Category: Meet the Board

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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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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
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Meet the Board

Hawaii Governor

Michael Pacholski has been doing an incredible job promoting and keeping the Hawaiian Fleet active.
What is your roll on the board and where do you sail out of?
– Governor of Hawaii Fleet. Sail out of Kaneohe Yacht Club
How long have you been sailing/ sailing 14s?
-I’ve been sailing for 21 years. I stepped into my first fourteen ten years ago and have been seriously campaigning for the past five.
What is it about 14s that got you into the class and what keeps you sailing them?
-Skiff sailing is really fun. The boats are fast, technically quite challenging, and the competition is excellent. I’m a big proponent of double handed sailing because there’s someone to share the experience with, whether it’s success or a big fail, there’s always a good story.
Biggest achievement in the fleet?
-2024 National Championship at Richmond Yacht Club where I learned to sail skiffs.
Personal goals for the class for the future?
-I’d like to see the most US boats in attendance of a Worlds since 2018 in Richmond. I am working on rallying the Hawaii fleet to find boats/pair up with mainland based teams this season to help make that possible.
Any other 14 related anecdotes?
-I’ve been sailing many different boats with many different people for the past 10 years. I don’t think there is another double handed class that is this into sailing fast, developing the competition, and spending time together off the water.
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Meet the Board

SoCal Governor

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!
 
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Meet the Board

Class President

James Clarkson – Class President

Today we are starting a new series to introduce the hard working and dedicated individuals on the class board. These volunteer positions are elected by the class and are what keeps the US fleet ticking along!
 
To start off, we introduce the class President, James Clarkson.
What is your roll on the board?
– I have been President of the US I14 fleet for the past 2 years. I joined the board and became president because I’m excited about the fleet and the boats.
 
Where do you sail out of?
– I sail out of Richmond Yacht Club, on the SF Bay, where several other I14s are based. RYC has a long history with the I14 fleet including being host to two World Championships. In general, there is a choice of wind and wave state, depending on how the wind and Angel Island are lined up.
How long have you been sailing/ sailing 14s? What is it about 14s that got you into the class and what keeps you sailing them?
– I learned to sail on a sunfish at a small lake in Mississippi and at summer camp on 420s in New Orleans. I restarted sailing in grad school and got connected with the 14 fleet at RYC. I’ve been in the fleet for about 12 years now and enjoy it for several reasons. The boats and fleet are just exciting and awesome. The development class enables your brain to keep working on tweaks to your systems and maximizing performance, or at least entertain you. Sometimes you just need to keep it simple. The fleet members are extremely friendly and helpful. They will share tips on sailing technique, rig tuning, rigging systems, and repairs. And finally, it’s a boat that I feel that I can sail competitively for 30 years or more. People sail these boats into their 60s and 70s and still kick ass.
Personal goals for the class for the future?
– I’m interested in getting some coaching set up in the various regions (San Diego, LA, SF Bay, and Seattle) to make each region a bit faster. I’ve spent my 14 career sailing with some of my best friends (and my now wife), fumbling through a technical and physical boats. We aren’t half slow and with some input, we might be 3/4 fast. I’m also excited to see where the foil designs and development go.The boats are getting faster, so the foils can get thinner, lower drag, and a bit tweakier.