and 27th of August at East Down Yacht Club on Strangford Lough.

With just over three weeks to go to the inaugural RS Fest hosted by Blessington Sailing Club incorporating the RS200/400 National Championships, the RS Feva Nationals, RS Aeros & RS Teras, we thought it would be good to get a quick update out!

Entries are live and bookable on the all new RS Ireland Website, this website has been constructed to cater for all the RS classes in one dedicated website giving the entire RS Class Associations within Ireland a concise place for all news, information and entry links for each specific fleet! Entry for the Fest which incorporates all these classes is available here. Just find the relevant link for your class below and follow the few simple steps to enter.

Racing will be across two race courses, the 200s & 400s will start their National Championships on the Friday, racing through until Sunday. The Fevas & Aeros on course two kick off on the Saturday and racing Sunday too with the potential for a smaller course for the fledgling Tera fleet depending on take up!

RS Fevas

Camping accommodation is available on site in Blessington Sailing Club, however, it is booking up fast, even more of an incentive to get your entries in sooner rather than later! Blessington Sailing Club always cater excellently for camping on site… Coffee, showers & good vibes guaranteed!

RS Aero

The Avon resort is booked for Saturday night craic and entertainment for all the classes. Meal and drink vouchers will be provided, and within their food court, there is plenty on offer from the Big Blue Pizza Bus, Big Dog Burgers, Sweet Churros, Brew Twenty one and an outdoor Bar! For all the info, have a look here. The Avon Food Court has a marvellous selection of premium sweet & savoury food trucks to choose from. Take your pick and fill your belly while you take in panoramic views of the lake. See you at The Food Court! 

Local RS agents who are supporting the event, Kenny and his team have some great prizes available to raffle off with all proceeds going to the RNLI, the charity that saves lives at sea. Rumour has it that sails, clothing and boat parts are up for grabs, however you have to be there to win! Kenny & His team will be on hand all weekend to keep boats on the water with a trailer full of spares, tools, ropes, sails etc all there to keep the fleet on the water.

Charter boats are available for all classes, Feva, 200, 400, Aero & Tera. However pre booking at least 5 days in advance is essential as boats would need to be transported, rigged etc. Please do not hesitate to contact [email protected] if you require a boat!

Don’t forget to book in now for this fantastic weekend of RS Sailing at Blessington Lakes Sailing Club!

Thirty entries from all over Ireland kicked off the RS Feva circuit hosted by Royal Irish Yacht Club in Dun Laoghaire at the weekend.

Sailors from Mullochmore, Ballyholme, Howth and Greystones competed alongside Dun Laoghaire entrants in light and variable conditions, which freshened up to close on 20knts on the second day of racing.

Race Officer Michael Tyrrell delivered a six-race championship, with many competitors racing in tricky Dublin Bay conditions for the first time.

Three fleets battled it out for podium positions in each fleet, and there were additional prizes for best newcomer, furthest travelled, and resilience on the water.

Emily and her sister Annabel Ridout from Ballyholme led the gold fleet with five first places and a second. The second prize went to Jules Start and Grace Gavan from RSGYC and the third prize to Jessica Dudley Young and Sally Nixon, also from Ballyholme.

“Great competition, camaraderie and across all fleets!” commented Class Captain David Whelan of NYC.

Heather Wright revealed the new RS Ireland brand and generously contributed loads of prizes and quality merchandise, including McWilliam sailing bags and an RS Feva Racing Jib, which was raffled raising over €300 for the RNLI.

Download results below

Next stop RS Nationals at RS Fest in Blessington on June 24th and 25th.

With Summer 2023 lining up to be one of the biggest ever for the RS Feva double-handed youth dinghy class, the Dun Laoghaire Harbour yacht clubs have come together to offer coaching in the run-up - which is open to all.

The first event of the season is the Feva Eastern Championships hosted by Royal Irish Yacht Club on Dublin Bay on the 5th and 6th of May. Entries are limited, and the Notice of Race document is here.

From Dun Laoghaire, the fleet will head to County Wicklow for the RS Feva National Championships, to be held on the 24th and 25th of June at Blessington Sailing Club.

Organisers say this will be a fun, family-oriented event with activities and entertainment for all the family and friends!

The Feva teams have all summer to practise and prepare for the RS Feva Northerns on 26/27 August at the East Down Yacht Club.

The season wraps up at the RS Feva Southern Championships hosted by Monkstown Bay Sailing Club on 23/24 September.

