The RS Quest is a modern sailboat that is packed full of innovative features, whether you’re a family looking for your next adventure or a program looking for a great training platform – you need to consider the RS Quest.
The durable rotomoulded polyethene construction and reassuring stability makes the RS Quest the perfect platform for inspiring new sailors and maximizing the time you can spend afloat. Though 2-3 is the ideal crew size, an abundance of space inside the boat allows for comfortable sailing with up to 5 sailors. The control layout even allows for simple singlehanded sailing.
Previous boat designs have stood out for their unique features, but with the RS Quest the RS development team have designed the most versatile and rounded boat to hit the sailing market in decades.
Some of the innovative features which the RS team is quite proud of include:
Kick up rudder/Centerboard
Whether you’re sailing in shallow water or make contact with an underwater obstacle, the rudder and centerboard will simply kick up and allow you to keep sailing with no damage. Most other designs would be stopped in their tracks or suffer damage in these instances. At RS we don’t believe adventures should be limited by your equipment! These features also help with easy launch and recovery, from sandy beaches to tricky launches, stay in control of your adventure until the very end.
Center mainsheet – modern – great for a learning environment
With most modern sailboats rocking the center main system it’s easy to see why, with more ergonomic positioning, forward facing sailing and more precision when steering through manoeuvres, what isn’t there to love? However, in true RS fashion there is always consideration of performance and a simple rope bridle centerlines the mainsheet to ensure optimal sailtrim.
Wide ergonomic cockpit and hull
The RS Quest has class leading space, she is big enough to comfortably fit an instructor with 4 sailors or the entire family. With the substitution of a GNAV instead of a conventional boom vang there’s even more space upfront. Don’t let all this space put you off, the RS Quest is still small enough to handle easily ashore and afloat. The hull design lends to incredible stability on the water to allow sailors to trust the boat and inspire confidence. On land, the hull sits stable and flat allowing for easy storage or land drills. Yet the hull design has taken notes from big offshore performance racers offering stability while maintaining performance.
Versatility
The RS Quest has been packed full of features which has created a very diverse sailboat that can work across a spectrum of sailors and programs. The list of additional options is plentiful, allowing you to tailor the RS Quest to design a package that fit your needs and expand the boat’s versatility. Options include trapeze, mast float, asymmetrical or symmetrical spinnaker, outboard engine, removable foredeck with storage, and more. Whether you want to haul the entire family along with the kids hanging off the trapeze, or need to design an ideal adult learn to sail boat, it’s all possible.
Families
Sailing with your family can be one of the most enjoyable or absolutely horrible experiences. The difference between the two can mean a lifetime of sailing or a family that wants to run for the nearest motorboat. Dealing with broken bits or a difficult boat to rig is challenging while being on the water having fun is invaluable. Offering an easy approach to sailing and user-friendly nature of the RS Quest will ensure a good time had by all in order to keep the whole family excited about going sailing every time.
Sailing Programs
While the RS Quest is great for all sorts of sailors, it has specifically been identified as the optimal sailing program boat for youth and adult sailors. The versatility, value, and durability are optimal for almost any sailing program. As boats age and replacement parts are no longer available, many programs have recognized the fit for the RS Quest. However, what really convinced many programs to make the change is the mission of RS Sailing and our dealer’s to offer the best customer support in the industry, vowing to keep RS Quests everywhere on the water whenever and wherever. Throughout North America, many programs have recognized these values by replacing boats such as Hunter 140s, Capri 14.2, Lido 14, American 14.6, Club 420s, and even larger 16-18′ daysailors.
Mission Bay Aquatic Center, who replaced their Hobie Holders with 10 RS Quests in 2019, have created a great RS Quest tutorial.
More than 3,000 RS Quests have been sold to all types of sailors since it’s launch in 2015. The RS team feels fortunate, privileged, and honored that these unprecedented numbers for dinghy sales in this modern era speak for the overall experience that the RS Quest offers and our reseller network that support it.
Sailors throughout the world are recognizing the RS Quest as the boat to take their families, friends, and sailing programs into the future. From your first time afloat, to experienced day sailing – the RS Quest enables sailors to practice seamanship within their own ability level.
At RS Sailing we believe sailing is about the experience, we love what we do, we design our boats to share this love through that experience so that everyone wants to come back for more. It’s all about getting more people sailing.
There is a very good chance are there are RS quests at a program or sailing by families near you. We love to hear from all sorts of sailors, to learn more about the RS Quest, where you can sail one, or just to say hello, click the “Get in contact” at the top of RSSailing.com and send us a note.
Editor’s note: In light of the current world we live in due to COVID-19, we can’t think of a better way to socially distance than spending time with your immediate family sailing your RS boat. Thanks to Darryl Rains from Florida who is spending this time adventuring in the RS Quest singlehanded and even bringing his son along! This is the epitome of what we live for at RS Sailing to offer invaluable experiences such as this and hope more of our customers can share their experiences that make them happy through these crazy times.
