B14 History & Information
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The boat is built for racing and possesses a power to weight ratio technically far superior than any other boats in this category. The B14 commands great acceleration and stability in high winds. The clean features, light weight loads of the B14 puts sailing expertise at the forefront and leaves 'brut' force for the heavier boats. Due to the methods applied in the construction of the boat, it is highly resilient to high performance racing, and hence has a low maintenance cost.
The boat's performance is indisputable and its design can only be described as innovative. A craft that is respected for its speed, agility and finesse. It is easy to sail but is technically challenging to race well.
Classes are established around the world where
the B14 currently provides close racing where women represent 10% of the
class. Because of the light loads and the emphasis on technique rather
than power, women excel in this class. Since the B14 uses hiking racks,
the differential in righting moment over weight, which does effect performance,
is significantly reduced between
short and tall people as compared to trapezing.
As was discovered during the prototyping of the B14, and now globally accepted
in this type of boat, crew weight (within a very broad range) is significantly
less of a factor than with other heavier boats. Again, because the boat
is twin hiking, the usual requirement of 'larger person on the wire, smaller
person on the helm' does
not apply.
The B14 has proven to be popular with the new breed of sailors who are looking for the thrills of 18 ft skiff sailing at a low cost.
The B14, irrespective of crew weight, is all about subtlety, agility, grace, finesse, elegance, rhythm and balance.
In the initial development of the boat a weight equalisation system was used. This however was proven to be of no benefit.
In 1987 the B14 was launched in Australia. Since then fleets have also grown in Japan and Hong Kong. In 1993 Rondar Raceboats Ltd launched the B14 into Europe. There are now fleets in most European countries.
As the boat has had a maturing period in which a limited number of improvements have been made to the boat and the construction methods, there is now little room for specification changes which would enhance performance.
There is no strong marketing machine behind the B14. The Designer and Boat Builders have relied on the quality and characteristics of the boat to help build and promote the class. This helps to keep the retail cost to a minimum. The B14's main promotional activity is through exposure at events, training and demonstrations, and Dinghy Shows.
1996 will see the meeting of the Northern and Southern hemispheres when a number of European sailors will make the trip to Sydney in December to compete in the AustralAsian Championships.
The B14 Class Associations of the world are in the process of developing a strong and unified infrastructure to promote the class, with the aim of achieving International Status.
With more and more markets maturing to the level required for a successful B14 fleet to establish, the future looks bright. Since, in skiff sailing terms, the Australians are approximately 5 to 10 years ahead of the rest-of-the-world and the boat is still respected and is popular as ever there, this indicates that the B14 will have a long and successful career.
The positive steering and directional stability
in high winds are impressive and this makes it easy to sail both upwind
and downwind. A fully battened main and a large genoa produces exhilarating
speed to windward, this is dramatically boosted by the easy to handle asymmetric
spinnaker off the wind. The mast features a glass fibre top section to
both reduce weight and
to offer outstanding flexibility in strong winds,
thus providing perfect gust response. The extended wings allow the crew
to drive the boat with greater control and balance, while the asymmetric
spinnaker, set from a retractable bowsprit, makes gibing easy, encouraging
downwind tacking in any condition.
Easily managed on shore, the B14 can be easily carried to and from the water by three people and can be towed or carried on a roof rack. The detachable wings fit neatly on the deck.
The B14 is very stable in heavy winds due to the wide rack configuration which allows the crew to drive the boat fast. It is very simple to rig and to transport and has the added value of beating most boats on the water. This is a truly exciting 'One Design' concept that has lead the revolution to dinghy high performance sailing.
Both women and men find the boat challenging and exciting to sail. It is a boat that can be learned to sail quickly and easily but requires a considerable amount of technique to sail at top level. This enhances the class whereby beginners can acquire skills by competing with those at advanced levels. Most owners of the B14 love their boat and did not buy due to media and marketing pressure, but for the boat itself. The B14 is a pure adrenaline racing machine, but is also a boat that people enjoy sailing.
It possesses the acceleration of an 18ft Skiff, but at a fraction of the cost.
The simplicity of the design can be deceiving,
it has taken years of development to create a high performance boat with
a streamline rig and clean look. Julian has developed a fast boat for the
highly skilled, but robust enough for the new comer. A boat suitable for
both men and women to
compete at the same level technically.
The B14 has proven that it is a sturdy boat of long lasting construction which has been tried and tested for many years. The standard and quality of the materials used are of the best attainable.
The B14 is currently produced in three continents. Australia, Europe and North America. The B14 uses widely available materials and each builder now operates a comprehensive list of agents.
Starboard Products Pty Ltd.
2 Waine Street
Harbord,
NSW 2096
Australia.
Tel. 61 (0)2 99386003
Fax. 61 (0)2 99384723
Alvis Marine Ltd
Unit 104,
80 Orwell Street,
North Vancouver, DC V7J 3R5
Canada.
The foils are light weight with flexibility to match the gust response of the mast. They are designed for low drag for down-wind performance and up-wind pointing ability.
The asymmetrical spinnaker is flown from the end of the short retractable bowsprit and from just above the cap shroud spreaders. The narrow asymmetrical together with the light weight hull ensures extremely light sheeting loads. The five battened, roachy main can be reefed in winds of over 20 knots without affecting performance, and allows lighter crews easier control. A simple zipped luff jib with minimal over lap ensures increased pointing in planing conditions.
The ends of the wings simply slot into pins mounted in the centre of the hull and the transverse beams drop into recesses in the gunwale where they are firmly pinned. The bowsprit inserts simply into an outer tube embedded in the hull itself.
To make the boat competitive in adverse weather conditions a storm rig has been developed. The name of this rig is called the 'Sprint' rig. This 'Sprint' rig has the added purpose to suit early teenagers, lighter weight parent and child combinations in normal club racing.
The 'Sprint' allows non experienced sailors to train and acquire the skills needed for high performance racing, and also allows experienced sailors to compete in conditions that they would not otherwise consider.
The hull and rig are all 'One Design' so construction is to an exact specification, and the design incorporates an open transom for rapid draining.
For the cost, in relation to speed and sailing technique acquired from mastering a boat such as the B14, there is nothing as comparative on the market. The boat represents value for money. It is light, the loads are light and there is no need for a weight equalisation system to allow a wide range of weights to sail. Both heavy weights and light weights can compete at the same level were technique and sailing expertise become the main criteria.
Weight 64Kg 141.09 lbs
Lenght Water Line 4.25 meters 13.95 Feet
Length with Bowsprit extended 6.00 meters 19.68
Feet
Beam without Racks 1.67 meters 5.48 Feet
Beam with Racks 3.18 meters 10.43 Feet
Main Sail Area 12.0 sq meters 129.16 sq Feet
Jib Area 5.2 sq meters 53.82 sq Feet
Asymmetrical Area 29.2 sq meters 312.15 sq Feet
Total Sail Area 46.4 sq Feet 495.14 sq Feet