RS Quest: A simple solution to growing participation in sailing
by NZ Sailcraft 12 Nov 2021 09:00 UTC
12 November 2021
the happy faces say it all - kids feel safe in the Quest and therefore have a lot of fun © NZ Sailcraft
It’s more fun to learn with friends. And that is one of the reasons that the RS Quest is now firmly embedded in New Zealand sailing culture, preferred by many clubs as a training boat, but also a great option for families that want to get out on the water.
The first steps in sailing can be daunting, no matter how old you are. Sailing is harder than riding a bike with many seemingly random variables – not to mention the constant threat of getting wet.
But the RS Quest enables an instructor to get out with two or three pupils, adults or children, and what a difference it makes to the path of learning.
There are now more than 40 RS Quests in New Zealand and customers not only include sailing clubs but also families, choosing them for their bach. Several have gone to grandparents buying them for their grand children.
Quests are used to teach children and adults, and with their sophisticated multi-crewed sailing systems are a great stepping stone for intermediate sailors into keelboats and sports boats too, where teamwork is an important factor. They also provide an opportunity to get used to downwind gennaker sailing. When it comes to learning how to trapeze, starting out on a stable platform like the RS Quest is a game-changer.
One club, Northcote-Birkenhead Yacht Club in Auckland, has even developed a race programme around them and race four boats mid week and every weekend in summer.
Former America’s Cup winner Joey Allen has discovered the Quests at Northcote-Birkenhead:
“I am really having a blast sailing with my youngest son at the Northcote Birkenhead Yacht Club. We sail your RS Quest. The boat is perfect for our situation being safe, responsive and fast. My boy for the first time ever is asking to go yachting,” he says.
But most of all, they enable people to sail together, removing the fear of being on the water by yourself, and turning it into a collaborative, fun experience, enabling you to go further and faster as a team.
RS Quests are made from durable rotomoulded polyethene, they are spacious and stable, and have proven sailing systems enabling great handling, reefing and stowage.
A new container load of boats arrives in New Zealand shortly. Shipping costs go up every month. Get your order in before they sell out. Visit www.nzsailcraft.co.nz to arrange a demo and be sailing for summer!