The Fairey Marine International 14 in North America - 1952 to the 1960's - Part 2

Don McVittie, with wife Red as crew, top dog in the Seattle fleet in the late 1950's, in his Fairey MkVII

Early 1950's - After George O'Day imported the initial batch of Fairey MkI's in 1951, George didn't import many of the successive Marks, the II's, III's, or IV's over the next few years. Class records show a smattering of MkII's, III's and IV's. (I count seven, several of these may have been imported directly by their owners.) It was with the formation of the Chesapeake fleet in 1953 and the decision by the Rochester fleet to move on from the one-design Alarm hull, that jump started demand for new 14's. Starting in 1955, George O'Day would bring in approximately ten a year of the MarkV, VI, VII, and the VIII. These four Marks make up the bulk of the Fairey 14's that raced in North America.

Stuart Walker related his first encounter with the Fairey's. He showed up to the Buzzard Bay Bowl with his first 14, a USOD Alarm and, on seeing the fleet gathered on the lawn, before racing commenced, turned to his wife, Francis, and said, "Winning this regatta will be easy, look how sleek our 14 is compared to these blunter 14's." Stuart was to return home, suitably chastened, after the blunter Fairey's disappeared into the distance, racing in another gear down the planing reaches.

Stuart Walker, of the Chesapeake fleet, sailing his Fairey MkV, Joyeuse. Note the transom sheeting which was standard on the 1950's 14's. Joyesuse had a one-of-a-kind mini-step running full length, 1/2 way up the topsides. 

1956 - “George O’Day says that he has nine Mark VI’s left, two of which will probably be ordered to the Chesapeake shortly.” (Feb OTP)

Graham Hayward of the Royal St. Lawrence YC sailing his Fairey Mk VII. 

1957 - Montreal gets three new Fairey 14’s.  Transplanted Englishman Graeme Hayward, and Dave Johnson are the two top Montreal helms who get the MkVII's.

John Hsu, in his recollections, said the Fairey's were very expensive in Canada because of the import tax; which is odd given that Canada was part of the Commonwealth. One should mention the parochialism of the Canadian fleets. Each fleet seemed to be doing it's own thing in designs and hulls. (The Toronto fleets would stick with the Bourke design through the 1950's and then develop the Buller in the 1960's.) It wouldn't be until the PSI Kirby III appeared in 1968 that Canada would coalesce around one designer.

1957 - George O’Day and Marscot Plastics started molding some fiberglass Fairey Mk VII hulls for two classes, the International 14 and the new one-design Gannet (a decked over lower power 14). The first 30 Gannet’s would go to the Naval Academy for sail-training.

The International 14, with it's slightly heavier hull weight, low surface area, and round bilged hull form proved to be an excellent candidate for a competitive racing hull built in early fiberglass construction. Slightly later, Canadian Roger Hewson would build a one-off fiberglass 14 to his design and Bruce Kirby first design, the MkI , would come out only in fiberglass.

1958 - George O’Day buys Marscot Plastics from Palmer Scott. From then on, George O'Day would become the leading fiberglass manufacturer of sailing dinghies in North America.

1958 - 1958 marks the apogee of the Fairey 14’s in North America. George O’Day wins the Nationals at Alamitos Bay in a Fairey Mk VIII, Bacalao. Graeme Hayward wins CDA (Canadian Nationals) in a Fairey Mk VII (Dave Johnson second in another Fairey Mk VII). Dave Johnson wins the Buzzards Bowl.

1958 - The Newport Beach fleet gets six Marscot-O’Day shells. Leigh Brite and Ken Eldred work on putting the first two together and race in the 1958 Nationals. Leigh Brite and Eldred construction included the first reported use of epoxy resin in 14's, in this case used to bond fittings.

1959 - Roger Welsh bought George O’Day’s 1958 Nationals winning Fairey MkVIII in 1959. With US 603, Roger dominated Southern California Racing and was still winning with this hull in 1965.

1959 - Schock Marine of Southern California pulled a mold from a Fairey MkVII to produce some modified Fairey MkVII hulls beginning in 1960. Designated the Schock design, the bow was made finer and the transom wider.

In 1959 or 1960 - Ben Greene of Bakersfield California fleet pulls a mold off a Fairey MkVIII and produces six or seven Fairey MkVIII fiberglass shells to finish off. Not sure how many were finished. (OTP 62(.

The Fairey Marine International-14 in North America - Part 1 - 1949 to 1951

The interior of a Fairey MkI. Note the lack of buoyancy with the short side tanks and small bow tank. The English were very concerned post-war about the open character of the International 14 and rewarding seamanship in a breeze. A capsize put you out of the race.

This post was prompted by an online article on Fairey Marine, written by English dinghy historian, David Henshall. Fairey Marine, an English company known as Fairey Aviation during World War II, would pivot post war and produce a vast array of dinghies, built using the hot-molded autoclave method, most of them designed by Uffa Fox. They built International 14's, starting in 1949, and continued to bring out new Marks through the 1950's (approximately a new Mark every year), and these Fairey 14's were a major player in the history of the International 14 in North America. (As an aside, I started my 14 career crewing on a Fairey MkV, as a skinny teenager, before the trapezes came in.)

