RS Racing RS FEVA User manual

OWNER’S MANUAL
LDC Racing Sailboats, Trafalgar Close, Chandlers Ford. Eastleigh SO53 4BW, England
Tel. [phone] Fax. [phone]

2
CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION
2. SPECIFICATIONS AND DRAWINGS
3. SAFETY INFORMATION
3.1 Design Category
3.2 Loading
3.3 Safety Equipment
3.4 Capsize Recovery
3.5 Air Tank
3.6 Man Overboard Prevention and Recovery
3.7 Use of an Outboard Engine
3.8 Towing, Anchoring, Mooring and Trailing
4. COMMISSIONING
4.1 Preparation
4.2 Unpacking
4.3 Rigging the Mast
4.4 Stepping the Mast
4.5 Rigging the Boom
4.6 The Daggerboard
4.7 The Rudder
4.8 Hoisting the Mainsail
4.9 Rigging the Jib
4.10 Rigging the Gennaker
4.11 Completion
5. SAILING HINTS
5.1 Introduction
5.2 Launching
5.3 Leaving the beach
5.4 Sailing Close-Hauled and Tacking
5.5 Downwind and Gybing
5.6 Using the Gennaker
5.7 Reefing

3
6. MAINTENANCE
7.1 Boat Care
7.2 Foil Care
7.3 Spar Care
7.4 Sail Care
7. WARRANTY

4
1. INTRODUCTION
Congratulations on the purchase of your new RS Feva and thank you for
choosing an RS product. We are confident that you will have many hours of
great sailing and racing in this truly excellent design.
The RS Feva is an exciting boat to sail and offers fantastic performance. This
manual has been compiled to help you operate your RS Feva with safety and
pleasure. It contains details of the craft; the equipment supplied or fitted, its
systems and information on its safe operation and maintenance. Please read
it carefully and be sure that you understand its contents before using your RS
Feva.
This manual is not a course on boating safety or seamanship. If this is your
first boat, or you are changing to a type of craft you are not familiar with, for
your own safety and comfort, please ensure that you have adequate
experience before assuming command of the craft. If you are unsure, your
dealer or national sailing federation (the Royal Yachting Association) will be
able to advise you of a local sailing school, or competent instructor. For
beginners, a sailing handbook, which contains a glossary of boat parts and
terms, may be useful. These are available from your local dealer.
Please keep this manual in a secure place and hand it over to the new
owner if you sell the boat.
For further information, spares and accessories, please contact your
local dealer or:
LDC Racing Sailboats
Trafalgar Close
Chandlers Ford
Eastleigh
Hants SO53 4BW
Tel. [phone] Fax. [phone]
Email. [email protected]

5
EC DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY TO
DIRECTIVE 94/25/CE
I declare that the craft described as:
RS Feva
Bearing the Hull Identification Number:
GBLDCF
Conforms to EU Recreational Craft Directive 94/25/EC
Annex 1 – sections 3.2 & 3.3 and Annex 6 – Module Aa
EU Notified Body: No. 0808 (Irish Sailing Assoc.)
ISO Standards BS EN ISO 10087, 12217, 12215, 10240,
14945, 8666
Trade Marque RS Racing
Type RS Feva
Design Category C
Maximum Crew 3
Maximum Load 225kg
Overall Length 3.64m
Builders Name LDC Racing Sailboats, England
Date __ / __ / __
(The date does not indicate the date of manufacture)
Signed Name: ____________________
Signature: _________________

6
2. SPECIFICATIONS AND DRAWINGS
Identification.
Your RS Feva can be identified by two numbers, one is the sail number and
the other is the Hull Identification Number.
The sail number is the number by which you register your RS Feva with
insurance companies, the class association and also when you sign on for
events. Not only is the sail number on the mainsail itself (Feva XL only; it is
also printed on the port side of the transom.
The Hull Identification Number, or HIN, is required by European law. Every
new boat sold should display a HIN to show that it meets all the guidelines set
by the European community and is safe to use up to the conditions mentioned
in 3.1 Design Category. Your RS Feva complies with European law to
category C (explained later) and hence displays a HIN which is imprinted on
the starboard side of the transom.
The HIN is purely to show that your RS Feva meets European regulation, and
therefore should be referred to by its sail number.
Dimensions.
Length Overall (LOA): 3.64 m 12’0”
Beam: 1.42 m 4’ 8”
Hull Weight: 63 kg 136 lb
Reefing Mainsail: 5.5 m_ 57sq ft
3 Batten Mainsail: 6.5 m_ 68sq ft
Jib: 2.1 m_ 22sq ft
Gennaker: 7.0 m_ 73sq ft

