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I14's at the Seattle Boat Show
Seattle Boat Show Features the History of the International 14
Fast racing boat part of One Design display planned for annual event
SEATTLE – An exhibit featuring the history and technology of one of the world’s most unique sailboats is being planned for the 2008 Seattle Boat Show, January 24 – February 2 at Qwest Field Event Center. The International 14 (I14) uses modern sailing technology, yet the boat has roots over 100 years old. The show display includes a classic mahogany I14, as well as the latest generation carbon fiber boat, and is part of a larger display highlighting “One Design” sail boats.
“Sailing is an important part of boating in the Northwest and a key component to the Seattle Boat Show,” says George Harris, boat show director. “With more than 50 sailboats planned indoors at Qwest Field Event Center and afloat on South Lake Union, there should be something for every sailor to see. The I14 display gives us an opportunity to showcase a special segment of sailing.”
Sailors in the local I14 fleet are organizing the show display.
“The International 14 is a boat that may surprise you,” says Ken Hey, Seattle I14 fleet captain. “It is a sail boat, but can be as fast as a waterski. The people who sail them are definitely adrenaline junkies, but most are not the profile you might expect.”
Other boats included in the One Design exhibit include a J24, an Etchells and a Thistle.
About the I14
The I14 has thrived over the decades by having a few simple rules, such as the length and sail area, but encouraging rapid evolution. This may be as far from one-design as you can get while still calling it the same boat, but it has fueled innovation and continued energy in the fleet. The boat is completely carbon fiber, utilizes the latest America’s Cup technologies and is the breeding ground for new sailing innovations. The boat is 14 ft long, 164 lbs, uses a crew of 2 on trapeze, and has 550 sq ft of sail (which is comparable sail area to a 3,100 lb J24). To compare to a familiar dingy, a Laser is 13.1 ft, 130 lbs with 76 ft of sail.
Top speeds have been clocked with a radar gun at 26 knots (30mph). The boat can sail faster than the wind and starts planing in less than 7 knots of wind at all points of sail. The light air performance makes this boat ideal for the typical wind conditions in Seattle of 5-15 knots.
The boat uses a unique rudder with a 5 ft controllable wing foil, which acts like an elevator on an airplane, and creates a lifting hydro-foiling effect at high speed. Some boats control the rudder foil by twisting the 7 ft tiller extension. The asymmetrical spinnaker uses a retractable pole and is easily launched from a sock in the fore section.
Every boat is unique, which makes regattas interesting at the dock as well as on the water. Each boat is semi-custom, starting from the latest hull shape mold, such as the Bieker 5, and outfitted to the desire of the owner. Most sailors start by buying a used boat in partnership with their crew for about $9000, and may eventually step up to a new boat for about $35,000. Like golf, the equipment is not overly important to performance compared to skill.
The I14 History
The early history of the I14 began in Australia 100 years ago, when locals were competing to offload cargo from ships that entered the harbor. The first ones to the ship got the business, which encouraged the development of an over-powered, lightweight, high-speed sailing dinghy.
The formal I14 class was founded in England 75 years ago, and was one of the very first classes of sailing dinghies. Trapezes were tried first in the 1930’s, and the boats evolved from mahogany to fiberglass to carbon over the next decades. Fleets are found around the world, especially along the west coast, Canada, Australia, and Europe.
The Seattle Fleet began 60 years ago at Leschi on Lake Washington, and moved to Shilshole in 1967. The fleet owns their own docks at the Shilshole marina, which enables boats to be stored fully rigged and quickly launched . Most of the sailing is done during informal Thursday night races and four local weekend regattas, but some sailors participate in regattas along the west coast, as well as exotic destinations worldwide. The 2007 National Championships were held at Shilshole this past October, with winds topping 30 knots.
The I14 Sailors
The unique aspects of the I14 have attracted a unique and diverse group of sailors. Instead of just professionals, the fleet has attracted a wide range sailors including architects, attorneys, CEO’s, and engineers. Most fleet members are in their 30’s and 40’s, with young families. Experience ranges from new skiff sailors to world champions. In fact, the top 3 positions at the National Championships this year were all Seattle sailors. The Seattle fleet is also fortunate to have the leading designer of the I14’s, Paul Bieker. Paul has been a key designer for the Oracle America’s Cup campaign for the last several years, and has transferred technology between I14’s and AC boats. The I14 fleet members love talking about their boats, and like sharing tips with others. New members are welcomed and coached by all. This collaboration has kept the Seattle fleet one of the leading fleets worldwide.
