"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.

Stradivarius Gets Out This Summer

Doug Lupe sends along some photos of Stradivarius, his Kirby IV out in this summer of Covid-19. Doug was sailing with his daughters, alternating who got to be the trapeze hand.

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Stradivarius has quite a pedigree. She was the 14 that Steve Toschi and Dave Klipfel used in winning the 1975 POW, the second American to do so. It was the 14 I had my most success in, when I was teamed up with Bill Moss in the early 1980's. It is good to see the old girl, US 960, still going strong. She brings back many memories.

Here's a small, grainy photo of Bill and I taking Stradivarius down a spinnaker reach, probably 1980.

Stradivarius Sails Again!

Stradivarius was the name of the International 14 that Bill Moss and I campaigned in 1980 and 1981. It was an McCutcheon built (Isle of Wight) beautifully cold molded in mahogony, a Kirby IV design that Bill bought from West Coast hot shot Steve Toschi, who, if I remember correctly, won a POW in her. US 960 was her number and she was a good craft and, as she had done for all her crews, treated Bill and I well.

I got a call from fellow old 14'er Tom Price that he and Doug Lupe (Stradivarius's current owner) were going to bring her to the light of day after  being garaged for twenty five or so years and race her in a pursuit race for Classic Wooden boats sponsored  by the National Sailing Hall of Fame. Mid-day on a Saturday I was off Trident Point on the U.S. Naval Academy grounds with one of my not-so-fancy cameras to record for posterity the re-splashing of a once top of the line International 14 and now definitely a Classic. Stradivarius sports a full battened main which became class legal in 1982, 1983 time frame but still has the single trapeze and the symmetrical spinnaker which Bill and I raced with.

Tom and Doug were able to win the Dayboat division but not without some tense moments with the 1860's reproduction Sandbagger at the finish.

Three photos of Tom and Doug in the "Strad". The craft in the background of the first photo is the Herreshoff 25 which was competing in the Cruising division.

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Stradivarius sailing in the summer of Covid-19.


Coincidentally, that same weekend, Bill invited me and former I-14 World Champion John Gallagher (and wives, girlfriends) over to dinner on Friday night and on Saturday morning, I ran into Jim Biles, who owns the other Classic 14 in Annapolis, another McCutcheon 14, in front of West Marine where we chatted for 15 or so minutes.

Bob Reeves bombing around under spinnaker

Most of what I have in the photo archives are of the Annapolis International 14 fleet, understandably, since I live in Annapolis and sailed with the Annapolis fleet. Bob Reeves, with wife Peggy as crew, was one of the top Annapolis 14 sailors from the mid 60's through the 70's. Here is a series of photos of Bob and Peggy sailing their Kirby IV under spinnaker (I'm guessing early 1970's as it looks like Peggy is wearing a trapeze harness). Photos taken by Ellie Martin. (Click in the photo to get a larger format and to start a slideshow.)

Bob and Peggy perfectly in control.

Bob and Peggy perfectly in control.

Oops! Bob and Peggy not in control.