In Y & Y Online I've just read a report of the i14 World Championships in Sydney Harbour. I think they've got a cheek calling it 'World Championship' when every single entry was Australian. Reminds me of when I crewed Robin Judah in the so called 'Hornet World Championship' off Copenhagen in 1960, as far as I can remember all the entrants were British. We were 2nd in a crappy leaky old boat typical of Aston Martin driver Robin in those days.

Robert it was a Brit who won it. Archie MAssey. Not sure why he was listed as an Aussie though. There was also Roger Gilbert, ex MR champ, Robert Greenhalgh, and some USA guys as well...

Thanks Blackie. Further delving into the reports confirms that several other countries were represented on Sydney Harbour and GBR boats were in some of the photos. So why was Massey and Wilsdon's boat which was clearly dispalaying GBR 1519 listed as AUS.

Archie is living in Aus, so sailed with Aus for the team racing but then raced as GBR for the Worlds as he's British (hence GBR in big letters on his sail), simples.

Since we are all world citizens does it matter what country get rid of the distinctions and it's one less thing to fight about.

As with most things in life there are rules! In this case ISAF rules govern what constitutes an International Class & whether or not that class may use the title "World Championship" for an event. Classes widely sailed but in a limited number of countries are termed "Recognized Classes". Classes may gain or lose International status.

Minimum requirements for international status are 6 countries spread over 3 continents with a minimum 20 boats per country. On that basis the International 14 is an International Class & so may hold world championships but, for instance, the B14 is not & therefore should not have a world championship although it may have an International event. The number of nations actually involved in an event is not the criteria.

Over a hundred boats, yanks, canadians, germans.....

DO is only partly right. The I14's are correctly an International class because they exceed the min figures DO quotes and in fact on their last report list Association in 10 countries on 3 continents and another few countries without national associations.

However both International and Recognized classes may hold a World Championship and in fact are required to do so under ISAF regulations in the first year of provisional status. So the B14's can have a World Championship. (ISAF regulations 26).

The number of nations at the world championships may not be related to the actual status but the right to hold a world championship and in fact the status of a class is always up for review and I understand that ISAF will be looking more closely at all the classes.

For a class to maintain its right to a World Championship it must fulfill the requirements of ISAF regulation 18 which for dinghies requires a minimum of 30 boats from 8 countries over 3 continents. This will be averaged over 3 consecutive events. This year the I14's had 6 countries from 3 continents, last year they had 7 countries from 3 continents so I suppose they will need to be trying to make sure that more countries attend the 2011 championships.

Hi Dave Cunningham is in fact right about fleet reqiurement for eligability. However, IASF also take into account whether a fleet is static, contracting or expanding in its worldwide growth.
The B14 is a great example of where we have a fleet that is well managed, with controlled progressive development so that the boat stays current and circuit and folks sailing in the class offer a good package to newcomers. The regional association, no longer known as the UK B14 Class Association, in 2007 we changed it to the Euroean B14 Class Association, so offering management to the emerging European fleets. This has reflected in the fact that the class has expanded back into France and in the process of evaluating reactivation in Japan. We also now have boats in the USA, Italy, Spain and how could I forget Australia. Our last Worlds in Tasmania last winter had 53 entries, a record in one of the hardest places to get a boat to and we lost the Ashes on the last Gybe to the finish. During the last race, one of 3 boats had the title in their hands but alas, it fell in to the hands of the Aussies when a universal joint failed in a full on airborne force 5. 
With the Worlds and Europeans in Carnac in July, we should have 2 weeks of unadulterated full on sailing. Expectations are for a fleet size in the area of the last AUS Nats/Worlds. 
Subject to world ecconomic climate we would hope that the 2013 Europeans/Worlds in Europe will meet the ISAF requirements. Having seen the class come back from small fleets to holding its own, has been hard work but very pleasing, when you see how much work goes on behind the scenes to make it happen.
With sailing in most classes being a hobby rather than job, it makes the reliance on committee members time all the more demanding. I have experienced this first hand since 2003 in the B14 and you either have to go for it or cut and run as there is little midle ground.
The I14 is probably the most prolific skiff after the Olympic classes and so it has a true World Championships. THe MPS is fast catching though on the worldwide spread and will eventually become the most worldwide high performace single hander with an assymetric (Moth may well be even bigger).
Anyway, very few classes manage to maintain a true spread as both the Fireball and Enterprise have proven in recent years, yet they maintain their status as their problems may have been a glitch.
Anyway, enough of my rantng and back to work!!!
Bye for now
Barnsie