8 Metre

Last updated
8 Metre insigna.png
Class symbol
Sagitta-Racing2002 8mR world cup.jpg
Finnish 8mR-yacht Sagitta (FIN–2) designed by Charles Nicholson in 1929 and owned by Timo Saalasti. +
Development
Year1907 (rule design)

The International Eight Metre class are class of racing yachts. Eight Metre boats (often called "Eights" or 8mR) are a construction class , meaning that the boats are not identical but are all designed to meet specific measurement formula, in this case International rule. Before WW II, Eights were the most prestigious international yacht racing class and they are still raced around the world. "Eight metre" in class name does not, somewhat confusingly, refer to length of the boat, but product of the formula. 8mR boats are on average some 15 metres long. Between 1907 and 2008 approximately 500 8mR boats were built, 177 of them have survived until today.

Contents

History

The Swedish silver medalist Sans Atout at 1912 Summer Olympics. 1912 Sans Atout.JPG
The Swedish silver medalist Sans Atout at 1912 Summer Olympics.
The Finnish eights Sphinx (FIN-4) and Sagitta (FIN-2) competing in 2012. Sphinx och Sagitta.jpg
The Finnish eights Sphinx (FIN–4) and Sagitta (FIN–2) competing in 2012.

The International Rule was set up in 1907 to replace earlier, simpler handicap system which were often local or at best, national, and often also fairly simple, producing extreme boats which were fast but lightly constructed and impractical. The Eight Metre class was the medium size rating established under the rule and they were chosen as an Olympic class in 1908 Summer Olympics. The Eights remained in the Olympics until 1936.

Up till 1914 the 8 metre yachts were traditionally Gaff rig. This changed with the launch of Ierne by the Fife yard becoming the first yacht of the class using Bermuda rig. Over time Bermuda rigs became more popular thanks to much more convenient cruising. [1]

New, modern eights are still built utilising newest contemporary technologies, at the rate of 1–3 boats per year. During the 1980s, many old sailboat classes experienced a revival of interest. The class has undergone a renaissance which has continued to the day, with many old yachts restored or rebuilt to racing condition, and 8mr competition is once again thriving with 25–35 boats participating annually at the 8mR Worlds. "The International Eight Register" includes 177 identified existing boats of a total of approximately 500 boats built from 1907 until today.

Events

EventGoldSilverBronze
1908 London
details
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain  (GBR)
Blair Cochrane
Charles Campbell
John Rhodes
Henry Sutton
Arthur Wood
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden  (SWE)
Carl Hellström
Edmund Thormählen
Eric Sandberg
Erik Wallerius
Harald Wallin
The Duchess of Westminster
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain  (GBR)
Philip Hunloke
Alfred Hughes
Frederick Hughes
George Ratsey
William Ward
1912 Stockholm
details
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway  (NOR)
Thoralf Glad
Thomas Aas
Andreas Brecke
Torleiv Corneliussen
Christian Jebe
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden  (SWE)
Bengt Heyman
Emil Henriques
Alvar Thiel
Herbert Westermark
Nils Westermark
Flag of Russia.svg  Finland  (FIN)
Bertil Tallberg
Arthur Ahnger
Emil Lindh
Gunnar Tallberg
Georg Westling
1920 Antwerp
1907 rule
details
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway  (NOR)
Carl Ringvold
Thorleif Holbye
Alf Jacobsen
Kristoffer Olsen
Tellef Wagle
No further competitors No further competitors
1920 Antwerp
1919 rule
details
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway  (NOR)
Magnus Konow
Thorleif Christoffersen
Reidar Marthiniussen
Ragnar Vik
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway  (NOR)
Jens Salvesen
Finn Schiander
Lauritz Schmidt
Nils Thomas
Ralph Tschudi
Flag of Belgium (civil).svg  Belgium  (BEL)
Albert Grisar
Willy de l'Arbre
Georges Hellebuyck
Léopold Standaert
Henri Weewauters
1924 Paris
details
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway  (NOR)
Carl Ringvold
Rick Bockelie
Harald Hagen
Ingar Nielsen
Carl Ringvold, Jr.
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  Great Britain  (GBR)
Ernest Roney
Harold Fowler
Edwin Jacob
Thomas Riggs
Walter Riggs
Flag of France.svg  France  (FRA)
Louis Breguet
Pierre Gauthier
Robert Girardet
André Guerrier
Georges Mollard
1928 Amsterdam
details
Flag of France.svg  France  (FRA)
Donatien Bouché
André Derrien
Virginie Hériot
André Lesauvage
Jean Lesieur
Carl de la Sablière
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands  (NED)
Johannes van Hoolwerff
Lambertus Doedes
Hendrik Kersken
Cornelis van Staveren
Gerard de Vries Lentsch
Maarten de Wit
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden  (SWE)
Clarence Hammar
Tore Holm
Carl Sandblom
John Sandblom
Philip Sandblom
Wilhelm Törsleff
1932 Los Angeles
details
US flag 48 stars.svg  United States  (USA)
Owen Churchill
John Biby
Alphonse Burnand
Kenneth Carey
William Cooper
Pierpont Davis
Carl Dorsey
John Huettner
Richard Moore
Alan Morgan
Robert Sutton
Thomas Webster
Flag of Canada 1921.svg  Canada  (CAN)
Ronald Maitland
Ernest Cribb
Peter Gordon
George Gyles
Harry Jones
Hubert Wallace
No further competitors
1936 Berlin
details
Flag of Italy (1861-1946).svg  Italy  (ITA)
Giovanni Reggio
Bruno Bianchi
Luigi De Manincor
Domenico Mordini
Enrico Poggi
Luigi Poggi
Flag of Norway.svg  Norway  (NOR)
Olaf Ditlev-Simonsen
John Ditlev-Simonsen
Hans Struksnæs
Lauritz Schmidt
Jacob Thams
Nordahl Wallem
Flag of German Reich (1935-1945).svg  Germany  (GER)
Hans Howaldt
Fritz Bischoff
Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach
Eduard Mohr
Felix Scheder-Bieschin
Otto Wachs