For more information, please contact Feva Class Captain David Whelan or RIYC's Stephen Breen at [email protected]

The Olympic authorities see the Laser as the floating equivalent of the pole-vaulter’s vaulting pole, thereby making Laser sailors into proper individual athletes, and very worthy of Olympic inclusion.
But meanwhile, some in the upper echelons of Olympic decision-making see two-person boats as being group-operated machines, thereby precluding double sailors from serious consideration as true Olympic athletes unless it’s with a boat that is a gymnastic challenge in itself. Step forward the 49er.

As for three-person boats….forget it. This would be all well and good were the Olympics in a self-contained bubble. But the reality is that it is the Olympic imprimatur which brings sailing more effectively to public attention than any other branch of the sport – and we don’t exclude the America’s Cup from that grouping.

Thus the glorification of solo dinghy sailing as the ultimate ideal of sailing sport has trickled through to become the accepted group-think in much of sailing, and there are indications that this tough-minded attitude – one thinks of the Spartans leaving newborn babies on the hillside overnight as a quick and convenient selection process to weed out the weak – is really off-putting for shy and mildly introverted kids.

"the glorification of solo dinghy sailing as the ultimate ideal of sailing sport has trickled through to become the accepted group-think"

They like the idea of going sailing, but are put off by the general gung-ho attitude of the more competitive helms, and the possible sense of loneliness in being sent forth solo alone in an Optimist. For this provides all the challenges of being alone, while at the same time having your efforts conspicuously on display in front of one of the toughest-minded bunch of kids in the country.

Spartans afloat - the sharpest sharp end of the Optimist fleet is not for the faint-hearted or shrinking violets, as seen here at Balyholme

The huge national Optimist fleet in Ireland is a force of nature, while - as several clubs have discovered – the International Optimist Dinghy Association of Ireland is so powerful and effective it can function successfully more or less as a law unto itself. And the fact of the matter is that when the demanding Optimist system of encouraging rising talent works, it works very well indeed. But we’d be kidding ourselves if we tried to pretend that it isn’t ultimately elitist, and inevitably causes the elevation of individual talent at the expense of a team approach.

That said, when the situation arises that a top Optimist sailor has to sail in a crewed boat, it’s rarely that they don’t quickly learn the ropes in every sense. And the recent National Junior Championship at Schull was dominated by present or past Optimist sailors who not only adapted to two-person sailing – in some cases almost overnight – but showed clever strategic thinking in selecting crews who were of a size to match their own weight in order to provide the optimum all-up weight to race a TSR 3.6.

That’s the way it is in the fast track. But by its very nature, most potential recreational sailors are never going to be in the fast track, yet they can find their pleasure in sailing by choosing the right boat in an environment in which they feel comfortable when they go afloat.

Yet as soon as you move up from a one-person junior boat to something requiring two or even three to sail, the logistical and expense problems expand exponentially. Nevertheless, at the more competitive level, there are shrewd observers who bewail the thin spread of the International 420 in Ireland, despite Doug Elmes of Kilkenny and Colin O’Sullivan of Malahide winning the Bronze in the Worlds in Malaysia back in 2016.

Doug Elmes and Colin O’Sullivan after winning Bronze in the 420 Worlds in 2016

It certainly seemed inspirational at the time, yet apart from a few notably enthusiastic clubs with keen 420 fleets, you could hardly say the 420 is a nationwide success. But even with the demands implicit in sailing a 420 locally and occasionally campaigning it nationally, there are those throughout Ireland who think that any family that finds itself becoming involved in 420 racing through junior participation deserves every encouragement.

One such is Pierce Purcell, former Commodore of Galway Bay SC, where the small but keen 420 feet has found itself raised to new heights of enthusiasm by the success of their top 420 duo of Adam McGrady and Alistair O’Sullivan, who won the 420 Nationals at Rush at the end of August.

The 2022 420 Nationals at Rush SC at the end of August. Photo: M Gosson

Much and all as Galway is the centre of the universe, the McGrady/O’Sullivan team know they have to travel for top competition, and it really is team travel with their fathers Paul and Gerry totally committed to providing logistics support.

National Champions. Galway Bay SC’s 420 stars Alistair O’Sullivan & Adam McGrady (centre) with their fathers Gerry O’Sullivan (left) and Paul McGrady (right). Photo: Pierce Purcell

But even with Galway now the pinnacle of 420 sailing, there are still those there – and elsewhere in Ireland - who reckon that the ultimate contribution to the development of two-handed, sociable and accessible sailing here was provided by the advent of the Mirror dinghy. I yield to no-one in my admiration for the Mirror, it’s one of the cleverest boat designs ever conceived, and it’s a matter of wonder why someone doesn’t put a computer to work to analyse why the Mirror provided so much for so many people in such a little boat.

It should be possible to then provide a computer-aided design which may look like a contemporary boat of 2023, yet ticks all the boxes on the factors that made the Mirror so very special and useful.

One of the most effective boat designs of all time – sport for all ages in the Mirror dinghy

You’d be surprised how many people are thinking along these lines, and meanwhile look around to see what readily available production boat most nearly fits the bill. And that shrewd observer of the sailing scene, Bob Bateman of Cork, who is the patriarch of an active three generation sailing dynasty while somehow also finding the time to take great photos of just about everything that floats along the south coast, reckons he has found that boat, hidden away in plain sight.

It’s the RS Feva. But though this 12-footer has been around for some time, the performance potential has been so emphasised that casual observers overlook the fact that the Feva is also a low maintenance – almost zero maintenance, in fact – knockabout boat, one that can happily take a bunch of kids for a fun sail.

Yet like the Mirror, she’s an all-generation boat in which a sympathetic adult with the ability to provide kindly teaching – it’s a very special ability, and not given its proper respect – can bring shy young children into sailing and build their confidence in every way, both afloat and ashore.

In the weekend in which some of those who have reached the highest peaks of Irish sailing are contesting the Champions’ Cup in its 75th year reiteration of the Helmsman’s Championship, it is very timely to reflect on the other end of the sailing continuum, and on what – in an ideal world – would be a boat deserving more encouragement in playing its key role in making sailing seem more genuinely accessible.

And apart from that, like the Mirror – which served our family very well indeed for multiple purposes – the RS Feva is simply great fun to sail.

Hidden away in plan sight behind the apparently performance-oriented RS Feva is an excellent little all-round knockabout boat for fun sailing. Photo: Robert Bateman

The RS Feva Class is on the rebound in Dún Laoghaire thanks to the determined efforts of a small group of parents from the waterfront clubs and collaboration with RS Sailing agent MarineServices.ie. Last winter, plans were laid to see good numbers in the local RS Feva events and get boats not currently regularly on the water back racing, and Kenny Rumball was determined that the Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School would play its part.

Heather from MarineServices.ie got to work and developed a one-stop Feva renewal clinic, assessing the current RS Fevas in the Dun Laoghaire waterfront clubs as well as the school to modernize control systems, rigging and sails.

As a result, there were six race-ready RS Fevas at the Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School, and when word was put out to parents and students of the summer and winter programmes about a 6-week coaching programme culminating in participating in the RS Feva East Coast Championships, all 12 opportunities in this double-handed class were filled in under two days.

Heather from MarineServices.ie joined the sailing school’s coach Ronan Mooney to deliver the six Saturday morning training sessions. The school’s programmes have always emphasized participation and enjoyment, and serious racing doesn’t often feature as it has to be accomplished in a manner where all those participating feel an accomplishment, regardless of the results. So when the group met for the first time, the emphasis was on enjoying the event as nearly all of the group had never participated in a competitive sailing event.

After six weeks of coaching, the final crews of the five boats received a huge boost with five brand new RS Feva XL sails ahead of their inaugural competition. Keen to support the National Yacht Club in running the event, a RIB and crew from the school were on the water to assist in safety and event coordination. This also provided familiar faces to the school’s sailing crews, helping to disperse nerves that understandably are associated with any competitive event.

Racing at the RS Feva Easterns at Dun Laoghaire Harbour

A major highlight for the coaches was watching the five boats round the windward mark and without hesitation all hosting their kites despite some hesitation from others in the fleet and catching up as many as 5 places. “ We could not be more proud of them. These children had never been on a start line before and despite this all managed to come away with a prize and lots of laughs a fantastic weekend all round.” said Heather Wright who assisted in the coaching delivered by school instructor Ronan Mooney.

The Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School would like to say a huge thanks to all involved in the event and for making the novice racers feel so welcome. “While the school might be new to this, don't you worry, this is just the beginning,” said Kenny Rumball, centre Principal and Irish RS Sailing agent.

Irish National Sailing & Powerboat School Team Results

• 11th Overall: John Healy& Daniel Burns
• 12th Overall: Finn Byrne & Joe Gaffney
• 19th Overall: Kealan Reilly & Oisin O'Reilly
• 20th Overall: Orla Casey & Carla Williamson
• 21st Overall: Theo Homan & Manus O Baoighill