7
3. SAFETY INFORMATION
Personal preparation and owner’s responsibility.
Before attempting to operate the boat, ensure that you have appropriate
experience to handle the boat safely in the anticipated sea and wind
conditions, and that all the crew have sufficient boating experience and that
they are familiar with emergency procedures (man overboard recovery,
towing).
Always check the weather forecast before leaving shore, and ensure that the
predicted weather and sea conditions are suitable for the boat (see 3.1).
clothing should be suitable for the anticipated weather conditions and
footwear appropriate for boating.
Before going afloat, all persons should be wearing a suitable buoyancy aid
(life jacket or personal floatation device), which should be worn at all time
when on the water. Note that in some countries it is a legal requirement to
wear a buoyancy aid that complies with their national regulations at all times.
It is recommended that you carry a whistle or horn to attract attention in case
outside assistance is required.
The owner/operator is responsible for the safe operation of the boat. His/her
responsibilities include properly preparing and maintaining the boat and safety
equipment, knowledge of the boat operation, safety training of the crew,
following the navigation rules (including knowledge of the Collision
Regulations and local navigation rules), care of the environment, insurance
and where necessary registration.

8
3.1 Design Category.
The RS Feva is a Design Category C boat. The definition of this category is:
•Design Category: C – ‘inshore’
•Description of Use: Designed for voyages in costal waters, large
bays, estuaries, lakes and rivers.
•Wind Force: Up to, and including Beaufort force 6.
•Significant Wave Height: up to, and including 2 m.
The RS Feva complies with this design category, subject to:
•The crew having suitable skill and experience.
•Satisfactory construction and maintenance of the boat and its
equipment.
Users of this boat are advised that:
•All crew should receive suitable training.
•The boat should not carry more than the maximum load.
•Any water in the hull should be kept to a minimum.
•Stability is reduced by any weight added high up.
3.2 Loading.
The RS Feva is designed to be sailed by no more than 3 people. However it is
recommended that you do not exceed the maximum loading of 225 kg,
including any equipment added to the basic rigged boat, e.g. an anchor. To
enable the boat to be righted safely the minimum recommended crew weight
is 40 kg.
All the crew and equipment should be evenly distributed to ensure that the
boat is upright and approximately level. Heavy items, such as an anchor,
should be securely fixed to avoid movement when underway.

9
3.3 Safety Equipment.
It is your responsibility to ensure that all necessary safety equipment is
obtained for the type of sailing you are participating in and it is readily
accessible on board while the boat is in operation.
HINT
We recommend that you sail in a location where there is adequate rescue
cover, should you get into any difficulty, especially whilst learning to sail your
new boat.
3.4 Capsize Recovery.
No matter how stable and secure your RS Feva feels on the water, a capsize
will be inevitable. Properly handled a capsize can be fun and definitely not
something to worry about. Like everything it is best to practice on a quieter
day, and preferably with a safety boat to hand.
Recovery technique.
As the boat capsizes, you should endeavour to fall cleanly into the water,
trying to avoid catching sheets or toestraps as you fall. You should initially
ensure that:
1. If you are using the spinnaker that it is fully recovered in the chute.
2. The main and jib sheets are both uncleated.
WARNING
If the boat has capsized “on top” of you, or “to windward” as it is
known, there is more chance of the boat inverting and you should
ensure that you and your crew are well clear as the boat fully inverts.

10
If are sailing with a crew, he or she should swim round to the bow, and hang
onto the tackbar or the rope handle, whichever is fitted. Then you should
proceed round to the transom where the righting line is stowed. Unclip the
“high side” righting line, and keep hold of it as you proceed around the rudder
to the centreboard area. If the boat has inverted the righting line is easier to
locate.
If the boat has inverted:
The righting line will help you climb onto the hull if it is inverted, it being best to
use the line across the hull. Stand on the underneath of the gunwhale (now
facing upwards), adjacent to the centreboard, where there is a grippy surface
for feet or knees. Pull on the righting line from across the upturned hull and as
the boat starts to come back up try to work your way up the hull and onto the
centreboard, as it comes horizontal. Do not worry if you are unable to do so.
If the boat is on its side:
Hold the righting line as high up as you can, and brace your feet against the
hull, and pull. The boat will start to come upright, and as it does work your
hands up the righting line towards the gunwhale.
WARNING
If the mast is lying into the wind as you pull it up the boat will flip up
quickly and you should be aware to work your way up the righting line to
the gunwhale a bit quicker.
Once the boat is upright and you are in the water holding the righting line, you
can either pull the gunwhale down to you, grab the toestrap and haul yourself
in or go around to the transom and climb in over there. The rope handle on
the gunwhale can help you back on board, not forgetting to go over the
transom bridle, which should be loose enough to push down against the deck.
To make all this easier, if you have a crew, who would have been holding the