About the Seattle Boat Show
The 61st Annual Seattle Boat Show, Thursday, January 24 – Saturday, February 2, features more than 1,000 boats – including fishing boats, inboard cruisers, runabouts, kayaks, sailboats and inflatables – hundreds of accessories, the latest high-tech innovations, and hundreds of hours of seminars at Qwest Field Event Center plus 200 world-class boats in their natural habitat at Chandler’s Cove on South Lake Union. A free shuttle runs continuously between both locations. The Seattle Boat Show is presented by GMC. Ace Marine Insurance is an official sponsor of the show.
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Turkey Bowl 2007 Results
The official results of the Turkey Bowl have been posted.
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14s at the Seattle Boat Show
The Seattle I-14 Fleet is going to have a flagship booth in the Seattle Boat Show's One Design Sailing Showcase! Our booth will be highlighting both the history and current state of the art in 14 sailing and will display both a beautiful vintage mahogany I-14 (Andrew M's boat from LA) and a current B5. Details are still in development at this time but include trapeze demonstrations and streaming video. J-24s, Etchells, Thistles and Lasers among others will also be involved in the one design showcase.
A big thanks to General Hey for setting this up. Apparently he has incriminating pictures of the organizers because they have given us pretty much everything we asked for... as much space as we need in a location with great visibility, free booth/canopies etc. etc...
To make this event a success the fleet needs your help. Of course this is not much like work and is really more like giving you free tickets to the Boat Show and the opportunity to BS about International 14s... We will need to ask everyone to sign up for at least two shifts, starting with the high priority shifts.
We have 21 members, several alumni and 20 shifts, so we should have a good shot at full coverage. Please contact Jeff Oaklief to sign up for a timeslot.
The address and hours for the event are:
Qwest Field Event Center, 800 Occidental Avenue South, Seattle
WEEKDAYS: Noon - 8 pm
SATURDAYS: 10-8 pm
SUNDAY: 10-6 pm
Note that the show consists of 7 weekdays and 3 weekend days. Details of the show can be found at http://www.seattleboatshow.com/
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Turkey Bowl 2007 Details
TURKEY BOWL
REGISTRATION: Submit a completed registration form and pay the appropriate fee to the CYC office at least three days prior to the first race entered. A $20 late fee will be added to registrations received after close of business on the Wednesday prior to the event. Registration will also be available between 0900 and 1000 on Saturday in the CYC Shilshole Clubhouse.
ELIGIBILITY: 49er, I-14, Etchell, Star, Tasar, Laser, Opti, and other one-design dinghy or small keelboat fleets with five or more registered boats.
CHECK-IN: The race committee would like all boats to sail by the race committee boat before racing.
FIRST WARNING: 1200 on Saturday, 1100 on Sunday. No race will start after 1600.
STARTING AREA: In the vicinity of the Shilshole breakwater.
TIME LIMIT: The time limit will be two hours for each boat in the class. This changes RRS rule 35.
AWARDS: First, second and third place trophies will be awarded for each class. Awards will be presented at the clubhouse following racing on Sunday.
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More Canadian Perspective
Another write-up of the Nationals from the Canadian perspective. Carnage!
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The Canadian Perspective
Sailing Anarchy has an article on the Canadian perspective on the recent 2007 US Nationals.
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2007-8 Goals, Tactics and Responsibilities posted
Fleet Captain Ken has compiled a list of the fleet goals, tactics for achieving them, and who is signed up to do what so far.
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Race Report for the 2007 Nationals
Race report:
I-14 US Nationals
A Celebration of the Seattle I-14 Fleet's 60th Anniversary
October 5 - 7 2007
Corinthian Yacht Club, Shilshole Bay, Seattle, Washington
Sponsored by:
Helly Hansen, Ronstan, Fisheries Supply and ProSail
Twenty-one I-14s showed up for the 2007 US nationals - an excellent turnout considering that half a dozen boats were delayed on the way back from summer racing in Britain. Fortunately several of the sailors with boats held hostage in the container were able to salvage things by borrowing /chartering boats from west coast fleets. Teams came from as far away as San Diego, Newport RI and Alberta Canada. This moment was a watershed event for Seattle's burgeoning fleet since it marked 20 years from the last time an I14 Nationals had been held off of Shilshole. The last time that had happened it was in celebration of the 40th anniversary of the fleet!
