International 14

The International 14 is a British racing sailboat, crewed by two sailors. The class was established in 1928.[1][2]

International 14
Development
DesignerMany designers
LocationUnited Kingdom
Year1928
Builder(s)China New Yachts
Composite Craft
Henderson Boat Company
Ovington Boats
W. D. Schock Corp
Roleracing sailing dinghy
NameInternational 14
Boat
Crewtwo
Displacement164 lb (74 kg)
Hull
Typemonohull
Constructionany material permitted
LOA14.00 ft (4.27 m)
LWL14.00 ft (4.27 m)
Beam6.00 ft (1.83 m)
Hull appendages
Keel/board typecentreboard
Rudder(s)transom-mounted rudder
Rig
Rig typeBermuda rig
Sails
Sailplanfractional rigged sloop
Total sail area200.00 sq ft (18.581 m2)
Racing
RYA PN780

The boat is a developmental sailing class and so the design rules and the boats themselves have changed dramatically over time to keep the International 14 at the leading edge of sailing technology. Many designers have contributed to the boat.[1][2][3][4]

Sailboatdata.com noted "the International 14 is a high performance 2-Man, development racing dinghy with a long history of performance developments that often been adopted in the design of later boats. Today, with hiking racks, a giant flat head main, and its 'skiff' like hull, an up-to-date racing model bears little resemblance to the earlier boats."[1]

The design became an international World Sailing class in 1928.[4][5]

Production

The design has been built by many builders over a century of construction. Today it is built by Ovington Boats and Composite Craft in the United Kingdom. From 1946 to 1970 it was built in the United States by the W. D. Schock Corp, with 26 boats completed over that 24-year period. It was also at one time built by the Henderson Boat Company in North America and China New Yachts in China.[1][2][3][6][7][8][9][10]

Design
An International 14 flying its asymmetrical spinnaker

Before the class was formally established in 1928, many designers built open class 14 foot racing boats that were the forerunners of the official class. In 1923 Uffa Fox built his first 14-foot racer and by 1925 was creating designs for them. Fox introduced the first planing hull-equipped 14, named Avenger, in 1927.[11]

The International 14 is a racing sailing dinghy. Over time the hulls have mostly been built from wood, glassfibre and more recently, carbon fibre reinforced polymer, although under class rules any materials are permitted for the hull. Modern boats built to the current Bieker 6 rules typically have a fractional sloop rig with carbon fibre spars; a plumb stem and transom; a transom-hung, hydrofoil-equipped rudder controlled by a tiller with an extension and a retractable centreboard. Hiking racks are also fitted, along with fully-battened mainsails. Carbon fibre boats typically displace 154 lb (70 kg).[1][2][3][5]

The class was one of the first to allow a trapeze, adopted in 1938. A second trapeze was permitted starting in 1984, due to the large amount of sail carried on boats of that period. In 1996 the International version and the Australian models were merged into a single class.[1][2]

For sailing downwind the design may be equipped with an asymmetrical spinnaker, flown from a long carbon fibre bowsprit. The spinnaker size is unrestricted, but 344.45 sq ft (32.000 m2) is typical.[1][2]

The boat has a Royal Yachting Association Portsmouth Yardstick handicap of 780.[12]

Operational history

The design is supported by an active class club that organizes racing events, the International 14 Class Association. There are 14 active fleets sailing in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Japan, the UK and the US.[5]

Events
Main article: International 14 World Championships

Boats on display

See also

References
  1. McArthur, Bruce (2022). "International 14 sailboat". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 24 August 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  2. Sea Time Tech, LLC (2022). "International 14". sailboat.guide. Archived from the original on 24 August 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  3. Ovington Boats (2022). "International 14 Skiff". ovingtonboats.com. Archived from the original on 24 August 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  4. World Sailing (2022). "International 14". sailing.org. Archived from the original on 25 August 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  5. International 14 Class Association (2022). "GBR International 14 14 feet of carbon fibre and adrenaline". gbr.international14.org. Archived from the original on 15 December 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  6. McArthur, Bruce (2022). "Ovington Boats Ltd". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 24 July 2020. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  7. Sea Time Tech, LLC (2022). "Ovington Boats Ltd". sailboat.guide. Archived from the original on 24 August 2022. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  8. W. D. Schock Corp. "Boats built by W.D. Schock". wdschock.com. Archived from the original on 21 February 2010. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
  9. Composite Craft. "Delivering excellence in composite boats". compositecraft.co.uk. Archived from the original on 25 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  10. Canadian Dinghy Association. "Join The Fleet". i14.ca. Archived from the original on 25 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  11. National Maritime Museum (2020). "International 14 "Thunder and Lightning" – BAE0024". nmmc.co.uk. Archived from the original on 25 August 2022. Retrieved 25 August 2022.
  12. Royal Yachting Association. "Portsmouth Yardstick". rya.org.uk. Archived from the original on 25 April 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2022.
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