Fairey Marine 14 International 14 - Original Design

The Fairey 14 started life as an Uffa Fox ‘Martlet’ design which Stewart Morris had won the 1947, 1948, and the 1949 POW’s (K 507). However starting with the MkI from the Martlet mold, the Fairey dinghy brain trust  would continuously modify this design through 10 marks, with the Fairey MkX coming out around 1960.  The history is very hazy on who was responsible  for the modifications, but it is agreed that Charles Currey was the primary designer, and possibly Alan Vines and Alan Burnard also had some input. Even though the Fairey Marine International 14 is commonly attributed to Uffa Fox, if we want to be historically accurate, at some point, maybe starting with the Fairey MKIII, with the design sufficiently removed from the original, we should attribute the later Marks to Charles Currey.

1949 - Fairey Marine sends a Works Team to Barnstorm North America

Charles Currey and Tony Warrilow racing "Sunrise", a Fairey MkI, in Bermuda, the last leg of their 1949 North American tour (From Tom Vaughn's International 14 historical tome)

In what is probably the first known factory works team in the history of sailboat racing, Charles Currey with crew Tony Warrilow, in the original Fairey MkI, Sunrise, made a North American International 14 racing tour in the summer of 1949 (Montreal for the Canadian Championship, Essex, Connecticut for the Connecticut Cup, and Bermuda). Charles Currey won in all three regattas. (Not an overall win for the CDA but he did win the long distance race, the Viscount de Tunis Alexander cup.) His crew, Tony Warrilow, was described as a 'Tarzan' and the Fairey MkI was potent when power-reaching, going up against the older Douglas and McLeod Uffa Alarm  and the 1947 and 1949 Bourke's that made up the early post WWII fleet in North America. (This is pure speculation on my part but I wouldn't be surprised that government sponsorship was involved in this tour. The English government was very eager to get their war-ravaged economy back on it's feet, particularly looking to jump start exports to North America.)

1951 - George O'Day starts his famous boatbuilding company by importing Fairey Marine dinghies.

It would take two years but the Fairey Marine finally got their U.S. importer when George O’Day started his company, George O’Day and Associates, by importing Fairey Marine hot-molded dinghies, specifically the International 14, the Firefly, and the Jollyboat. Initially around ten Fairey MkI 14’s were purchased around the Boston area and a loosely connected New England fleet formed. George O'Day was to become a top competitor in the International 14's in the 1950's. (And would win the 1960 Olympic Gold Medal in the 5.5 class at the Naples Olympics.)

From these humble beginnings, as an importer of English hot-molded dinghies, George O'Day and Associates would morph into the largest fiberglass small boat manufacturer in the U.S. during 1960's.

"During this period it [George O'Day and Associates] was purportedly the largest builder of sailboats in the U.S. It employed 350 people, had 450 dealers, grossed $15 million a year, and sold more than 70,000 boats in all."[George O'Day by Dan Spurr, Good Old Boat, May 2002]

Whither the English Classic International 14 Scene?

English Classic 14 fleet launching at Blakeney. Chris Dunster's Proctor V, K 859, is the middle 14 with the low-I rig, 943 Distress is owned by Edward Allen, and  935 is Sea Witch sailed by James Vaughan. (Both KIV designs).

Brit Chris Dunster, who owns a Wyche and Coppock Proctor V, sends along this photo of four English Classic 14's and a short review of the English Classic 14 racing scene:

"Classics in the UK, when I first got involved, 1993, there were several Open Meetings around the country but now only Blakeney near me on the North Norfolk Coast and Rickmansworth near London, there are other events held for "Classic Dinghy Classes" but Allcomers rather than for a single class of boat."

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It turns out the Chris Dunster's Wyche and Coppock Proctor V is an ex-Jeremy Pudney 14 and was modified with a wider, flatter transom. Here is another English, all varnished, Wyche and Coppock Proctor V, circa mid-1960's.

"A Train" now up at Saratoga Lake Sailing Club

John Power of Connecticut, and head sailing instructor of Saratoga Lake Sailing Club, along with the news about his pickup of a Kirby III, also sends news that Bob Reeves' ex-Kirby IV, A Train, is now residing at Saratoga Lake Sailing Club. Saratoga Lake Sailing Club is embracing it's International 14 heritage and has picked up US 855 for use by their more talented juniors. Jim Biles of Annapolis, the owner of A Train for the last 30 years graciously donated the 14 to the sailing club. These are photos from 2018 of A Train sailing under a suit of more modern sails that had been kicking around the club.

