Blast reaching at the 2008 US Nationals. Photo courtesy Pacific Fog.
The International 14 (I14) is a lightweight doublehanded double-trapeze dinghy that today is characterized by its unusually large sail area. Originating in England early in the last century, it represented the collective best traits of contemporary British 14-foot boats. Given the inevitable debate surrounding sailors' preferences among these traits, the I14 remains a development class. In the 1920s the boat became one of the first one-design classes and came to North America by way of Canada, where 14-foot racing had been popular since the end of the nineteenth century. The boat remains popular in Canada and is represented in the U.S. on the East and West Coasts, with a strong fleet in Seattle. The boat is sailed with an asymmetric spinnaker of unlimited size on a retractable sprit. New developments on this ultralight boat include hydrofoil rudders and carbon rigs. The i14 is an International Sailing Federation (ISAF) International Centreboard Class Association. For more information, read the i14 Wikipedia article.