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:

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

Godinet rule

Lérina during a sailing competition
Modification to the rule in 1901

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.

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 later won 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 were Olympic classes in 1900 and probably also in 1896. 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 were 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

Event Gold Silver Bronze

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

See also

References

  • ISBN 978-90-78440-23-9
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