11
bow during the righting process, should take over holding the righting line next
to the gunwhale while you get in the boat. Once in the boat the crew can be
assisted to follow suit and climb back aboard.
If you did manage to get onto the centreboard as the boat came up from full
inversion, or if you were nimble enough to hop over onto the board as the boat
capsized, then it is a simple case of pulling on the line (or just the gunwhale if
you are heavy enough), and hopping in as the boat comes upright. “Sprawling
in” is often a more accurate term, but the net effect is that you end up in the
boat without falling back into the water! Effecting the “dry” capsize, where you
manage to hop on the board as you go over and then back into the boat as it
comes upright is the ultimate goal that will come with practice!
Getting going again:
Once you are back aboard you will find the water quickly drains out the
transom or down the centreboard case. It is worth taking time to sort yourself
out, clipping the righting line(s) back on at the transom, and securing them in
the notch just below the gunwhale at the transom corner. Congratulations on a
successful recovery!
3.5 Air Tank.
The RS Feva is equipped with a sealed buoyancy compartment just in case of
capsize or swamping. The buoyancy compartment is formed by the hull and
deck mouldings and consequently the following points should be noted:
!Do not puncture the buoyancy compartment.
!Should the buoyancy compartment become punctured, do not use
the boat until the compartment is properly repaired. If in any
doubt, contact RS Racing for repair details.
!It is against class rules to add any fittings; you may have to
replace fittings from time to time. Ensure that all fastenings are
resealed properly using an appropriate sealant. If in any doubt,
contact RS Racing for details.

12
3.6 Man Overboard Prevention and Recovery.
Working deck.
The working deck of the RS Feva, which is intended to be occupied when the
boat is afloat, is the areas covered with a none slip coating (as seen in picture
3.1). These areas are:
•The entire cockpit floor, including kick-blocks and daggerboard case,
from the aft end up to the mast foot.
•The top surface and outside edge of the side deck from the aft end to
the recess for the shroud points.
•The central thwart can also be used as a place to sit. It is not
recommended that this is used as somewhere to stand as it does not
have a non-slip texture and may be slippery.
Crew overboard recovery.
The RS Feva is designed to be sailed by up to three people. However, it can
be sailed single-handed. If sailing alone it is recommended that you ensure
adequate safety cover is in attendance before launching.
Should you fall overboard, whilst sailing alone, the boat will soon capsize
allowing you to swim to it and follow the righting from capsize procedures
previously mentioned in this manual.
To recover a crew member from the water:
•The helm should bring the boat just downwind of the person in the
water.
•The helm should balance the boat, using a combination of body weight
movement and sail pressure.
•The crew should board the boat via the windward gunwale with the
help of another member of the crew. Or it may be easier to board over

13
the transom using the mainsheet strop or the handles (if fitted) to help
yourself back into the boat.
HINT
By completing a recognised sailing instruction course, you will learn how to
recover a man over board quickly and effectively. We recommend attending a
sailing course if you have not already done so.
3.7 Use of an Outboard Engine.
The RS Feva is not designed or equipped for use with an outboard
engine and is not capable of modification to be safely used with an
outboard engine.
3.8 Towing, Anchoring, Mooring and Trailing.
Towing.
Should it become necessary to tow your RS Feva, you should follow the
procedure below:
Feva S
•Secure the towing line around the mast as low down to the mast gate
as possible. If the mast has failed, then the tow line can be tied to the
lifting handle in the front of the boat.
•Lower or stow the mainsail.
•Fully raise or remove the daggerboard.
•Stay at the tiller. In the event of rudder loss, sit well aft.
Feva XL
•Secure the towing line around the tack bar.
•Lower and stow all sails
•Fully raise or remove the daggerboard.
•Stay at the tiller. In the event of rudder loss, sit well aft.

