So I have a gybing daggerboard in the boat. Does it work? Of course, but only in specific conditions. When this boat won the 2006 Worlds with 2 other sister ships taking the next two spots, there was lots of chatter on and off the web. A proposal to ban them was made and the 14 class took a vote - PASS. I took a gamble and it paid off as I just bought the boat before the ruling.
In a nutshell, the board does several things for you. You can drop the bow down and burn quicker upwind than most. You also do not need as powerful sails as most. Designed by Baylis, built by Tuttle. This is perfect for light crews like us. The downer is the cassette inside point loads the case. Contaminants like small pebbles and sand can also reak havic on this system. Ultimately, if not properly cared for, your case will leak and you will start to take on water. If one chooses to go with this system, make absolutely sure your case is bulletproof. Also make sure the gybing mechanism is enabled during a capsize to spread the load. It's another step but cheap insurance in the long run.
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