8 Metre
# 8 Metre

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.

## History

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.

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

| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
| - | - | - | - |
| 1908 London details | 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 details | 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 details | 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 details | 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 details | 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 details | 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

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

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

