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.

Class symbol
Class symbol
Finnish 8mR-yacht Sagitta (FIN–2) designed by Charles Nicholson in 1929 and owned by Timo Saalasti.
Development
Year1907 (rule design)

History

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The Swedish silver medalist Sans Atout at 1912 Summer Olympics.
 
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

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

World Championships

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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
Year Location Winner Owner Designer Built
1983 Hankø – Norway Vision Robin Clarke C.E. Nicholson 1930
1984 RCYC – Canada Vision Robin Clarke C.E. Nicholson 1930
1985 Rochester – USA Vision Robin Clarke C.E. Nicholson 1930
1986 Cannes – France Ayana Walter Latscha F. Camatte 1947
1987 NJK – Helsinki Wye Sigfrid Svensson C.E. Nicholson 1935
1988 Sandham – Sweden Wanda Lasse Björk Tore Holm 1937
1989 RCYC – Canada Venture II Lorne Corley E.A. Shuman 1938
1990 Rochester – USA Venture II Lorne Corley E.A. Shuman 1938
1991 RCYC – Canada Venture II Lorne Corley E.A. Shuman 1938
1992 Sandham – Sweden Isabel Bo Persson Gustav Estlander 1928
1993 NJK – Helsinki Andromeda Ola & Ulf Nilsson Arvid Laurin 1947
1994 Cannes – France Vision Eric Mallet C.E. Nicholsen 1930
1995 Medemblik – The Netherlands Vision Eric Mallet C.E. Nicholsen 1930
1996 Sodus Bay – USA Iskareen Ralph Reimann Olin Stephens 1939
1998 Geneve – Switzerland Vision Eric Mallet C.E. Nicholson 1930
1999 Rochester – USA Norseman Cedric G. E. Gyles William J. Roue 1930
2000 Porto St.Stefano – Italy Vision Eric Mallet C.E. Nicholson 1930
2002 NJK – Helsinki Bona Dr. Giovanni Mogna Baglietto 1934
2003 SNT – France Bona Dr. Giovanni Mogna Baglietto 1934
2004 SNG – Switzerland Cutty Tou Alain & Gilles Minos C.E. Nicholson 1930
2005 RCYC – Canada Iskareen Ralph Reimann Olin Stephens 1939
2006 Lindau – Germany Froya Peter Groh Bjarne Aas 1939
2007 RNCYC, The Clyde – Scotland Saskia John & Micheal Stephen William Fife III 1931
2008 KNS Hankø – Norway Sira His Majesty Harald V of Norway Johan Anker 1938
2009 Hyères – France Severn Brad Butterworth William Fife 1936
2010 Toronto – Canada Raven Mark DeCelles and Richard Self Alfred Mylne & Sir Thomas Glen-Coats 1938
2011 Flensburg – Germany Raven Mark DeCelles and Richard Self Alfred Mylne & Sir Thomas Glen-Coats 1938
2012 Cowes – England Raven Mark DeCelles and Richard Self Alfred Mylne & Sir Thomas Glen-Coats 1938
2013 Helsinki – Finland Raven Mark DeCelles and Richard Self Alfred Mylne & Sir Thomas Glen-Coats 1938
2014 La Trinité-sur-Mer – France Raven Mark DeCelles and Richard Self Alfred Mylne & Sir Thomas Glen-Coats 1938
2015 SNG – Switzerland Wyvern Rüdiger Stihl Starling Burgess / A&R 1928
2016 RCYC - Canada Bangalore Shannon Howard and Bart Meuring NA NA
2017 KNS - Norway Pandora (ex. Raven) Werner Deuring Alfred Mylne & Sir Thomas Glen-Coats 1938
2018 YCL - Germany Luna Harri Roschier C.E. Nicholson 2011

References

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  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.
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