Stuart Walker's Analysis of the Designs of the 1950's

International 14's rounding a mark in Annapolis; mid 1950's. US 580 is Walt Lawson of Annapolis, K583 is the famous Windsprite, which made it over to the U.S., US 596 is Cmdr Bob Empey of Annapolis, and US 578 is Stuart Walker.

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I reprint Stuart Walker’s International 14 design analysis covering the most popular designs of the 1950's, written in "On The Plane", January 1959

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No Int. 14 has been outclassed in the last 20 years...Given proper conditions any one of the presently raced designs may have its day.

US One-Design

This design by Sandy Douglas was taken from Uffa Fox’s 1935 Alarm. In light air the low wetted surface and fine lines are almost unbeatable. It is capable of beating the best of the new boats upwind in moderate conditions.

Charles Bourke - pre 1950

These narrow 14's are still leading at the windward mark under almost any conditions. Usually best sailed by heavyweights.

Charles Bourke - 1951, 1953, 1958

The usual top boats in North American regattas, outstanding upwind, particularly in a breeze, but excellent planers as well. They take heavy crews and because they are so often sailed by top helmsmen they are difficult to evaluate objectively.

Fairey MkI through MkIX

These are probably the best all round 14’s. Although they have been improved gradually over the past 10 years, they rarely (except in planing) seem distinctly superior. However, with crews of all weights, upwind and downwind, in light and heavy airs, they always stay with the best. For consistency in series scoring they are hard to beat.

Austin Farrar

Since the original Windsprite (editor's note: Windsprite, sailed by Bruce Banks and Keith Shackleton had won four POW's in the 1950's) days of 1950, these boats have been considered the world’s best 14’s to windward in a breeze. Two design improvements since the original have apparently improved the off-wind ability as well. They are generally considered heavy weather boats; fine deep forefoots and broad flat after sections.

Ian Proctor

Two designs by this outstanding British designer are now in active competition. They are certainly excellent boats to windward (1st 1957 Buzzards Bay Bowl) and the new design is extremely fast planing as well.

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Editors Note:

As he wrote this Stuart had made up his mind for his new I-14 hull. He may have already had it in hand as he wrote this article for he would introduce her in 1959. It would be a Farrar design, Salute, which he would skipper to a POW win.

KC-287: Restored and Then Destroyed

 Back in 2013, I received an email from a 16 year old Canadian who was restoring a 1960's International 14. That seemed somewhat odd. You don't often come across a teenager restoring a vintage racing dinghy... it's just not something that teenagers are into. She said it was a Grampian which indicated it would be a Buller II design. When I restarted up on this blog in September 2020, I sent out an email to some of the old contacts who mentioned they were restoring International 14's and I received one back from Nicole Armstrong-Smith, the teenager who was now a young adult.

"I did end up fully restoring the I14 – I’ve attached a .zip of photos to this email. It was a great high school project to do with my dad. I sold the boat in 2017 to another gentleman with a house on the lake in Port Dover, ON, Canada. Just a few weeks ago I saw a Kijiji advertisement with pictures of the boat saying he’s selling the masts, booms (I had 2 sets), sails, etc. because the boat hit the rocks and apparently there was nothing left of it. I shed a tear or two reading it..."

As you can see with the before and after photos, Nicole and her Dad did a superb job on bringing this Buller II back to pristine condition. What a shame that KC-287 no longer exists!

The Buller II had steps in the hull, both in forward and aft sections.

KC-287 in a new coat of red paint.

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Fred Buller was a renowned Canadian aeronautical engineer who was active in designing International 14's during the early 1960's. He added a lot to the history of the International 14 class and is worthy of a separate post later on.

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Update December, 2020: More details on KC287 from Canadian International 14 historian Rob Mazza:

"[KC] 287 was John Robertson's boat that he sailed in the 1967 team racing in England. He never liked the boat because he felt it had a hollow in it's run, which made it difficult to get on a plane! He sold the boat to the Grundland brothers at Queen City Yacht Club... It really is a shame that this great piece of 14 history was lost, especially having been so lovingly restored."

John Robertson racing KC287 in the 1967 POW, England

Best in Show: The Galvez's US 104 or US 107

Paul and Yvonne Galvez have been taking their real beauty in International 14 restorations, US 104, Lorelei, a cedar planked, probably an early post-WWII International 14 of mysterious origins, out and about in California. First stop was the modern 2018 International 14 Worlds in San Francisco where the West Coast rag, Latitude 38, named Lorelei the most photographed 14 at the regatta. A most amazing feat given the surfeit of all the new technology; carbon, mylar, racks, double trapezes, gathered at the World Championship.

And in 2019? Best in Show! From Paul's email;

"Last year, we also took her to the Newport Beach Annual Wooden Boat Festival where she received Best in Show. The same show was cancelled this year for obvious reasons but we look forward to next year."

Paul sends along some photos of the all-varnished beauty of  Lorelei on display at the International 14 Worlds in Richmond, California.

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Paul and Yvonne accepting the "Best in Show" award at the Newport Beach Annual Wooden Boat Festival.