The International 14 development class has its roots in England and Australia. It is one of the oldest active dinghy classes, evolving into its present form over the last century. Reaching speeds up to 25 knots, recent I14s feature an ultra-light hull, an asymmetrical spinnaker, and trapezes for both skipper and crew. Carbon gust-response rigs are less prone to damage and foiling rudders combine upwind performance with downwind stability.
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Vang
The strut allows the vang to be mounted further forward on the boom, giving the crew more room and reducing forward gooseneck compression. It also partially isolates the mast from vang loads so the mast can remain straight even at full power.
Self-Tacking Jib
The self-tacking jib track is W-shaped to curve around the mast, allowing a jib that is larger than the forward triangle. With more sail area and overlapping sails, this system is great for light air and for powering up. Similar to the 49er, the main and jib sheet use a single line for easy access.
Shroud-Tension Adjusters
Rig and forestay tension are fully adjustable from the trapeze. Two 3:1 purchases work in a series to pull a cascaded belowdecks 8:1, resulting in a brawny 72:1 shroud tensioning system. The rake and shroud tension gauges are connected to allow exact measurement of shroud tension, even when the mast rake is changes.
Links:
International 14 Class
Howard Hamlin Speedteam Spotlight
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