The 914 millimeter long CR 914 is based on the original design
of the International America's Cup Class. Because the CR 914 is relatively inexpensive
and can be purchased fully built or can be assembled from a kit without special
skills or tools, it qualifies as an entry-level class. A high performance racing
machine that accelerates quickly, turns on a dime and points like a tour guide.
It sails well in an extremely wide range of wind velocities, without having
to use multiple rigs for light and heavy air like some other classes must do.
Weighing only 6.25 pounds and carrying 658 square inches of sail area, it ghosts
amazingly well in the lightest of air. Ballasted by over three pounds of lead
in the streamlined bulb at the end of its deep fin keel, however, this remarkable
little boat readily handles a 20 knot wind and can keep racing in gusts to 30
without shortening sail.
The hull and deck are cast as one piece of ABS plastic. The
high-aspect-ratio foil-shaped rudder and keel fin are molded with their shafts
installed. The spars are made of aluminum tubing, the keel bulb is a shaped
lead casting, and the sails are dye-cut from lightweight rip-stop polyester
spinnaker cloth. Kits come from the US distributor with complete electronics,
a boat stand, epoxy and cyanoacrylic glue, and an "upgrade package"
that has been developed in the United Stares to overcome a few minor shortcomings
in the original kit that were identified early in our experience with the boat.
You get all the parts, reinforcing materials, fasteners and everything else
you need to build and sail the CR 914 except sandpaper and batteries. Oh, yes,
before you can go sailing you also need some water. Kits, partially built boats,
finished boats ready to sail, and boats with custom paint jobs and special graphics
can be ordered from the US distributor, Chesapeake Performance Models, which
also carries a full line of parts and accessories.
CR914 ORGANIZATION
In a one-design class the objective is for the performance of the boats to be equal. The CR 914 is one of only a very few
truly one-design classes in which you can be completely confident that when you win or lose a regatta it's because of
how you sailed and tuned your boat and not whether someone bought or built a faster boat, spars or sails, thus
defeating you in the "arms race" that often complicates sailboat racing. It takes more than a set of rules to achieve this
sort of truly level playing field. From the beginning, both the leaders of the CR 914 class organization and the
companies that have marketed the boat have been dedicated to true one-design principles. The CR 914 class, like all
the classes in AMYA, is administered by the class secretary. In addition, however, CR914 benefits from the wisdom and
experience of the immediate-past class secretary, who will continue his fine work publishing the CR914 class newsletter, The CRonicle, and five other members of the Class Advisory Committee who help the secretary make decisions about class issues, select host clubs and venues for regional and national championship
events, etc. At present the class leadership consists of the following CR 914 sailors:
Class
Secretary
David Graves
Westport, Wisconsin
CRonicle Editor
Dick Martin
Columbia, Missouri
Measurer
Chuck Winder
Marblehead,
Massachusetts
Advisory Committee
Ernest Freeland
Annapolis,
Maryland
Pablo
Godel
Cincinnati, Ohio
Howie
McMichael
Larchmont, New York
Buttons
Padin
New Rochelle, New York
Dave
Ramos
Arnold, Maryland
CR914 RULES
Our elegantly simple and effective CR 914 class rules evolved
during the 1990s, and have required no further amending since 2000. Interpretations
of the rules are issued and published regularly, clarifying gray areas and responding
to inquiries from boat owners who want to innovate. The rules
and interpretations are available elsewhere on this website, but it is worthwhile
quoting here the preamble to the interpretations, which captures the one-design
philosophy that keeps the class on a firm and steady course: "1. An interpretation
must be consistent with the letter and/or intent of the class rules. 2. An interpretation
must not offer the potential of improved performance. 3. An interpretation that
improves boat reliability without improving performance may be considered for
approval."
CR914 MEMBERS AND FLEETS
It is the people who sail the boats that really make or break
a class. There are more than 6,000 CR 914 owners in the United States, and more
than 1,250 of them have registered their boats with the class, indicating their
desire to race and participate in other class activities. There currently are
23 active fleets of CR 914s in 17 states from coast to coast. These numbers
alone place the CR 914s among the top five classes in the country. More important
than mere numbers, however, are the kinds of people who sail those boats. And
CR914 has some of the very best. One of the neatest things about one-design
classes is the common bond of love for the same class of boat that they engender.
