The Essex 14 Story (updated) Jeff Lovelace 5.30.2025

In January 1983, a group of Pettipaug Yacht Club members decided they wanted to

launch a new sailboat company. The principals behind this boat building endeavor

were: Simeon Braguin, President, an enthusiastic PYC Blue Jay sailor and renowned

artist formerly with Bergdorf Goodman of NYC, was the brainchild of the whole idea;

Dave Thurston, PYC Commodore ’83-’84 and designer of amphibious aircraft;

Past Commodore ’79-‘80 Paul Risseeuw, supervisor at Electric Boat who built nuclear

subs for the Navy; Vice Commodore ’83-’84 Bill Grover, the brilliant head of

Centerbrook Architects was Secretary; Hadley Williams, a Blue Jay sailor was

Treasurer and me, Jeff Lovelace, V.P. of Marketing, a lifelong sailor and advertising

salesmen for a national boating magazine with lots of connections with boat builders.

John Keppel joined the group, too. We incorporated and issued stock.

The concept for the new design was to build a two-person, one-design centerboard

dinghy with jib, main, spinnaker, and self-bailing cockpit that would perform lightning-fast

and plane like a Laser but be as stable as a Blue Jay so you’d feel comfortable taking your mother/mother-in-law across the bay

for a sail. We went to Britt Chance, the renowned, Essex yacht architect with America's Cup experience. He drew up the lines

based on our parameters and the Essex 14 began to take shape. The molds were made by Eric Goetz, Goetz Custom Boats in RI.

We had a commitment from Bill Lacey, General Manager of AMF/Alcort (the preeminent firm that made thousands of Sunfish

and other small sailboats) to build and market the boat. However, the market fell apart and AMF had to decline. Despite AMF’s

decision, George O’Day (The George O’Day) approached us and we pressed onward and finally licensed the project to Essex

residents Ursula and Sam Connor who had the Essex-14s built in Bristol, RI by C.E. Ryder Corp. The sails were made by Sobstad

loft in Old Saybrook, one of the leading sailmakers at the time.

“Yachting” magazine reported the boat received “high marks” when first tested by Collegiate racers at an Annual Atlantic

Coast Championship” in fall of 1985. Another wrote the Essex 14 “is a sophisticated rocket for the junior set…that looks like

a cross between a miniature Kiwi 35 and an International 420…with many of toys the big boys have.” Despite rave reviews

and the valiant efforts of the Connor family, the new class never took hold. I believe the molds still exist. Paul and Bill

retrieved them so they may be in the Essex area somewhere. A decade or so later, J-Boats -- I had approached Bob Johnstone

but wasn't interested at the time –