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.

Ladies Aids

I mentioned in the post about the 1969 Kingston CORK regatta, the use of "ladies aids" in the pre-trapeze era; hiking aids that were essentially aluminum tubes you hung out from when hiking out. They seemed most popular with Stuart Walker and Sinjin Martin of the Annapolis fleet. I started crewing with Sinjin Martin as a teenager and remember hiking for all I was worth, hanging from one of those tubes, in the mid-60's.

I asked Sinjin about who invented them. He wasn't sure but he did say they were around at the very beginning of the Annapolis fleet, the mid 1950's. Back then they were steel conduit, attached to a track on the gunwhales, with a wire running from the conduit tube down to the centerline. The later versions were aluminum tube slotted into a slightly larger aluminum tube.

A photo of Stuart and Sinjin, full-on, hanging from the "Ladies Aids". This was the 1967 POW at Cowes.

Bekens of Cowes

Apologies for the non-PC term "Ladies Aids" but this was the 1950's and 1960's. The guy crews used them as much or more than the lady crews.

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.

"On The Plane" cover artwork 1958 to 1967

This is the cover of "On The Plane" U.S. International 14 newsletter that Stuart Walker edited from about 1958 to 1967. Art work by the local Annapolis artist, David Q. Scott, it depicts a bird eyes view of three International 14's planing. A great pen and ink drawing.

David Q. Scott

Cover of Yachting magazine - October 1960

This cover from Yachting magazine comes from Stuart Walker via Tom Price, including a historical anecdote from Stuart.

"Great picture - I am almost certain that it is George O'Day holding both the mainsheet and the spinnaker guy - his standard pose. He once told a crew - "The only reason you are here is because the rules require it. Stay out of my way!"

"Daring" - US 800 Re-Surfaces - Hmm! Maybe Not?

Mike Scott, from the Pacific Northwest, has been on a roll recently. He has picked up two International 14's. The first appears to be Stuart Walker's Souter Mk I, US 800, the I-14 featured in many of the photos of Stuart racing his International 14.

Tom Price talked to Stuart, showed him the photos, and

Stuart doesn't believe this is Daring (even though it 

has sails with the US 800 number. It could possibly be 

US 791, an earlier Casson that was owned by Robert Savage

of Balboa California, imported in 1965.

The Souter designs were very comparable in speed to the Kirby's during the single trapeze days, being a favorite design on the Chesapeake, as the very fine bow was able to superbly handle the random bobble off Annapolis. Mike Souter, operating a boat building operation out of the Isle of Wight, was a master at cold-molding the 14 hulls, although I don't believe he did that many - Bill McCutcheon becoming the main English builder of cold-molded hulls.

Mike Scott sends some pictures along of his acquisitiion. This 14 definitely has the distinctinve high knuckle/chine up forward of the Souter and the typical Uffa-type deep rocker under the mast. The hull is now painted a orange/red.

Here is a photo of Stuart Walker's US 800, "Daring" taken when Stuart took delivery of her outside Souter's boat building shed during the 1960's.

1958 USIFA Roster

One of the first things Stuart Walker did when he started the class newsletter 'On The Plane' in 1958 was compile a class roster. Good thing he did, as his roster is the best historical snapshot we have at who owned what 14 in 1958. I've redone the roster as a PDF file.

International 14 team from long ago get back together

Dr. Stuart Walker and his old International 14 crew, St. John Martin, got back together this Jan 1 2012, racing Stuart's Soling in the Severn Sailing Association's Ice Bowl.

Earwigoagin has the story over here.

Stuart Walker History Part 2

Part 2 of Stuart Walkers 1962 article on the history of International 14's.

(Again, click on the top right arrow icon to get a window to read the article.)

Stuart Walker History Article Part 1

In April 1962, Annapolitan Stuart Walker, famous sailboat racer and sailing writer/book author, wrote a two part series on International 14 history for the One-Design and Offshore Yachtsman magazine (now Sailing World). I saw Stuart Walker two weeks ago (now in his mid 80's) accepting the 2011 Soling fleet championship award at Severn Sailing Association.

Here is Part 1 (Click on the arrow-in-a-box icon on the top right corner of the article to open in another window to facilitate reading) :