In 1959 the RNSA (Royal Navy Sailing Association) decided that there was a need to replace the existing 14ft RNSA Dinghy, used for training and recreational purposes. The basic requirements were for a tough, stable craft, able to operate easily from ship or shore, fast enough to be rewarding to sail and to attract skilled dinghy helmsmen, sailor proof and to require the minimum of maintenance, suitable for open water sailing with built in buoyancy to support four persons, capable of being righted and sailed away without outside assistance, and to have stability suitable for training and encouraging learners.

The Admiralty invited some thirty firms to tender for a design, and from this invitation five craft were ordered of four different constructions, which consisted of a Prototype Bosun, two Albacores (one extra heavily built), the Lazy 'E' by Jack Holt and one supplied by Portsmouth Dockyard. All these were thoroughly tested out in the Solent, and the Bosun was selected.

The 14ft Bosun was really developed from the original 12ft Alfa (rather like a National 12) also a fibreglass boat, and both were designed by Ian Proctor. The rights in it were secured by Bossoms Boat Yard Limited, Medley, Oxford. The Prototype was moulded by Bourne Plastics Limited of Nottingham and fitted out by Bossoms. It was a condition that if the design was accepted, the Ministry of Defence would have the right to the design for its own purposes, because they were paying for the tools and the Prototypes, but that the sole commercial rights would remain with the Company offering the successful boat.

Bossom's Boatyard Ltd. has been supplying Bosuns throughout it's life to the M.O.D. They are sailed world-wide by H.M. Forces. The construction of G.R.P. for hull and deck with foamed to shape P.U. buoyancy. All external edges, including stem and transom are formed in timber for damage and abrasion protection. The majority of the fittings are in polished stainless steel and the spars are anodised aluminium. The centreplate is of 6mm steel, galvanised and the rudder and tiller are timber so that they will float.

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