Regatta Report: 2026 I-14 Nationals
By: Parker Shinn
This year’s I-14 Nationals were hosted by the San Diego Yacht Club in late July where we were served up plenty of sun and beautiful weather, although I think everyone agrees a little more wind would have been nice. Twelve teams gathered from across the West Coast, with Kris Henderson and John Vincze traveling the furthest from Washington. The Kingston Worlds were quickly approaching, and this was everyone’s last opportunity to test equipment and settings to make sure they were dialed in. For Jett Jennings and myself (Parker Shinn) this was only our second time ever racing an I-14, it was our first regatta sailing together and it was my first time driving, so we were curious to see how we stacked up against the rest of the fleet.
Racing began on Friday July 24th and would set the tone for the rest of the regatta. Marginal trapping conditions dominated with puffs letting teams stretch out their legs at times. South swell and chop made staying in the groove very difficult and being mobile was paramount. I don’t think Jett and I were ever in one spot for more than a few seconds.
We learned the hard way in race 1, keeping a sharp eye out for kelp would be key to winning. The only consolation was knowing that everyone else was sailing through the same mine field. As we hoisted around the final weather mark, Jett and I ran over a huge piece of kelp for the fourth time and made our first rookie mistake. I knew I had to sail deep while Jett cleared the board, I just didn’t know how deep. Unfortunately, I didn’t sail deep enough and as soon as the board cleared the bottom of the boat, we capsized to windward. On the bright side, we knew our speed was good and we managed to finish the day with a 1st and 2nd.
Garrett Brown and Morgan Pinckney showed why they were the team to beat and finished the day with a 1, 2, 1. Kris Henderson and John Vincze also had a great first race with a 2nd and Brad Ruetenik and JP Barnes were always in the mix with two 3rds. As the breeze died down, the race committee made the wise decision to push the distance race off to day 2.
Saturday was more of the same. Moderate winds, marginal trapping, swells and lots of kelp to dodge. The highlight of the day was the distance race. It started with a windward leeward out in the ocean, then a beam reach around the tip of Zuniga Jetty, followed by a race down the bay and back. The wind was a bit southerly, which is not the prevailing direction, but Jett and I thought we’d have an edge considering how much time we’ve spent sailing in the bay. The first big tactical decision came after rounding the leeward mark. Garrett and Morgan rounded 1st followed by Brad and JP and 2nd with both teams deciding to keep their kites up, sailing well below Zuniga. Jett and I rounded 3rd and took our kite down to sail the rhumb line. We were by ourselves for a long time, wondering if we had made the right call, and the truth is I don’t think we’ll ever know. We managed to catch Brad and JP, but Garrett and Morgan were way ahead. After making it to the tip of Zuniga Jetty, we realized Mike and Patrick behind us were going at least a knot faster. We cleared our centerboard, and a huge piece of kelp came off. Who knows how long it had been there… And we definitely weren’t the only victims. Kelp was everywhere and I’m pretty sure we cleared our blades at least 20 times before the race was over.
Shortly after rounding Zuniga Jetty, the fleet compressed in a big hole to leeward of Ballast Point and the submarine dry dock. Garrett and Morgan were already long gone, but for everyone else it was super tight. Jett and I short jibed along the leeward Coronado side of the bay, which looked scary at first with the fleet sailing over the top of us, but in the end there was more wind, and it paid off big. Mikey and Evan also connected several good puffs and we had a great battle for 2nd all the way down the bay. Jett and I managed to round the last mark, next to the Rady Shell in downtown San Diego, just ahead and set our kite. It was a super tight reach and another tactical question of when to take the kite down.
We could see Garrett and Morgan way ahead of us, holding their kite all the way to Harbor Island before dousing to go up the bay. That’s when we thought there might still be an opportunity to catch them. The current was flooding hard, and we knew there was relief as well as more wind on the Coronado side of the bay, so while they carried their kite longer and crossed to the other side of the channel, we doused early and sailed in a higher mode to hug the Coronado shoreline. Slowly we reeled them in and as we sailed past America’s Cup Harbor a car carrier passed between us, casting a big wind shadow on the shelter island side where they were. That was enough to give us the cross and the win after a grueling 15-mile race filled with chutes and ladders everywhere. Garrett and Morgan finished shortly behind us and Brad and JP battled their way to 3rd.
The last day was the lightest. With a throw out we were tied for 1st with Garrett and Morgan, but their worst race was only a 2nd, while ours was a 5th after our capsize in race 1. Garret made a good move at the start, got off the line clean and kept stretching out their lead, never looking back. Whereas the left had consistently been favored on Friday and Saturday, they recognized that the right was looking better this time and didn’t leave any opportunities for others to pass. Another win for Garrett and Morgan in the final race and it was clear that the best boat took the overall victory, showing dominant speed throughout the regatta and the ability to climb back the few times they weren’t leading. Two other teams also found an extra gear on Sunday with Mike and Patrick getting a 2,3 and Mikey and Evan getting a 3,2.
For Jett and I, we were thrilled to finish 2nd against such a talented field. If we hadn’t made two rookie mistakes, maybe it would’ve been a different story, but we clearly still have more to learn about these boats. Brad Ruetenik and JP Barnes finished 3rd, Mike Pacholski and Patrick Wilkinson 4th and Mikey Radziejowski and Even Sjostedt 5th.
The race committee, led by Jeff Johnson, showed they are truly a world class team and did a phenomenal job getting 8 quality races off over 3 days of sailing. If only we had the kind of breeze we got during the several days leading up to the regatta… I mean, it’s never light in San Diego 😉
Jett and I would like to thank all the people who helped us get up to speed. Garrett divulged their secrets and gave us a great run through of how to set up the boat across the whole wind range. Brad and JP also trained with us several times over the past couple months and were a huge wealth of information. Most of all we’d like to thank the I-14 fleet for lending us the fleet’s boat. It’s not often you’re handed the keys to a boat that nice and there’s no way we would have been able to sail this event without the fleet’s generosity. Jett and I had a great time getting to know everyone and we’re looking forward to sailing against you all again in the future.
