This is the uneditted copy of the article presented in Yachts & Yachting, Mid November edition (10 November 2000) - old but still relevant
The B14 is a high performance skiff, which due to its simplicity puts the onus on technique and tactics. It rewards teamwork with both helm and crew contributing equally to performance and good communication essential. At ten foot six from wing tip to wing tip, speed and agility are musts but it is far from a blood and guts boat; touch, feel and subtlety are often the winning edge. A modern classic, the B14 offers a unique sailing experience that brings out the best in all that sail her. And even over-40s can still win!
B14 speed, like all other boats, is about doing the right things, as often as possible, i.e. eliminating the things that slow you down. The difference is that due to the high performance of the B14, every mistake is magnified. If you watch the top guys you will see that it all looks very easy. They tack and gybe smoothly and when they want to, and keep the boat in the groove for long periods of time. This is a consequence of preparation, technique and tactics, which we will investigate in this article.
Preparation
The B14 is fundamentally a very simple boat. There are no variable rig settings while racing other than vang, cunningham and sheet tension so it is important to get the rig in the right place before you go afloat.
The rig has two main dynamics; lower triangle and uppers. The lower triangle formed by the main shrouds and forestay affects pointing, the uppers control the gust response from the glassfibre top section of the rig. The objective in setting the rig up is to lock out the lower triangle so that it holds jib luff tension across the wind range. This is achieved through a combination of high main shroud tension and mast chocks to hold the lower mast in column. The uppers need to be set for the prevailing wind and wave conditions. Gusty winds or a choppy see will require less uppers so that the rig automatically opens to match apparent wind angle shifts as the boat accelerates and decelerates through wind and waves.
The B14 Tuning Guide panel provides the commonly used settings for pre-bent and straight mast set ups.
Once out on the water the critical static rig control is the jib tack height. Control of the jib leech profile will power up or de-power the rig. As the breeze rises, leech tension needs to be reduced to encourage twist and automatic gust response. This is achieved by lowering the tack position. We achieve this through use of a vernier adjuster with fast pin (see photo). One hole change makes the difference between the boat staggering through gusts and easy acceleration.
Across the wind range best performance is achieved through maintaining a balance between the jib leech and main leech in order to create a neutral helm. In light breezes tight leeches can be held through sheet tension. As the breeze builds both sails need to be de-powered and encouraged to twist until in strong breezes just the bottom half of the sails are being used. As long as the rig setting is in the right area, a lot can be achieved through sheet adjustments.
The boat communicates well and will tell you when changes are required. As soon as you start to play the sheets aggressively to keep the boat on its feet you need to de-power. The aim is for the boat to feel light and responsive, accelerating through gusts rather than struggling. The downhaul is vital to de-powering the mainsail, at no time should the mainsail be back-winding or "inverting" The downhaul affects the bend of the mast hence flattening the sail so make sure this system is working perfectly, you will need to pull it extremely hard in overpowered conditions. The centreboard should be positioned fully down until overpowered then it can be raised as much as 30 cm to keep the boat balanced.
Little Tweaks
There are a few little tweaks which will make the boat easier to sail.
- A vernier adjuster with fast pin for on the water jib tack adjustment (see photo below)
- Fast pins in the uppers for on the water adjustment
- 2:1 low friction jib sheeting to allow small adjustments through gusts
- Spinnaker sheet clew attachment (see photo below) to aid dropping round forestay
- Cunningham led to front of wing so crew can play it through gusts
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| Adjustment of jib tack position |
Kite sheet attachment |
Technique
Upwind Speed
Remember that the B14 is a sensitive girl and needs to be handled gently. She is not a stab and flapper so concentrate on keeping her moving flat and fast.
Light Airs
The crew should be in front of the shroud until fully hiked. This means sitting on the foredeck in light airs and moving out to the front of the wing as the breeze builds. The helm needs to be as far forward as he can get and should sail with slight leeward heel to unstick the transom and flat aft sections. Use mainsheet tension not vang.
