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