14
Anchoring.
The RS Feva can be anchored for short periods of time. If anchoring is going
to be attempted, then we recommend attending a sailing course to learn how
to anchor safely.
If you do wish to anchor your RS Feva, the anchor line should be secured
round the base of the mast (Feva S) or around the tack bar (Feva XL). The
sails shold be lowered or securely stowed and the rudder and daggerboard
raised completely.
REMEMBER
An anchor is a heavy piece of equipment so you must ensure that you are not
overloading your Feva and that it is securely stowed to prevent it damaging
the boat or you!
Mooring.
The RS Feva can be moored on a buoy or a pontoon for short periods. When
mooring on a buoy, ensure the mooring line is securely fastened to the
forward carry handle (Feva S) or round the tack bar (Feva XL) as seen in
picture 3.2.
When mooring along side a pontoon, a mooring line can be attached to either
the forward carry handle (Feva S) or round the tack bar (Feva XL) and around
the aft end of the rear toestraps. Always remember to use some padding
between your Feva and the object you are mooring against!
Trailing.

15
The RS Feva can be trailed behind the majority of cars or can be carried on
the roof. When transporting a Feva on the roof of a car we recommend the
use of the RS Feva folding launching trolley because the overall weight of the
RS Feva and standard launching trolley could be over the limit for the car. So
an RS Feva folding trolley can easily be carried in the smallest of cars.
When trailing your RS Feva you should only use an approved trolley and road
base. Tying down the boat to its trailer is important because too much or too
little tension could result in damage. Follow the instructions below for safe
trailing:
•Ensure the boat is located correctly on the trolley, with the gunwale
supports up under the gunwales and the bow located in the bow
snubber of the trolley.
•Ensure the trolley is properly located on the road base and the
retaining pin is fitted.
•Tie the boat down to the trailer at the bow and across the middle. You
only need to apply sufficient tension to hold the boat in contact with the
trolley supports. Use padding material where any straps touch the
deck.
HINT
It is always a good idea to tie the boat down when it is left in the dinghy
compound to prevent any damage to you boat, or any other, in the event of
strong winds.

16
4. COMMISSIONING
4.1 Preparation.
Your RS Feva comes complete with all the components necessary to take the
boat sailing. In order to commission it, you will need the following tools:
•Pliers or a shackle key.
•PVC (electricians) tape.
You may require other tools later, should you wish to make any settings or
tuning adjustments to the boat and rig.
DO NOT use a knife or other sharp object to cut through packaging
containing parts – you may damage the contents.
Whilst your RS Feva has been carefully prepared, it is important that new
owners should check shackles and knots are tight. This is especially important
when the boat is new, as travelling can loosen seemingly tight fittings and
knots. It is also important to regularly check such items prior to sailing.
4.2 Unpacking.
Having unpacked your RS Feva you should check that you have all the items
listed below and in picture 4.1 and picture 4.2 before throwing away any of the
packing as there may be some small items still wrapped.
•1 x RS Feva hull.
•1 x top mast section.
•1 x lower mast section
•1 x boom.
•1 x rudder.
•1 x rudder stock.
•1 x tiller extension.
•1 x dagger board.
•1 x main sail (reefing mainsail or 3 batten mainsail).
•1 x rope pack – consisting of:

17
o1 x mainsheet.
o1 x outhaul.
o1 x outhaul shockcord.
o1 x main halyard and Inglefield clip.
o1 x kicking strap.
o1 x rudder downhaul and block.
o1 x dagger board handle.
o1 x boom strop.
Picture 4.1 – Feva equipment.

18
Picture 4.2 – Feva rope pack
Jib pack (optional).
The jib pack is an option on the Feva S but comes as standard on the Feva
XL. The pack contains:
•1 x Feva jib.
•2 x Feva shroud.
•1 x shroud shackle.
•1 x jib halyard block.
•1 x jib rope pack – containing:
o1 x jib halyard.
o1 x jib sheet.
o1 x jib halyard block tie.

19
Picture 4.3 – Feva jib pack
Gennaker pack (optional).
The gennaker pack is an option on the Feva S but comes as standard on the
Feva XL. The pack contains:
•1 x Feva gennaker.
•1 x gennaker halyard block with shackle.
•1 x gennaker sheet.
Picture 4.4 – Feva gennaker pack

20
4.3 Rigging the mast.
If you have the jib and gennaker kits, please refer to section 4.9 (rigging
the jib) and 4.10 (rigging the gennaker) before stepping the mast in the
boat.
To complete this section, you will need:
•The top mast.
•The lower mast.
•The main halyard.
1) Place the top mast and lower mast on the ground, in line with each
other.
2) Slide the inner sleeve of the top mast inside the lower mast (see picture
4.5).
3) Push the two mast sections together (see picture 4.6). The angle of the
cut should ensure that the mast track of the two sections aligns.
Picture 4.5 – joining the mast
Picture 4.6 – a joined mast
4) Uncoil the main halyard.
5) Thread one end through the bullseye at the top of the mast (see picture
4.7).