Medium Airs
Until you have to start easing the main it pays to hang on the mainsheet rather than use the vang. It is hard work but is worth it. Once you move to vang sheeting speed is all about playing the mainsheet and minimising tiller action. Try to point the boat with small tiller adjustments and play the main in and out to keep the boat flat and footing. It never pays to pinch and crews should be discouraged from pulling the jib through the blocks. Have the courage to sail a few degrees lower than traditional dinghies, with both jib tell tails streaming and ease the main as much as you can. If you hold your nerve you will find that you make up far more in forward motion than you lose in height and as the foils start to work you will make ground to windward.
Heavy Airs
When the main starts to invert, the crew has to be prepared to play the jib. This is where 2:1 jib sheeting and/or ratchets are worth their weight in gold. The crew must be careful not to ease too much and must sheet on again as the gust passes. The technique is to ease main and jib together. If you only do one then the boat will hobby horse, lose forward motion and blow over sideways. Using the right rig settings, especially jib tack height, will make the rig open automatically and reduce the need for large sheet movements but best prepare your crew for this and send them down the gym! In strong gusts, larger steering movements will take the sting out of gusts.
Downwind Speed
Below 6 knots
The approach is to keep the weight forward to release the transom drag and to soak a bit in the puffs. Crew should be on the foredeck all the time including gybes and drops. Helm should move weight from in the boat out onto the wing to cope with increases in pressure and try to soak down with the extra boat speed. If it is gusty try and soak a lot in the gusts to stay in the gust cells for as long as possible rather than accelerating out into dead air.
8 to 10 knots
This is the critical cut over wind range when bringing the boat up onto the wind and sitting out will power the boat up and promote planing with a big jump in boat speed. The decision on how much to hot the boat up has to come from the helm. If the crew is hiking and the helm is on the edge of the wing, try luffing a bit. If there is an immediate kick of speed then you know there is enough breeze to hot it up.
10 to 20 knots
Full on hiking conditions downhill. If you are de-powering upwind then it is time to fully power up downwind. We find that the harder you hike the faster you go. Keep the boat dead level. Rather than ease the main to get her level, aim lower, ease the kite so that it is just on the curl, pull the boat right over onto you and hang on the mainsheet to keep the boom centred and the boat balanced. You should fly. Also remember that aft is fast. Above 15 knots I hike at the back of the bus with my crew back alongside me. This lifts the bows so that it flies over the next crest and reduces wetted surface for that extra bit of speed.
20+knots
Time to focus on control, especially in waves. The helm should be sitting in the tramp with his feet in the boat with the crew sitting out at the back of the wing. Keep the kite sheet well eased - in fact 2-3 feet of curl will lift the bows.
Tacking
Light Airs
The crew need to remain on the foredeck and the helm needs to keep their weight well forward through the tack. Roll the boat but keep the wings out of the water. If the helm lands heavily on the side when the boat is on the new windward angle then the battens will pop and give good acceleration. The crew needs to have the new jib sheet in hand so as to get the jib sheeted quickly to drive the bow off out of the tack.
Medium / Heavy Airs
Preparation is important. The helm needs to get his feet clear of the mainsheet tail and the crew needs to take the new sheet in his front hand. If you can, call in flat water, and tack there. Some leeward heel into the tack will encourage the boat to luff without excessive tiller movement. Then it is a positive push on the helm and a rush for the new wing. Ideally the crew gets there first and hikes hard while sheeting which causes the bow to push off and the boat to accelerate out of the tack.
Gybing
Light Airs
The crew needs to stay on the foredeck throughout the gybe. Good technique is to either sit with your back against the mast with the jib sheets over your legs or to stand up facing forwards. This way you can watch the kite through the gybe. As the helm bears away into the gybe the sheet should be eased until the clew reaches the forestay and, as the boom comes over, sheeted well in on the new leeward side. This means that as the helm rolls the boat upright out of the gybe the kite immediately draws and accelerates the boat.
The helm should roll the boat to windward going into the gybe to promote the bear away and use minimal rudder to promote a smooth turn. He will then have to move fast to hit the new wing and hike hard to roll the boat out of the gybe. It is very easy to dig a wing which is slow, or worse fail to reach the new high side fast enough to stop a capsize so the helm needs to be agile.