World Championships

After a long break, the Worlds have been organized for the eight metres in four classes:

1. The World Cup. [2]
2. The Sira Cup – All Classic eights built prior to 1968 [3]
3. The Neptune Trophy – All Classics with original deck plan build prior to 1970, wooden spars and Dacron sails [4]
4. Vintage eights – Gaffs build before 1920.

Sira Cup Winners 1983–2015
YearLocationWinnerOwnerDesignerBuilt
1983Hankø – NorwayVisionRobin ClarkeC.E. Nicholson1930
1984RCYC – CanadaVisionRobin ClarkeC.E. Nicholson1930
1985Rochester – USAVisionRobin ClarkeC.E. Nicholson1930
1986Cannes – FranceAyanaWalter LatschaF. Camatte1947
1987NJK – HelsinkiWyeSigfrid SvenssonC.E. Nicholson1935
1988Sandham – SwedenWandaLasse BjörkTore Holm1937
1989RCYC – CanadaVenture IILorne CorleyE.A. Shuman1938
1990Rochester – USAVenture IILorne CorleyE.A. Shuman1938
1991RCYC – CanadaVenture IILorne CorleyE.A. Shuman1938
1992Sandham – SwedenIsabelBo PerssonGustav Estlander1928
1993NJK – HelsinkiAndromedaOla & Ulf NilssonArvid Laurin1947
1994Cannes – FranceVisionEric MalletC.E. Nicholsen1930
1995Medemblik – The NetherlandsVisionEric MalletC.E. Nicholsen1930
1996Sodus Bay – USAIskareenRalph ReimannOlin Stephens1939
1998Geneve – SwitzerlandVisionEric MalletC.E. Nicholson1930
1999Rochester – USANorsemanCedric G. E. GylesWilliam J. Roue1930
2000Porto St.Stefano – ItalyVisionEric MalletC.E. Nicholson1930
2002NJK – HelsinkiBonaDr. Giovanni MognaBaglietto1934
2003SNT – FranceBonaDr. Giovanni MognaBaglietto1934
2004SNG – SwitzerlandCutty TouAlain & Gilles MinosC.E. Nicholson1930
2005RCYC – CanadaIskareenRalph ReimannOlin Stephens1939
2006Lindau – GermanyFroyaPeter GrohBjarne Aas1939
2007RNCYC, The Clyde – ScotlandSaskiaJohn & Micheal StephenWilliam Fife III1931
2008KNS Hankø – NorwaySiraHis Majesty Harald V of Norway Johan Anker1938
2009Hyères – FranceSevernBrad ButterworthWilliam Fife1936
2010Toronto – CanadaRavenMark DeCelles and Richard SelfAlfred Mylne & Sir Thomas Glen-Coats1938
2011Flensburg – GermanyRavenMark DeCelles and Richard SelfAlfred Mylne & Sir Thomas Glen-Coats1938
2012Cowes – EnglandRavenMark DeCelles and Richard SelfAlfred Mylne & Sir Thomas Glen-Coats1938
2013Helsinki – FinlandRavenMark DeCelles and Richard SelfAlfred Mylne & Sir Thomas Glen-Coats1938
2014La Trinité-sur-Mer – FranceRavenMark DeCelles and Richard SelfAlfred Mylne & Sir Thomas Glen-Coats1938
2015SNG – SwitzerlandWyvernRüdiger StihlStarling Burgess / A&R1928
2016RCYC - CanadaBangaloreShannon Howard and Bart MeuringNANA
2017KNS - NorwayPandora (ex. Raven)Werner DeuringAlfred Mylne & Sir Thomas Glen-Coats1938
2018YCL - GermanyLuna Harri Roschier C.E. Nicholson2011

