Klassiske Linjer nr 10 1999 - Klassisk Treseiler Klubb

10
First international rating rule, 1906
The yachts, the events, the people
ANDREW MCMEEKIN
There cannot be many
people alive today who
witnessed the glamour,
splendour and sportsmanship
of the yachting scene
before 1920; those who did
witness the events could
never forget the sight of the
graceful metre yachts with
their enormous cream
coloured sails, long overhanging
booms and the
immaculate turnout of both
yachts and crews. I thank
Yachting Monthly for photocopies
from their archives.
The London Conference met in
two sessions, January and June
1906, to draw up a new
International Rule for yacht
racing. The main object was to
encourage building of seaworthy
yachts with similar specifications
so that no handicap
system was needed. The mem-
It is a fact that most yachtsmen
begin a sailing life in small
craft, progressing through
stages to larger vessels as they
KLASSISKE LINJER NR.10 MAI 1999
ber nations who met in
London formed a committee
who later met again in Berlin
on 18th, 19th and 20th
October in order to decide
upon instructions to measurers
– the men who would
ensure that all competing
yachts adhered to the new rule.
The German Deutscher Segler
Verband had a large number
of existing yachts in the old
classes, and they voted to delay
the acceptance of the new rule
until 1st January 1908 in order
the give their designers and
builders more time to adapt
their resources; the remaining
national representatives agreed,
Alfred Benzon, 1906.
A Successful Yachtswoman
gain in experience. This was
not the way that Mrs Turner
Farley brought up her daughter
when she introduced her to
sailing in 1904. Living on the
coast of Cornwall, Mrs Turner
Farley taught her daughter to
sail their 36 ton yawl ‘NEBULA’.
Sensing her daughter’s
enthusiasm, Mrs Turner-Farley
commissioned Herreshof to
after lengthy discussion, to
adopt the new rule on 1st
January 1907. The committee
consisted of the following
persons, all of whom were
respected authorities in the
world of yachting: Mr. Augustus
Manning (Chairman);
Mr. Alfred Benzon (Denmark);
Professor Busley (Germany);
M. Le Bret (France); Mr W. P.
Burton (England) and Mr.
Heckstall-Smith (Secretary).
They avoided any margin of
error in their draft instructions;
each country appointed its
own official measurers, and
certificates of rating were
issued by each country’s
national association
The use of hollow metal masts
was prohibited – even Lloyd’s
found it difficult to devise a
scantling for metal masts
without having to make new
rules for rigging and shrouds;
yachtsmen themselves were in
favour of outlawing hollow
masts – even in wood – so
hollow masts were banned in
entirety. The committee,
obviously accustomed to the
cutter rig, at first assumed that
all of the metre classes would
be cutter rigged, but soon had
to change their minds when it
was pointed out that the sloop
rig was finding favour in the
smaller classes. Yachts over 23
metres were discussed and
were given the title “A-class”.
The committee was required
to frame special conditions,
for the A-class were schooners
and yawls only, and were given
racing time allowances – a
simple scale of 4 seconds per
metre of rating per nautical
mile.
The question of scantlings was
fully dealt with, the classification
“R” being adopted by
Lloyd’s in Great Britain,
Germanischen Lloyd and
Bureau Veritas. At the end of
their task the committee
proceeded to the Imperial
Palace at Potsdam, and on
21st October were received by
the Kaiser. The Emperor had
been following the committee’s
proceedings with interest, and
he complimented them on
their success. Although intended
as a ten year rule, the First
Rule was not amended and
revised until 1919, when the
Second Rule was adopted in
Europe. This lasted until 1933.