Medium / Heavy Airs
This is all about preparation and keeping it smooth and fast. Preparation involves telling the crew that you are planning to gybe. The G forces throwing you out of the boat through a gybe can be quite substantial and a crew who is not ready will find it impossible to cross the boat. The crew needs time to get their feet out of the straps, get hold of the new sheet and pull through the slack and get their balance while still keeping their weight outboard. The helm needs to get his feet out and slide down the wing so that his feet are in the boat. This will require a slight bear away but not so much as to slow the boat.
The helm needs to spot his turning point and call it in. Ideally this should be flat water or down a wave face. However, care should be taken in a big breeze when the boat is overtaking waves not to gybe straight down a wave face and spear the boat into the back of the next one. I look to gybe over the top of a wave in these conditions.
When the helm calls the gybe he should start a smooth, easy turn. Do not ‘spin the wheel’. The crew needs to move swiftly across to the new wing, pulling themselves on the old sheet and taking the new sheet with them. This will cause the kite to sheet in on the old side and as the boat comes onto the breeze on the new gybe the old sheet can be released to allow the kite to blow through onto the new side without flogging. This keeps speed on and avoids hourglasses.
Spinnaker Hoist
The standard technique is for the helm to launch the pole while the crew does the halyard. Maintaining height and speed out of the mark while you hoist is good so both helm and crew need to keep their weight up on the wing and adventurous helms can steer with their aft foot with mainsheet in teeth so as to use two hands on the tack line. The tack needs to move first so the helm needs to quickly get in position as the mark is cleared. Good communication to let each other know when you are ready will save embarrassment.
Spinnaker Drop
The spinnaker drop is where it can all go wrong and much can be won and lost. The essential is advance planning. Decide on how you are going to approach the mark and let your crew know. Sometimes this will change in the last few seconds due to the actions of other boats so keep communicating. The crew needs to know whether you will do a windward drop or a gybe drop.
Gybe drops are by far the easiest. The crew simply keeps the kite sheeted in through the gybe so that it is nicely on the windward side for dropping. If the helm is really quick he can release the tack line through the gybe to save a few extra seconds.
The windward drop is harder simply because the clew has to be pulled round the forestay. This problem can be almost eliminated if the helm bears away at the critical point when the crew is trying to pull it round. This will release the pressure from the kite long enough for the crew to get the clew round to his side. At this point do not fall into the trap of trying to get the clew all the way back to your hand with kite still filling. Just bend down without releasing tension on the sheet and blow the tack line. The kite will collapse and become user friendly.
It is worth pointing out that the spinnaker drop provides the helm with his best opportunities to offer gratuitous remarks. I have found that the odd ‘do you want me to help’ or ‘in your own time’ goes down wonderfully well.
On a more serious note it is often worth changing your crews priority to sheeting the jib if the kite is not fully bagged but the mark is being rounded. Height out of the mark is better than flapping along while the last bits are bagged.
Tactics
All the good lessons expounded in the many sailing books apply but there are few points to stress:
- The acceleration and speed of the B14 means that wind pressure is king. Keep your head out of the boat and spot the next line of pressure. If at all possible get into it first.
- Tacking can be slow, particularly for beginners, so minimise the times you spin the wheel to when there is a clear tactical advantage. When on port tack, it is far better to duck transoms at high velocity than to tack on the lee bow.
- Avoid traffic. The difference in boat speed between clear air and disturbed air is significant so it often pays to tack or gybe away into a clear lane. This is often the case at windward marks and gates where boats concentrate.
- Approach downwind marks and gates on starboard as this gives you control and will often give you the inside berth.
- Make certain of your lay lines as pinching never pays. If in doubt over-stand the windward mark, particularly in planing conditions, as you will minimise your losses through the speed of your approach.
- Practice your gybing so that you are confident to go when the moment is right.
- Never ever run. If you are too high for a mark, keep the speed on and do a couple of quick gybes.
- Keep communicating and anticipate situations.
Tim Fells