Brief History

The MG14 class, formerly known as the Manly Graduate, was developed at the Manly 14ft Sailing Club as an intermediate class between the Manly Junior and the National 14 dinghy (now 14ft Skiff). In the early 1960's, Club Commodore Harry Polland rigged his National 14 dinghy hull Rainbow with a mainsail and jib combination totalling 100 sq.ft. (9.3 sq.m.) and a spinnaker of 80 sq.ft. (7.5 sq.m.) for the young sailors graduating out of the Manly Juniors and seeking to move into the National 14ft dinghies. Rainbow became the prototype of the Manly Graduate, and was subsequently registered as MG5.

A number of other National 14ft hulls were re-rigged, and Manly Graduates began sailing as a class in the 1963/64 season. Within a few seasons, it became apparent that interest in the MG was not only confined to juniors seeking an intermediate class, and the MG became recognised as an easily handled, fun boat of quite high performance for its modest sail area, which was attractive to sailors of both sexes and a wide age spectrum.

As numbers grew and fleets became established at other clubs, the limited availability of National 14 hulls led to moves to establish a new hull design, and in 1972 a new constitution adopted a set of hull measurement rules based on the mark 2B Javelin. Over the following years, hull measurement restrictions were modified to allow other designs, many of which were similar to or the same as those of the then Northbridge Senior class (now NS14), which had originated at the Northbridge Sailing Club and developed independently of the Manly Graduate. The main difference between the 2 classes was, and is today, the spinnaker and trapeze carried by the MG and not by the NS.

Throughout the 60's and 70's, the Manly Graduate class continued to grow in popularity, primarily in NSW and with smaller numbers in other states. With the class firmly established away from Manly and as a boat for all ages and levels of experience. In the early 1980's this was reflected in a change of the class name to the MG14.

To control costs and to try to ensure races are won by the best and not necessarily the richest sailors, boats may only register one of every piece of gear (except 2 jibs) for any Association championship series.