RS Feva Summer Championships at Draycote Water Sailing Club

RS Feva Summer Championships 2020 © Giles Smith

Finally, the RS Feva fleet had the chance to hit the racecourse. With the team at Draycote Water SC working tirelessly to ensure all current rules and guidelines are followed. They transformed their site to allow a drive-through registration area and multiple launching areas to keep all socially distanced. The fleet experienced a slick, professional and most of all safe experience throughout the weekend and competitors, parents and supporters have been very quick to thank and congratulate the team.

On the water, the sailors saw a steady breeze on Saturday with three races completed successfully. Felix Stewart and Liam Farrell Windermere SC and Llandudno SC appeared unstoppable with first in race 1 and 2, but a premature start in race 3 resulted in an OCS.

Race 4 proved to be one of the most controversial races we have seen for a long time here in the UK, abandoned on the water by the race team and then, after requests for redress, the protest committee giving places to just three boats.

Sunday's forecast was for lighter variable winds and with one discard sailors knew that they had to ensure they made no mistakes! Four race starts, and not a single OCS proved that everyone was playing extra safe!

In the end, it was consistency that appeared to pay off. Olly Peters from Hayling Island Sailing Club and Sam Webb from Royal Lymington YC took the overall top spot. Sisters Rosie and Susie Sheahan from Chew Valley Lake came in second and Max Sydenham and Tristan Ahlheid from Hayling Island Sailing Club finishing in third.

With the number of protests and requests for redress logged it was felt that the best option would be to have all hearings on Zoom during the week and so results at this time are still provisional.

When you look at the scoreboard, you can see that despite the long break from the National Circuit, the fleet is as competitive as ever with top three results for most teams in the top 17.

On behalf of the RS Feva Class Association, all the competitors their families and supporters we would like to thank the entire team at Draycote Water SC for a brilliantly executed weekend both on and off the water. We hope that your enthusiasm and great team effort inspire other clubs to follow suit.

Provisional Results (subject to protest):