The Friday blow-by-blow...
A cold grey northerly greeted the 14ers for Friday's racing. Dock conversation from participants were along the lines of "cold, cold, &'@#*! cold", and "...showed up in the morning to rig - had a fuzzy hat, big coat, and a polo shirt - not enough..." Just a hint... those comments were not from the Canadians!
The first race was off at 1:00 PM in about 12kts of breeze, with a double windward leeward, and was won by the team of Bundy and Hansler in 1163. The next race was the traditional 15-mile Long Distance race - which is for the President's trophy and cannot be shortened. The sun was coming out for this race -but the wind was dying. The race got off in about an 8kt breeze and the wind died from there. The course was to a inflatable buoy about 5 miles to windward - then back about 8 miles to a govt. mark, then up by the harbor, then a downwind finish. This race was won by Bundy & Hansler, and seemed to set a pattern that would last for the regatta. Only Bundy & Hansler and a few more made around the govt. mark before the wind died and the tide turned foul, leaving the rest of us out there for a few more painful hours only to be towed home about sunset.
Friday night was the Heritage Dinner at the club, with old 14ers coming out of the woodwork to reminisce, and tell stories about the old days in the 14s when the boats were wood and the men were steel - a great time was had by all as the Seattle fleet looked back to it's roots with Baird Baridison, Larry Craig, Roy Stubbs, Larry and Toby Craig, Glen Moore, Dennis Williams, Ken Monoghan, Eric Arens, Alan Laflin, and John Hyde.
The Saturday blow-by-blow...
Saturday started cool, sunny, and windy from the south. Dock conversation from the participants were along the same lines as Friday, except for the added comments about the high winds... "Saturday I wore two shirts, a vest and a heavy jacket, and a fuzzy hat for the land work, and I went to Fisheries Supply and bought a thick fleece to wear under the dry-top & wetsuit for sailing - I was still chilly, but it was better." Also heard was "We came in after our 15th or so capsize before the first start... Those 2 sail reaches in 20 knots to and from the course are, well, scary!"
Three races were held for the 14s in a blustery southerly with vary large lump, with wind over tide. The wind was in the 18 kt range for most of the day, except for the last race when a squall blew thru and caused some carnage - notably sending several top crews swimming, and breaking two of the three Canadian boat's masts.
The Sunday blow-by-blow...
Sunday dawned grey and showery with still more southerly breeze. The weather forecast was scary, but the day ended up just fine - the wind was a little left so it was very flat - fun sailing in a 14. Still more tales from the dock... "Downwind and running up the transom of a 505 was a little stressful at mach speed. However, we probably enjoyed our view better the 505 guys looking back at us". Also heard was "Jibed for the first bottom mark - then a big gust blew the fleet way below the mark - the boat went very fast - then faster still -the headstay got very loose - then another gust came and I said "nope - that's it" in a very high pitched squeaky voice, and I dropped the sheet to flag the kite, and went in to recover the kite.
Four more assorted windward leeward races were gotten off for a total of 9 races for the regatta. The 18 kts breeze held for the first three races, but the southerly came in hard for the last race capping a great regatta.
CYC's Bundy and Hansler won three of the last four races, cementing a well won championship.
Second was CYC's Goodson and Dericks who took the place on a tiebreaker from Archie Massey sailing for ISC, and hailing from San Francisco, sailing with local sailor Jen Glass (Morgan).
The regatta ended with an awards ceremony where there were loads of great keeper trophies, thanks to regatta sponsors Helly Hansen, Ronstan, ProSail and Fisheries Supply. The traveling sailors packed up the boats in the rain - including the California sailors with the 6 boat (six!) trailer, and all decided that it had been a great event, and perhaps the fleet should return sooner than the next 20 years and the 80th anniversary of the Seattle I14 fleet!
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Official 2007 Nationals Results Posted
The official CYC results from the 2007 Nationals have been posted.
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2007 Nationals Photography
Dennis Williams has posted his photographs from the 2007 Nationals in Seattle.
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2007-8 Schedule posted
A draft 2007-2008 event schedule has been posted.
A lot of dates for 2008 have not yet been set by the organizers. Therefore, many of these are projected dates based on past history. Once the schedules come out this schedule will be updated.
