I14USA

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Month: December 2025

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Meet the Board

Class Measurer

Mikey is our Chief Class Measurer, sail maker, and runs our social media accounts. He has been a dedicated member of the class for some time now!
What is your roll on the board. Where do you sail out of?
-My roll on the board is i14 USA Class Measurer. I make sure everyone is playing by the rules and have up to date measurement certs. I sail out of Santa Cruz/SF Bay
How long have you been sailing/ sailing 14s?
-I started sailing when I was 11 in Lasers. When I 14 I was handed a trapeze harness and taken out on a 18ft skiff. I was instantly obsessed and only wanted to sail skiffs. I quit sailing lasers and started sailing 29ers and International Canoes. The next summer, just from being at Richmond Yacht Club all the time, I got taken out on a 14 and a whole new world of skiff sailing was thrown at me. I knew after that first sail I was in it for life.
What is it about 14s that got you into the class and what keeps you sailing them?
-What drew me into the 14s was how cool and technically advanced they are. The class has always been on the cutting edge of technology. After sailing 29ers, 49ers, and 18 foot skiffs, I can say 14s just always impressed me with the balance between technology and skill that it takes to sail these boats at the highest level. 14s require a finesse that other skiff classes don’t have. The fact that the 14s are a developmental class means that you can think outside the box and develop every aspect of the boat. Now that I am designing and building the sails for the boat, I feel very part of that class development. There are a lot of very smart folks in this class and getting to swap ideas with them and nerd out on all the little carbon bits, foils, rigs, and sails is just so cool. A big draw to this fleet is that there still is a strong core of DIY to it that a lot of other developmental classes are losing. And all of that development means you end up with an impressively fast boat, both upwind and down.
Biggest achievement in the fleet?
-Finishing in the top 10 at Richmond Yacht Club Worlds and Winning Nationals at the Gorge are definitely my biggest sailing achievements in the class. But getting to do that with sails that I designed and built, while sailing with my best friend, and having a hell of a good time, might be the best part.
Personal goals for the class for the future?
-Obviously winning a Worlds is up there, but I also want to help get the USA fleet up in the rankings. The Brits and Aussies have been so dominant in the fleet and so much of that has to do with the amount of fleet participation they have. They race and train together a lot more than we do. I want to get the fleet to work together more on development and practice more. The only way we do better at Worlds is if we do it together. I also want to help build our numbers and get those who show any interest in the fleet into boats. There really isn’t a better skiff fleet to be part of. And yes, selfishly I would love to have more folks ordering sails from me, it only helps the development of my designs.
Any other 14 related anecdotes?
-I really mean it when I say there isn’t a better skiff fleet out there. Not only are these boats crazy fast, technical, and tricky to sail well, but the fleet comradery is unlike any other class. Maybe it’s because of the boats that attract like minded crazies but I’m here for it. Regattas are not just for sailing but also an opportunity to hang out with close friends to do what we all love. And that applies to the rest of the World fleet. The friendships that you make at Worlds carry on. The fleet has a very healthy social component to it that’s embedded in the class history. Find out for yourself, join us, you will have a good time. I promise.
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Regatta Report

Turkey Day – 2025

Photo Credit: ABYC

This year’s Turkey Day Regatta, hosted by Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, saw a solid turn out of 10 boats, 6 from Northern California, and the rest from the Southern California Fleet. The fleet was greeted to unsettled cloud cover, intermittent rain showers, and the smell of Turkeys smoking in the parking lot. The event was well attended by many classes and the boat park was buzzing with over 156 boats. The club did a  great job of organizing the chaos, and even assigned classes to their own rigging areas – not that the 14s don’t already congregate like the cult it is. 

Saturday’s unsettled weather meant winds were light and shifty. The Fleet managed to only get one race off after a postponement. Evan and I managed to get off the start line in somewhat of a clear lane leading off to the left side of the course. A header sent us back, sailing from puff to puff. The few boats that ate further into the header off the line seemed to benefit the most with Michael Leitch on 1195 with Terry Gleeson guest helming (while Elizabeth grows a future World Champion) leading the pack into the weather mark. Michael Lazzaro on 1161 and Brad Ruetenick on 1200 were right behind from the left side of the course. Evan and I on 1204, and Cameron Puckey with new crew Max Roth on AUS 681, managed to hold our own and just squeak in front of Michael Lazzaro around the top mark. Downwind wasn’t immediately obvious but we chose to gybe out early which paid off as the folks who dug into the right side hit a wall. From there it was just a matter of keeping the boat moving.Terry and Michael did a great job of staying in the puffs and held on to their lead. The second lap around the course was more or less a repeat of the first, with folks just trying to stay in whatever little micro puff they were in. Sailing these boats in such light conditions is a true test of your focus and flexibility as you attempt to make yourself into the smallest, most uncomfortable ball possible. The race ended with Terry and Michael taking 1st, us in second, and Puckey closely behind us, though the rest of the fleet wasn’t too far behind. Unfortunately, the wind completely shut off and we were all sent in. 

Photo Credit: ABYC

Saturday night, ABYC hosted its catered Thanksgiving dinner, and the food was phenomenal! Smoked turkey and all the fixins. It was a great opportunity for the fleet to catch up and mingle. Afterwards, a bunch of the 14ers found themselves at a very solid dive bar in San Pedro where further “debriefing” happened.

