Dr. Brad has been a long time fixture of the fleet, with a deep knowledge of the class past and present.
What is your roll on the board. Where do you sail out of?
-Southern California Governor. Represent and present SoCal interests and ideas to the board and communicate with the SoCal fleet. I sail out off San Diego Yacht Club
How long have you been sailing/ sailing 14s?
-I grew up on the Great Lakes in a small sailing town on Lake Erie. Started sailing as a small child with my mom off our beach on small dinghies and then Hobie 14s, 16s and 18s close to 60 yrs ago. Then moved up to sailing MORC, IOR and early one design Keel Boats (Tartan 10s) on Lake Erie. The small town I was from is where the first Thistle was built by Sandy Douglas who took the Uffa Fox lines from the famous ‘Alarm’ and blew the hull up to 17’. A Thistle is what old 14s looked like. I also sailed Jet 14s as a kid, which were an early fiberglass 1960s 14 hull with a Snipe rig in it, but also had small kites. It is a two person hiking boat which was great fun. The Thistle and Jet 14 sailing lead to my looking into International 14s later in life. The 14 History was a big reason for getting involved with the fleet initially as some of the names on the US and International trophies are a who’s who in sailing history. My first 14 was purchased in 1996, after finishing med school. I spent $1000 on an old rules (pre 1996 amalgamation with Aussie/Kiwi boats) boat that I bought from Ernie at Bozo Boat works. I told myself; if I’m still having fun, and when the boat slows me down (not me slowing the boat down) I’ll get another better boat. I’m now on my 7th boat. I cheated some as I’m still slowing the boats down!
What is it about 14s that got you into the class and what keeps you sailing them?
-The International 14 is the Oldest internationally recognized dinghy class in the world. The history of this class is a history lesson in sailing. These boats always have been and remain one of the most difficult and rewarding boats to sail. The class is well over 100 years old and still leading the way in technology and innovations. People often ask when are you going to foil like the Moths? 14s were foiling within months of the Moths. We decided as a class to not go down that road at that time as it would just become a two person Moth. The kites would go away and the boats were already challenging enough to sail. I also hear people say that skiffs are not tactical, my answer is that they are very tactical, but your boat handling just isn’t good enough yet for you to play!
Biggest achievement in the fleet?
-Tough one. I’m certainly proud to have won 3 US Nationals titles, 3 Pac Rims and several other West Coast events over the years. My best Worlds finish was 11th at 2013 Toronto Worlds, always happy to make the top 20. But probably happier/prouder to have introduced and brought several great sailors into the fleet who have gone on to great sailing careers in the 14 class as well as in other sailing classes. I really enjoy seeing the new sailors light up when they sail 14s. The boats certainly aren’t for everyone, but if you are willing to work hard and put away your ego, they are one of the most rewarding boats in the world to sail! I’ve been fortunate enough to take my skiff knowledge to offshore events and sailing locations around the world in other classes and boats from 70s, to 52s, to 100 footers, but most love coming back to the 14!
Personal goals for the class for the future?
-I suppose just trying to continue to introduce sailors to the boats and enjoy watching them grow and improve in the 14 as well as overall sailing.
Any other 14 related anecdotes?
-I sometimes tell a story from years ago when I was sailing offshore on a 52 with 3-4 other 14 sailors and a bunch of pros. It was really amazing to watch all the skiff guys standing on deck trimming kites and sails, A small puff would come through and all the skiff sailors simultaneously/automatically take a step to the left for weight. All the Pros just sat in the same spot and didn’t move. Did it make a difference? Maybe, maybe not, but it did show how in tune the skiff sailors were to slight pressure changes, heel and importance of movement and how that translates into speed and boat handling. Also fun to see who is driving the AC, and GP yachts over the last several years – Huge percentage skiff sailors!