The 1969 CDA and International Team Races: The Transition Regattas

The 1969 International Team Races and the 1969 CDA, both held in Kingston, Ontario Canada, was a watermark event in the International 14 class.

The International 14 class came late to the trapeze. For the post-WWII years, through the 1950's and 1960's, the 14 was a two man hiking boat even though most of the other crewed performance dinghies of that era; the Flying Dutchman, the 505, the Fireball, had already quickly adopted the trapeze. In 1969, the single trapeze was allowed on a trial basis at the Canadian National Championships (CDA), held at the CORK regatta. It obviously made an impression as during the CDA regatta, the International 14 World Council approved the single trapeze, beginning with the 1970 season forward. This set up a very rare situation. The International Team Races, ran the week before CDA had remained a hiking only competition. The 1969 Team Races and the 1969 CDA were to be the old and the new; a transition compressed over two weeks.

I have some grainy photos of the old; the International Team Races held before the CDA, the hiking only event. These feature the U.S. East Coast team taking on Canada. I can identify the U.S. numbers but unfortunately not all the Canadian ones, KC 349, KC 353, and KC 334. I do know at least three of the Canadian skippers; Graeme Hayward, Harry Jemmet, and Andre Julian

US-851 is Sinjin Martin (KIII)

Graeme Hayward KC-354. One thing that is noticeable is the sideways bend of masts for the hiking International 14's. This would go away with the addition of the trapeze.

Frank and Judy Lawson in US-802 leading Graeme Hayward, KC 354.

Stuart Walker and Lev Huntington in US-848 (Kirby IV) covering Graeme Hayward.

US-802 Frank and Judy Lawson (Souter-Casson)

Stuart Walker and Lev Huntington using "Ladies Aids" for extra power upwind.

Bob Reeves and Ted Spivey; US855 (Kirby IV)

A stern shot of US855 going upwind

The trapeze finally arrives on the International 14

The English would dominate the International Team Races, winning all the races. Jeremy Pudney, the English maestro, would win the CDA, the first 14 regatta with a trapeze.

1969 was also a transition year for some of the old guard. 1969 would be the last International event for Stuart Walker. He would win the International 14 U.S. Nationals that year at Saratoga Lake but he was already taking up racing the Soling, a class he would remain in for the rest of his life. Bruce Kirby, who had released his iconic International 14 designs, the KIV and KV, the previous two years, borrowed Stuart Walker's International 14 for the CDA. He was working in Chicago as a sailing journalist and would pop into 14 regattas occasionally in the 1970's.