14 Javelin

Designer’s Notes

Many 14 ft two man dinghy classes have enjoyed strong following throughout the world from Uffa Fox's International 14's in England to the relatively unrestricted 14's from Australia and USA. One class developed in New Zealand in the late 1950's was the Javelin. This class has tight limitation on rig dimensions, together with beam, bouyancy, weight and general arrangement restrictions on the hull. Through the 60's the class enjoyed a strong following in New Zealand, Australia and England, providing good competitive racing on a limited budget while still allowing designers some freedom of experimentation in hull form. Many international Flying Dutchman skipper/crew combinations used the Javelin as a training class during winter and non Olympic year seasons. New Zealand's Gold Medallist at the 1964 Olympics Flying Dutchman Class - Helmer Pedersen - used the Javelin for just this purpose. Bruce Farr was first commissioned to design a 14 footer to fit within the Javelin Class rules in 1972. His designs won immediate success and with only minor modifications have endured right through to the present time, including a win in the 1982 NZ National Titles. Once again Farr Yacht Design's careful timber construction and attention to detail form major ingredients in the formula for success. The boats can be sailed with both crew members on trapeze, but is still capable of dazzling performance with forward hand only on trapeze. Centerboard is dagger type in a central case.