BANG UP TO DATE

The International 14 has enjoyed several very dierent moments in the limelight over the past century. With a new version built by Ovington, it may be about to have another, says ANDY RICE

- ANDY RICE

Just as smartphones and sat nav make us stupid, so we lose something of ourselves when we sail in one designs. There, I’ve insulted you and most of the readership of Yachts and Yachting! To make the point a little more seriously, when racing a one design, by its very definition you’re forced to fit the mould, to weigh the right weight, and to live with the equipment as supplied. The nice thing about one designs, of course, is that you buy the boat and it doesn’t go out of date. On the other hand, if you don’t like something, you can’t change it.

Development classes like the International 14 are a different kettle of fish. You get to make technical choices in a bid to try to make the boat go a bit faster. Sometimes you might even happen across the ‘silver bullet’, a quantum leap in performance that makes the boat significantly quicker. That’s a feeling you’re never going to experience sailing a Laser. Of course the upside of development is also its downside; as things move on, you might find that the new mast or sail that you bought is soon superseded. Or worse, if you break something at a championship, somebody else’s spare sail, rig or foil might not fit your boat. For many, particularly those for whom cash is tight, that can make a development class off-putting.