Ton class

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Ton classes are categories used to identify classes of yachts.

Thames tonnage

Early attempts at creating rating rules were based on the British "old tonnage measurement" system to calculate the volume of the hold of large commercial ships. It gave the vessel's carrying capacity in tons (at 35 cubic feet per ton) or, as some believe, in tuns. Sail area was not included, of course, nor were any credits given for less efficient rigs so, naturally, in the yacht-racing field the cutters predominated. Eventually, this rule was modified in 1854 as the Thames Measurement Rule:

${\displaystyle {\text{Thames tonnage}}={\frac {({\text{length}}-{\text{beam}})\times {\text{beam}}^{2}}{188}}}$

where the length is in feet, from the stempost to sternpost; and the beam is the maximum beam, in feet.

Godinet rule

The Godinet rule was adopted in 1892 by the "Union des yachts français", and was quickly adopted by other nations from the European continental. It allowed the classifications of yachts by tons, with a formula established by Auguste Godinet which considers displacement, length, and the total sail area.

${\displaystyle T={\frac {(L-0.25P)\cdot P\cdot {\sqrt {S}}}{130}}}$

where:

• L = LWL
• P = girth of the hull
• S = Sail area
• T = Rule in tons

The Société Nautique de Genève, which was an early adopter of the rule, amended it in 1901 to include the skin girth instead of the chain girth.

This new French rule was adopted in December 1892 by Switzerland followed by Germany, Denmark, Finland and Sweden in March 1893. Belgium and Spain completed the list. In March 1894 the Godinet rule is first noted in the United States, at the construction of the Vendenesse, the world's first aluminium yacht.

Some yacht in existence that were designed to the Godinet rule:

• Bona Fide: designed by Charles Sibbick in 1898 to rate as a 5-tonner. It was built at the Albert Yard, Cowes, for J.Howard Taylor, who laterwon the Gold medal in the category 3 to 10 tons at the 1900 Olympics. This yacht was authentically restored between 1999 and 2003 by the Cantiere Navale dell'Argentario, in Tuscany and is the last 19th century Godinet rater.
• Calypso: designed and built in 1911 to rate as a 3-tonner

Olympic Games

The Ton classes where Olympic classes 1900 and probably also on that of 1896. Unfortunately due to weather conditions the yacht races in 1896 were cancelled and much information of that event is no longer available. For the 1900 events, sailing categories are established based on the Godinet rule:

• 0.5 Ton
• 0.5–1 Ton
• 1–2 Ton
• 2–3 Ton
• 3–10 Ton
• 10–20 Ton
• Open Class

1900 Olympics France

EventGoldSilverBronze

1900: Open class

Great Britain  (GBR)
Lorne Currie
John Gretton
Linton Hope
Algernon Maudslay
Germany  (GER)
Paul Wiesner
Georg Naue
Heinrich Peters
Ottokar Weise
France  (FRA)
Émile Michelet

1900: 0 to .5 ton
Race: 1

France  (FRA)
Pierre Gervais
France  (FRA)
Texier (helmsman)
Texier (crew)
Jean-Baptiste Charcot
Robert Linzeler
France  (FRA)
Henri Monnot
Léon Tellier
Gaston Cailleux

1900: 0 to .5 ton
Race: 2

France  (FRA)
Émile Sacré
France  (FRA)
Texier (helmsman)
Texier (crew)
Jean-Baptiste Charcot
Robert Linzeler
France  (FRA)
Pierre Gervais

1900: .5 to 1 ton
Race: 1

Great Britain  (GBR)
Lorne Currie
John Gretton
Linton Hope
Algernon Maudslay
France  (FRA)
Jules Valton
Félix Marcotte
William Martin
Jacques Baudrier
Jean Le Bret
France  (FRA)
Émile Michelet
Marcel Meran

1900: .5 to 1 ton
Race: 2

France  (FRA)
Louis Auguste-Dormeuil
France  (FRA)
Émile Michelet
Marcel Meran
France  (FRA)
Jules Valton
Félix Marcotte
William Martin
Jacques Baudrier
Jean Le Bret

1900: 1 to 2 ton
Race: 1

Switzerland  (SUI)
Hermann de Pourtalès
Hélène de Pourtalès
Bernard de Pourtalès
France  (FRA)
François Vilamitjana
Auguste Albert
Albert Duval
Charles Hugo
France  (FRA)
Jacques Baudrier
Lucien Baudrier
Dubosq
Édouard Mantois

1900: 1 to 2 ton
Race: 2

Germany  (GER)
Paul Wiesner
Georg Naue
Heinrich Peters
Ottokar Weise
Switzerland  (SUI)
Hermann de Pourtalès
Hélène de Pourtalès
Bernard de Pourtalès
France  (FRA)
François Vilamitjana
Auguste Albert
Albert Duval
Charles Hugo

1900: 2 to 3 ton
Race: 1

Mixed team  (ZZX)
William Exshaw
Frédéric Blanchy
Jacques Le Lavasseur
France  (FRA)
Léon Susse
Jacques Doucet
Auguste Godinet
Henri Mialaret
France  (FRA)
Ferdinand Schlatter
de Cottignon
Émile Jean-Fontaine

1900: 2 to 3 ton
Race: 2

Mixed team  (ZZX)
William Exshaw
Frédéric Blanchy
Jacques Le Lavasseur
France  (FRA)
Léon Susse
Jacques Doucet
Auguste Godinet
Henri Mialaret
France  (FRA)
Auguste Donny

1900: 3 to 10 ton
Race: 1

France  (FRA)
Henri Gilardoni
Netherlands  (NED)
Henri Smulders
Chris Hooykaas
Arie van der Velden
France  (FRA)
Maurice Gufflet
A. Dubois
J. Dubois
Robert Gufflet
Charles Guiraist

1900: 3 to 10 ton
Race: 2

Great Britain  (GBR)
Howard Taylor
Edward Hore
Harry Jefferson
France  (FRA)
Maurice Gufflet
A. Dubois
J. Dubois
Robert Gufflet
Charles Guiraist
United States  (USA)
H. MacHenry

1900: 10 to 20 ton

France  (FRA)
Émile Billard
Paul Perquer
France  (FRA)
Jean, duc Decazes
Great Britain  (GBR)
Edward Hore

1900: 20+ ton

Great Britain  (GBR)
Cecil Quentin
Great Britain  (GBR)
Selwin Calverley
United States  (USA)
Harry Van Bergen

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References

• ISBN   978-90-78440-23-9 [ full citation needed ]