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The Universal Rule (Universal Rule for Yachts) determined a yacht's eligibility to race in the America's Cup from 1914 to 1937 and for this the J-class was chosen. Boats built according to the rule reached their peak in the large J-class yachts. This Rating Rule is intended to calculate a rating for yachts, which can then be used to calculate its Time Correction Factor (T.C.F.) in order to have disparate yachts racing against each other. The first boat said to be built under the universal rule was Nathanael Greene Herreshoff's Doris built in 1905.
Before 1914, the Seawanhaka Rule was used for America's Cup racing, and after 1937 smaller boats were desirable, and so the International Rule gained popularity in the 12-Metre Class and smaller to the detriment of the M-class and smaller and became the standard. The 6, 8 and 12 Metre Classes and from 1948 on the 5.5 Metre, were the most popular and the 12-Metre was used for the America's Cup until 1987, the last year the America's Cup was sailed in 12-meter yachts.
Yacht designer Nathanael Herreshoff devised the rule in 1902 "Herreshoff Rule" and accepted by the New York Yacht Club as the rule-making body for 1903. [1] [2] Herreshoff had designed winning America's Cup yachts which fully exploited the Seawanhaka rule, which was based only on a yacht's upright waterline length and sail area, to create narrow boats with long overhangs. This reached its peak with Reliance , the defender of the 1903 America's Cup, which was described as a "racing freak", suitable only for certain conditions. [3] This prompted Herreshoff to propose a rule which also took into account the displacement of the boat. [4]
Mathematically, the Universal Rule formula as introduced in 1903 was: [5]
Variables:
The numerator contains a yacht's speed-giving elements, length and sail area, while the retarding quantity of displacement is in the denominator. Also the result will be dimensionally correct; R will be a linear unit of length (such as feet or meters). Sailing craft are thus rated when their R rating falls within a certain range. J-Class boats, for example, are any single masted craft with an R between 65 and 76 feet (adjusted upward from original to allow British yachts under the International Rule to compete.
The listing for single mast boats, namely classes I through S.
The yachts were divided into Development Classes
Incorrect upper limits; should read 16.x feet, etc. [7]
There were multi-mast classes too, running Class A to Class H.
Note: The 1941 edition of Norman Skene's book (posthumously (1878-1932)) is the most up to date outside the confidential notes of the Rules Commission notes of the New York Yacht Club. Skene was the designer of J-Class yacht "Yankee" (1930)[ citation needed ], America's Cup contender, eliminated in the last selection match, [10] so had access to these rules.
The International 5.5 Metre class was created to yield a racing keel boat giving a sailing experience similar to that of the International 6 Metre Class, but at a lower cost.
The International Americas Cup Class is a class of racing yacht that was developed for the America's Cup between 1992 and 2007. These yachts, while not identical, were all designed to the same formula to offer designers the freedom to experiment whilst keeping the boats sufficiently comparable to race in real time. The class was established for the 1992 America's Cup because of perceived shortcomings of the 12-metre class, which had been used in the America's Cup since 1958.
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.
The J Class of racing yachts were built to the specifications of Nathanael Herreshoff's Universal Rule. The J Class is considered the apex of the era when the Universal Rule determined eligibility in the America's Cup.
Reliance was the 1903 America's Cup defender designed by Nat Herreshoff.
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.
Olin James Stephens II was an American yacht designer. Stephens was born in New York City, but spent his summers with his brother Rod, learning to sail on the New England coast. He also attended the Massachusetts Institute of Technology for a term.
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.
A sailing yacht, is a leisure craft that uses sails as its primary means of propulsion. A yacht may be a sail or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, so the term applies here to sailing vessels that have a cabin with amenities that accommodate overnight use. To be termed a "yacht", as opposed to a "boat", such a vessel is likely to be at least 33 feet (10 m) in length and have been judged to have good aesthetic qualities. Sailboats that do not accommodate overnight use or are smaller than 30 feet (9.1 m) are not universally called yachts. Sailing yachts in excess of 130 feet (40 m) are generally considered to be superyachts.
The Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club is one of the older yacht clubs in the Western Hemisphere, ranking 18th after the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron, New York Yacht Club, Royal Bermuda Yacht Club, Mobile Yacht Club, Pass Christian Yacht Club, Southern Yacht Club, Biloxi Yacht Club, Royal Canadian Yacht Club, Buffalo Yacht Club, Neenah Nodaway Yacht Club, Raritan Yacht Club, Detroit Boat Club Detroit Yacht Club, San Francisco Yacht Club, Portland Yacht Club, New Hamburg Yacht Club, Eastern Yacht Club, and Milwaukee Yacht Club. It is located in Centre Island, New York, with access to Long Island Sound.
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.
The Canada’s Cup is a silver trophy, deeded in perpetuity in 1896, to be awarded to the winner of a series of match races between a yacht representing a Canadian yacht club and one representing an American yacht club, both to be located on the Great Lakes.
Ton classes are categories used to identify classes of yachts.
The International Six point Five 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 the French rule called Jauge chemin de fer.
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; 7 m boats are, on average, 13 meters long.
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; 10 Metre boats are, on average, 16.5 meters long.
Enterprise was a 1930 yacht of the J Class and successful defender of the 1930 America's Cup for the New York Yacht Club. It was ordered by a syndicate headed by Vice-Commodore Winthrop Aldrich, designed by Starling Burgess, and built by Herreshoff Manufacturing Company.
Liberty (US-40) was an American racing yacht in the 12-metre class that unsuccessfully defended the 1983 America's Cup.
Handicap forms for sailing vessels in sailing races have varied throughout history, and they also vary by country, and by sailing organisation. Sailing handicap standards exist internationally, nationally, and within individual sailing clubs.
The America's Cup class may refer to any yacht-building rule or any group of racing yachts that were built for the America's Cup sailing competition, including: