RS Feva Class National Open Training Coached Regatta at Draycote Water Sailing Club
by Duncan West 12 Mar 2025 10:54 PDT
8-9 March 2025
RS Feva Class National Open Training Coached Regatta at Draycote Water © Duncan West
Last weekend 70 RS Feva sailors gathered at Draycote Water SC in fabulous spring conditions of sun and 15knts of wind for the second of this winter's Class National Open Training "Coached Regatta".
This national training camp saw sailors from all six English Regional Squads including sailors from Bassenthwaite SC, Sunderland SC, Winsford Flash SC and Royal Yorkshire YC in the North, Midlands sailors from Rutland SS and Draycote WSC, London & SE region sailors from Bough Beech SC, South sailors from HISC and a strong contingent of Isle of Wight sailors from Gurnard SC and Yarmouth SC and SW sailors from Starcross YC, Lyme Regis SC, Parkstone YC and St. Mawes YC.
As always in the RS Feva class, we had a strong schools turn out with teams from Magdalen College School and Norwich School.
On Saturday morning after briefing from the coaching team led by Duncan West and including Tim Rush, Courtney Bilbrough, Julian Pearson and Graeme Rowe, the sailors launched to spend some time on tuning runs and warm up exercises before a series of practice starts using the club committee boat manned by parent volunteers.
This was followed by a few 20 minute races on a windward leeward course, followed by the sailors heading ashore for a quick pit stop and an opportunity to catch up with their coaches.
After lunch more racing, with the starting became more competitive seeing a few boats OSC and being pulled aside at the windward mark and given a series of penalty turns before joining back in with the racing. See photos and videos taken by Steve Angell.
The coaches were able to move freely around the racecourse, talking with sailors between races to help maximise the amount of learning with effective feedback. This deliberate race training gives the sailors the opportunity to focus on specific areas with their coaches, which they would be unable to work on when training in smaller numbers. Sailors could experiment and try out new approaches in a non-outcome focused environment making it lower risk for them.
That evening after sailing the sailors and parents had options to join shore sessions led by the coaches on; a video review of the racing, rig tuning and the effect of the sail controls, the new class rules and changing classes - a sailors next steps.
On Sunday the sailors were greeted to bright sunshine and 15 -18kts from the NE, making great conditions for all. After the coaches briefing the sailors had a warmup afloat and a few practice starts. This was followed by racing on an outer loop trapezoid course which gave rise to some full-on reaches, with the odd boat having a quick swim. The coaches also took the opportunity to move the marks between races to continually create different challenges for the sailors to solve.
After three and half hours on the water and the racing completed, the sailors came ashore for a review of the day and pack up. See photos and videos taken by James O'Callaghan.
The weekend finished with a final review with all the sailors, parents and coaches and a quick prize-giving, with everyone hoping that Draycote will provide similar conditions in two weeks' time when the class return for GP 3 and our Spring Championships.
A very big thank you to Draycote Water SC for hosting the training, the parent volunteers crewing the coach boats, committee boat and beach team and RS Sailing for providing all the sailors with RS branded merchandise. Next stop we will see the Feva sailors back at Draycote for GP3, March 22nd 23rd.