This is particularly true in the CR 914 class. We 914ers compete with each other
intensely on the water, but we make good friends in our local fleets and at
our regattas and enjoy those friendships as much or more than the competition.
Veterans recruit new CR 914 sailors with almost missionary zeal, welcome them
to our clubs, and love to mentor them and assist them up the learning curve.
CR914 COMMUNICATIONS
Virtually unique in the sport of RC sailing, we publish our
own class newsletter. Founded in 1996 by the legendary class secretary Chuck
Winder as the CR 914 NEWS, our newsletter has played a major role in
the popularity, growth, and cohesiveness of the CR 914 class. It has been an
invaluable source of information and tips about building, optimizing, troubleshooting,
tuning, and sailing CR 914s and their electronics. Reflecting the fact that
our class website and our CR 914 Net email information system now serve class
members as the primary sources of time-sensitive news, the name of the newsletter
has been changed by its new editor to the CRonicle. A fully-indexed archive
of every issue since day one is one of the features in the Members Area of the
class website (accessible to class members who pay a small subscription fee
for the newsletter and other Members Area services).
THE CR 914 AND FULL SCALE SAILING
Many CR 914 sailors came to the sport of RC sailing from a
background in full-scale ('peopleboat") sailing, and many of them continue
to race peopleboats, ranging from dinghies to ocean racers, in addition to their
914s. Because of that connection, CR914 enjoys an unusually close relationship
with full-scale yacht clubs and with the United States Sailing Association (US
SAILING). Indeed, ten of our fleets are associated with full-scale yacht
clubs, Our annual Larchmont Spring Invitational, the largest single-class RC
regatta in the country, is run by members of the grand old Larchmont Yacht Club
on Long Island Sound, and our 2003 Nationals were hosted by the San Diego Yacht
Club (using the same committee boat that ran the America's Cup races there).
This relationship works both ways: at the 2003 annual meeting of US SAILING
in St. Louis, one of our fleets hosted a match-racing regatta, sailed in CR
914s, to determine that year's Championship of Committees.
SUMMING IT ALL UP
All of the pieces described here have combined to make the
CR 914 one of the most popular, rapidly growing (at the rate of about 100 new
registrations per year) and all-around best classes in the United States. We
914ers, of course, know it is the very best, and we invite you to join us and
see for yourself!
The CR 914 is a One-Design class. The class objective is that
the sailing skills of the skipper shall determine who wins races. These rules
control yacht performance, cost and simplicity. A yacht violating these rules
shall not compete until all violations are corrected.
Unless the class rules specifically permit a modification to
the boat as the boat is defined by the kit, an owner shall assume it is not
permitted. Interpretations by the Class Secretary of the legality of a modification
shall be binding until overruled by a class vote changing the rules.
In these rules the word 'shall' means mandatory and 'may' means
permissive.
1.1 A skipper while racing shall not be permitted to have a
co-skipper or assistant to help with such things as coaching, tactical advice,
wind spotting, etc. 'Racing' is defined as the period from one minute before
the start of a heat to the finish of that heat. He may accept any assistance,
including the maintenance or repair of his boat, while not racing. A handicapped
skipper may request assistance while racing to be approved by the Regatta Director.
3.1 Alterations to the hull shape shall not be permitted. Hull
surface imperfections, including the mold seam at the bow, may be removed by
sanding and filling or by sanding alone. Final hull finish may be: 1) conventional
painting or, 2) sanding and polishing of the ABS hull using no paint.
4.1 The deck shall not be lightened by sanding or substituting
another deck. However, the main hatch opening may be squared off for easier
access, not to exceed 3 1/8 by 5 1/4 inches.
4.2 The two fore deck hatches may be opened for hull access
forward of the keel tube. The opening for such hatches shall not exceed the
outline molded on the deck (approximately 1 5/8 by 2 1/2 inches).
4.3 Hatch cover material and design are optional.
4.4 The jib rack eye, jib sheet fairlead, shroud chain plates,
back stay eye and mast step, shall be located at the positions defined by the
hull molding.
4.5 The shroud chain plates, back stay eye, jib rack eye, jib
sheet fairlead and the mast step shall be those provided in the kit or a substitute
fitting of equivalent function and similar dimensions.
4.6 Steering wheels, primary winches and the three forward
winches from the kit shall be installed. Winches may be modified to avoid fouling
sheets. Bow foot rails are required but design is optional. Deck cleats and
the stern hatch cover are optional.