We were greeted to beautiful clear skies and warm weather Sunday morning, which meant more normal wind conditions for November. A solid 6 to 10 knots meant we were able to get 3 quick double lap races and a 4th race with a single windward-leeward. There were still some big shifts on the race course that required some vigilance, which made for some good tactical racing. The first race saw a big shift right at the start which made getting across the line difficult. We set up for the mid to pin end of the line (which happened to be the committee boat) and the boats that set further towards the pin ended up piling up with a capsize. It was ugly and to avoid the mess we managed to sail over the line early. Nothing like immediately starting at the back of the pack. We had a good beat but really gained back on the first mark rounding and doing an immediate gybe set allowing us to go from DFL to finishing 5th. Brad and JP walked away with it even though they, too, piled up at the start. 1202 with guest helm Chris Hendo and Patrick Wilkinson got 2nd, and Puckey rounded out the podium. 

Photo Credit: ABYC

Race 2 we had a little redemption with a good start leading out to the left hand side with Brad, only to blow it right before a tack due to a miscommunicated mainsheet pass that caused us to go for a swim. But again, we sailed really smart and ended up in 4th. Brad once again took the win, followed by Hendo and Pat, and Puckey in 3rd. The next race was a mirror in conditions and shifts so we managed to repeat our strategy which paid dividends. We sailed smartly and kept the boat upright. We also had a smart gybe which allowed us to get in front of Puckey right before the finish allowing us to get 2nd. Brad and JP once again showed us how it’s done in tricky light air conditions and won by a good margin. The last race of the day was the sprint and we took a gamble on which side of the course was going to pay off on the upwind. We didn’t do terrible, but we didn’t do great either, so we had to settle with a 4th. Should not come as a shock, but Dr Brad and JP finished the day with a perfect score sheet. A little shake up and Terry and Michael got 2nd, and Mike Lazzaro and Robin Kivlen got 3rd. Both boats made huge gains hitting the left side of the course on the upwind. 

A huge congratulations to Brad and JP! They are very hard to beat in these light conditions. Consistently fast and smart. They took the prized turkey home. Evan and I were pleasantly surprised with 2nd. We struggle in conditions like these, but as everyone knows, you can’t always sail at the Gorge or Berkeley Circle, so this was a huge learning weekend for us. Puckey and Max took 3rd, though they did tie with us after the throw out. Puckey as always, sailed very fast and was consistent. It felt like he was always right next to us. I also should say that the rest of the fleet was right there. I am seriously impressed with the entire fleet. We have come a long way as a fleet and there is no longer an “A” and “B” fleet. There were many lead changes over the weekend and almost no waiting between races. It’s awesome! I also have to shout out our newest boat to the fleet with Lucca Farrell and Gabriel Rios on their Bieker 3. These guys are new but they are already proving themselves by finding themselves in the front of the fleet at times. Looking forward to seeing those guys grow.

Brad Ruetenik and JP Barnes. Winner winner, turkey dinner. Photo Credit: ABYC

All in all, it was another fantastic 14 event. ABYC did a great job hosting. The fleet comradery was all time and the stoke was high. Now is the best time to be in the fleet, so get your boat out on the water or reach out to us if you want to join! Next up on the calendar is Richmond Yacht Club Small Boat Midwinters.

Remember, “Imitations come and go, but 14s are forever!”

-Mikey Radziejowski

USA 1204

 

Categories
Meet the Board

NorCal Govenor

Patrick has been killing it in the fleet crewing for Michael Pacholski. A national Champion, his enthusiasm and skill has been instrumental in the board's decisions.
 
What is your roll on the board. Where do you sail out of?
-I am the NorCal Governor for the local 14 fleet and sail out of Richmond Yacht Club (the best club in the bay).
How long have you been sailing/ sailing 14s?
-I’ve been sailing my whole life. I sailed for the University of Hawaii and started sailing 14s in Kaneohe Bay during my time on Oahu. I was first connected to the fleet through my teammate at UH, Michael Pacholski, and the fleet helped me get a Bieker 3 with Maddy Kennedy at Kaneohe Yacht Club in time for the PacRim Championship at KYC in 2022.
 
What is it about 14s that got you into the class and what keeps you sailing them?
-Growing up I had seen 14s sailing in the bay and had always wanted to get into skiff sailing. I mostly sailed c420s in high school, but had the chance to hop in a 29er a few times and loved the speed and technicality of skiff sailing. After College sailing at UH, I wanted to continue competing at a high level, but still had that urge to go faster. I sailed various foiling boats and wing foils, but I’ve always enjoyed sailing as a team sport. The 14 fleet was super welcoming and gave me a platform to improve my boat handling and tactics while learning more about rig tuning and gear shifting to keep the boat going fast through a wide range of conditions. Small changes to your set up affect so much in these boats. It’s always a new challenge to keep the boat locked in and accelerating. 14s have really helped me understand and identify the subtleties that give you that edge across many different classes, and it pushes me to keep learning every time we go sailing.
Biggest achievement in the fleet?
-My biggest achievement in the fleet was winning the 2024 National Championship at RYC. It was a challenging regatta in 16-20kts+ with big chop in the Berkeley Circle. The fleet was incredibly tight throughout the regatta and pushed hard in difficult conditions. We were consistent in rounding the top mark in the top 5 and focused on our boat handling to finish top 3 in 6 of 7 races.
 
Personal goals for the class for the future?
-In the fall of 2023 Mike Pacholski and I bought “Blue Balls”, a Chris Henderson built Bieker 6, with the intention of making a run at the 2026 World in Kingston, Ontario. Mike and I are training hard to show the rest of the world what our blue balls can do. The ultimate goal is to see our US fleet competitive in the top 10 on the world stage.
 
Any other 14 related anecdotes?
-The US I14 fleet is always looking for new blood. If you are thinking about joining the fleet, reach out to any of us. If you are local to the bay, we have a strong fleet of about 8 boats at RYC and the upcoming Small Boat Midwinters is a great opportunity to hop in a boat with one of us. I will be happy to connect you to a skipper or crew in need of a fill in