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Catboat</span> Type of sailboat

A catboat is a sailboat with a single sail on a single mast set well forward in the bow of a very beamy and (usually) shallow draft hull. Typically they are gaff rigged, though Bermuda rig is also used. Most are fitted with a centreboard, although some have a keel. The hull can be 12 to 40 feet long with a beam half as wide as the hull length at the waterline. The type is mainly found on that part of the Eastern seaboard of the USA from New Jersey to Massachusetts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tall ship</span> Large, traditionally rigged sailing vessel

A tall ship is a large, traditionally-rigged sailing vessel. Popular modern tall ship rigs include topsail schooners, brigantines, brigs and barques. "Tall ship" can also be defined more specifically by an organization, such as for a race or festival.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Gaff rig</span> Sailing rig configuration

Gaff rig is a sailing rig in which the sail is four-cornered, fore-and-aft rigged, controlled at its peak and, usually, its entire head by a spar (pole) called the gaff. Because of the size and shape of the sail, a gaff rig will have running backstays rather than permanent backstays.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Star (keelboat)</span> International one-design racing sailing keelboat class

The Star is a 6.9 metres (23 ft) one-design racing keelboat for two people designed by Francis Sweisguth in 1910. The Star was an Olympic keelboat class from 1932 through to 2012, the last year keelboats appeared at the Summer Olympics.

Sailing/Yachting is an Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad. With the exception of the 1904 and the canceled 1916 Summer Olympics, sailing has always been included on the Olympic schedule. The Sailing program of 1908 was open for a total of five sailing classes (disciplines), but actually only four Sailing events were contested. The planned venue of all races, named matches, was Ryde, Isle of Wight.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bermuda rig</span> Configuration of mast and rigging for a type of sailboat

A Bermuda rig, Bermudian rig, or Marconi rig is a configuration of mast and rigging for a type of sailboat and is the typical configuration for most modern sailboats. This configuration was developed in Bermuda in the 1600s; the term Marconi, a reference to the inventor of the radio, Guglielmo Marconi, became associated with this configuration in the early 1900s because the wires that stabilize the mast of a Bermuda rig reminded observers of the wires on early radio masts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">12 Metre</span> International racing sailing class

The 12 Metre class is a rating class for racing sailboats that are designed to the International rule. It enables fair competition between boats that rate in the class whilst retaining the freedom to experiment with the details of their designs. The designation "12 Metre" does not refer to any single measurement on the boat, and is not referencing the vessels overall length, rather, measures the sum of the components directed by the formula which governs design and construction parameters. Typically 12 Metre class boats range from 65 to 75 feet in length overall; they are most often sloop-rigged, with masts roughly 85 feet tall.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">J-class yacht</span>

A J-Class yacht is a single-masted racing yacht built to the specifications of Nathanael Herreshoff's Universal Rule. The J-Class are considered the peak racers of the era when the Universal Rule determined eligibility in the America's Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">International rule (sailing)</span>

The International rule, also known as the Metre rule, was created for the measuring and rating of yachts to allow different designs of yacht to race together under a handicap system. Prior to the ratification of the International rule in 1907, countries raced yachts under their own national rules and international competition was always subject to various forms of subjective handicapping.