9.2 All mast fittings supplied in the kit shall be used (spreaders,
jumper strut, gooseneck, vang base and mast head crane). They shall be located
within +/- 1/4 inch of the locations specified in the kit instructions.
10.1 Standing rigging shall be braided non-metallic fiber (such
as nylon, polyester, Spectra, Kevlar, etc.) and shall have a minimum thickness
of 0.018 inches. Line thickness shall be measured at one location with the line
under 2.0 lbs. tension. (If the one thickness measurement is less than the specification,
the thickness shall be determined as the average of ten measurements spaced
at 2 inches along the line.)
10.2 Wire stays and shrouds are prohibited.
10.3 Turnbuckles are prohibited.
10.4 The shroud and stay clips provided in the kit may be eliminated
or substituted.
11.1 The common sheet exit pulley and the sail servo arm pulley
may be modified or substituted. Any modification or substitutions shall have
equivalent function and similar dimensions.
11.2 The main sheet fairlead ring shall have a maximum inside
diameter of 0.25 inches. The ring position shall be controlled by an adjustable
string bridle as defined by the kit assembly instructions.
11.3 The method used to attach a sheet to a boom and the method
used on a boom to adjust the length of a sheet are optional.
11.4 Boom vang shall be of braided non-metallic line. Adjustment
may be bowser, cleat or equivalent.
11.5 Manual sail adjustment details are optional. Main and
jib boom topping lifts, jumper tension adjusters, etc., are permitted. The use
of bowsers, cleats or equivalent devices, is optional.
11.6 Jib tack, jib clew and mainsail clew spring clips shall
be eliminated or modified to avoid accidentally hooking the rigging of another
boat.
11.7 The use of such things as automatic jib flippers, jib
boom counter weights and automatic main outhauls is prohibited.
11.8 The choice of line for running rigging is optional.
12.2 The remote control functions shall be for rudder and sail
trim only.
12.3 The choice of a radio system, the sail servo and the rudder
servo are optional.
12.4 Receiver batteries shall be four or five cell AA size
disposable or rechargeable cells. The weight of batteries or number of cells
shall not be changed during any regatta or series of races.
13.1 The CR 914 SAIL PLAN and its dimensions shall define the
maximum size of the jib and mainsail. Storm sails same suite of sails shall
be used for all races of a regatta or series. If sails are damaged, replacement
sails of the same size are optional, but they shall be limited by the sail plan
dimensions.
13.2 The same set of sails shall be used for all races of a
regatta or series. If sails are damaged, replacement sails of the same size
shall be used.
13.3 Corners of the sails may be reinforced. The reinforcement
patch shall not exceed a radius of 2 1/ 2 inches measured from the corner of
the sail.
13.4 Sails shall be those provided in the kit. Replacement
sails shall be those supplied by the kit manufacturer.
Jib
13.5 Neither roach nor foot round shall be permitted.
13.6 Two jib battens may be used, size shall not exceed 0.200
inches wide by 2 inches long.
Mainsail
13.7 No foot round is permitted.
13.8 Four battens are permitted. They shall be installed perpendicular
to the leach and evenly spaced within 1/4 inch. Batten size shall not exceed
0.200 inch wide by 3.200 inches long.
13.9 Battens used shall be from the kit or equivalent replacement.
13.10 The luff of the main sail shall be attached to the mast
by rings of either metal or plastic, or by using pieces of rigging line. In
either case the spacing and quantity of these attachments shall be the same
as the stock kit sails. The sail shall be free to rotate about the mast.
Sail Numbers and Class Insignia
13.12 Sail numbers shall be 3 inches high and use a design
that is easily read at distance. The smaller numbers existing on older sails
are permitted. Recommended number proportions are as follows:
HeightWidthStroke ThicknessNumber Spacing
3"
1.8"-2.0" 0.4"-0.5"
0.6"-0.75"
13.13 The sail numbers shall be applied on both sides
of the mainsail. The starboard side sail numbers shall be higher. Symmetrical
numbers (such as 181 or 808) may be placed back-to-back on both sides of the
sail. Location of the numbers is suggested by the Sail Plan.
13.14 The class insignia shall be located on both sides of
the main sail with the starboard emblem being higher. Location is defined by
the Sail Plan.