One Ton Cup Sailing trophy

The One Ton Cup is a trophy presented to the winner of a sailing competition created in 1899 by the Cercle de la voile de Paris (CVP).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Skerry cruiser</span> Ship type

Skerry cruisers are yachts, usually wooden, which are constructed according to the Square metre rule. Originating from Sweden, they were historically most popular in the Baltic Sea, though some classes also saw popularity in other European countries and USA. Skerry cruisers are construction classes, meaning that though the boats are not identical with each other, they are all built according to same formula, making them broadly comparable in size and performance. Most skerry cruisers are slender boats, with low freeboards and tall rigs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">6 Metre</span>

The International Six Metre class is a class of classic racing yachts. Sixes are a construction class, meaning that the boats are not identical but are all designed to meet specific measurement formula, in this case International rule. At their heyday, Sixes were the most important international yacht racing class, and they are still raced around the world. "Six metre" in class name does not, somewhat confusingly, refer to length of the boat, but product of the formula; 6mR boats are, on average, 10–11 metres long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tore Holm</span> Swedish sailor

Tore Anton Holm was a Swedish yacht designer, boatbuilder, and sailor who competed in the 1920, 1928, 1932, 1936 and 1948 Summer Olympics.

HMY <i>Britannia</i> (Royal Cutter Yacht)

His Majesty's Yacht Britannia was a gaff-rigged cutter built in 1893 for RYS Commodore Albert Edward, Prince of Wales. She served both himself and his son King George V with a long racing career.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">12 foot dinghy</span>

The Twelve Foot Dinghy was designed by George Cockshott, an amateur boat designer from Southport, England in response to a 1912 design contest. It became the first one-design racing dinghy to achieve international recognition. The class was granted the 'International' status by the IYRU in 1919 and remained this status until 1964 when it was revoked by the same authority. The class was selected as the dinghy class for the Olympics in 1920 & 1928. In 1924 the French wanted to use an alternate French design.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">7 Metre</span>

The International Seven Metre Class is a construction class, meaning that the boats are not identical but are all designed to meet specific measurement formula, in this case International Rule. At their heyday, Metre Classes were the most important group of international yacht racing classes, and they are still actively raced around the world. "Seven" in class name does not, somewhat confusingly, refer to length of the boat, but product of the formula; 7mR boats are, on average, 13 meters long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">10 Metre</span>

The International Ten Metre Class is a construction class, meaning that the boats are not identical but are all designed to meet specific measurement formula, in this case International Rule. At their heyday, Metre Classes were the most important group of international yacht racing classes, and they are still actively raced around the world. "Ten" in class name does not, somewhat confusingly, refer to length of the boat, but product of the formula; 10mR boats are, on average, 16.5 meters long.

The International Nine Metre Class is a construction class, meaning that the boats are not identical but are all designed to meet specific measurement formula, in this case International Rule. At their heyday, Metre Classes were the most important group of international yacht racing classes, and they are still actively raced around the world. "Nine" in the class name does not, somewhat confusingly, refer to the length of the boat, but the product of the formula; 9mR boats are, on average, 18 meters long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">15 Metre</span>

The IYRU Fifteen Metre class yachts are constructed to the First International rule of 1907. A total of twenty 15mR yachts were built between 1907 and 1917, the four that have survived are still actively raced.

<i>Ariki</i> (yacht)

Ariki is a racing yacht which was built in Auckland, New Zealand in 1904 by Logan Brothers. She had a distinguished career as a racing and cruising yacht. From the time of her launch in Oct 1904 she dominated first class Auckland yacht racing until the appearance of the yacht Ranger in 1938. She has the sail number A3.

References

  1. "Eight Metre "VERANO II" (Snarken) - Part 1". 9 February 2011. Retrieved 13 October 2022.
  2. "IEMA". www.8mr.org. Archived from the original on 25 April 2018. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  3. "IEMA". www.8mr.org. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  4. "IEMA". www.8mr.org. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 25 April 2018.