Country Designation
13.15 The designation of the owners country may be displayed
above the numbers.
14.1 Minimum allowable weight shall be 6 pounds 4 ounces for
a complete boat ready to sail, including radio receiver batteries. Weight shall
not be changed during a regatta or series of races.
14.2 No ballast weight inside the hull shall be permitted.
14.3 Correction weights to an underweight boat shall be located
on the underside of the deck, half on each side, within 16 and 21 inches from
the bow.
15.1 The yacht registration and sail number shall be assigned
by the Class Secretary. No yacht shall be properly registered until the class
insignia and the assigned number have been affixed to the main sail. The registration
number shall also be affixed to the inside of the hull in a readily visible
location.
16.1 There shall be no expressed or implied 'grandfather' clauses
relative to performance enhancing aspects of a boat. Interpretations of cosmetic
or aesthetic aspects shall be liberal.
The design and location of boom fittings are not controlled
by the rules. Rule 9.2 reads, 'All mast fittings ....', and therefore does not
apply to boom fittings.
3. Correction Weights - Rule 14.3
Correction weights shall be attached to the underside of the
deck as specified in Rule 14.3.
The jib sheet shall pass through the deck mounted jib sheet
fairlead as shown on the kit drawings.
8. Keel Fillet and Nonremovable Keels - Ref. CR 914
NEWS July-August 2001
Interpretation: The CR 914 is designed to have an easily
removable keel. If the keel cannot be removed there can be no additional changes
that result in differences from a boat with a removable keel.
1. Intersection of the keel fin with the outside bottom
of the hull There shall clearly be a gap between the fin and the sides of
the keel fin recess molded into the hull bottom. This gap would be present for
a removable keel. Obviously, there can be no streamline fillet at this point
between the hull and keel fin.
2. Internal Structure All the original keel/hull structure
required for a removable keel shall remain in place. The steel keel-rod must
extend to the deck and have a nut on it as if the keel were removable. The brass
tube. or pipe, that normally houses the keel rod shall be properly installed.
3. Internal Reinforcing of keel molding The keel molding
on the inside of the hull may be reinforced to prevent cracks and leaks. One
way to do this is described in the 'CR 914 Upgrade Instructions' found in the
kit.
9. Keel Installation - Ref. CR 914 NEWS May-June
1997 and June-November 2003
The keel fin must be fully inserted into the hull until it
bottoms against the hull and the keel rod nut is tight. The keel must be fully
inserted into the hull molding recess to be legal. There have been occasions
when an owner has intentionally not done this to gain improved performance.
It is a simple measurement for an inspector to make.
10. Mast Material - Advisory Committee April 2002
Only the mast and boom materials supplied in the kit are legal.
There was a request to permit stronger material.
11. Mast Joiner - Ref. CR 914 NEWS May-June
2000
Steel Mast Joiner is required by class rule 2.1. It cannot
be replaced by another design or material. A magnet is an easy check.
An owner may choose to reduce sail area as permitted by Class
Rule 13. The class rules permit reducing the area of the stock sails for heavy
winds. However, that smaller area shall be used for the entire regatta or series
of races. Additionally, if a sail is reefed, the same limitation is in effect.
The reef shall be used for the entire regatta.
'The forestay and jib halyard cannot be routed directly to
the masthead. They both shall be routed upward through the hole in the forward
side of the mast ring portion of the jumper strut assembly and then to the masthead.'
Standing rigging must be installed as shown in the kit instructions.
For example, the intermediate shrouds must run through the hole in the end of
the intermediate spreader.
Shrouds (meaning the lower, middle and upper shrouds) may be
connected to any of the three holes in the chain plates. (Chain plates are identified
as 'Eyelet plate, part 8' in the AG Assembly Instructions.)
20. Topping Lifts - Advisory Committee Decision
Boom topping lifts made of string connected to the aft end
of a boom are permitted.
21. Keel Bulb - Ref. CR 914 NEWS June-November
2003
The keel bulb must be installed on the fin as defined in the
Assembly Instructions and the geometry of the fin and bulb geometry. No sloping
of the axis of the bulb is permitted. Some owners have done this in an effort
to improve performance.
The sheet exit block must be located as defined by the hull
molding and building instructions. The sheet must exit the hull at that point.
The common sheet from the sail servo arm may terminate beneath the deck so that
the jib and main sheets both exit at the stern exit turning block.
