Ton Classes

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:

<math>Template:Thames Tonnage = \frac {({length}-{beam}) \times {beam}^2} {188}</math>

where:

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

Godinet rule

File:Lerina 1900.jpg

Lérina during a sailing competition

File:Chain and skin girth.svg

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.

<math>T=\frac {(L- 0.25P) \cdot P \cdot \sqrt{S}} {130}</math>

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 laterwon the Gold medal in the catagory 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 where Olympic classes 1900 and probably also on that of 1896. Unfortunately due to weather conditions the yacht races in 1896 where cancelled and much information of that event is not longer available. For the 1900 events, sailing categories are 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

Olympic results

Ton Class	Rank	Country	Helmsman	Crew	Yacht
0.5	1	[[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias FRA|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] [[Template:Country IOC alias FRA at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] (FRA)	GERVAIS, Pierre		Quand-Même
	2	[[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias FRA|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] [[Template:Country IOC alias FRA at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] (FRA)	TEXIER I	CHARCOT, Jean LINZELER, Robert TEXIER II	Baby
	3	[[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias FRA|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] [[Template:Country IOC alias FRA at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] (FRA)	MONNOT, Henri	TELLIER, Léon CAILLEUX, Gaston	Sarcelle
	4	[[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias FRA|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] [[Template:Country IOC alias FRA at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] (FRA)	SACRE, Emile		Fantlet
0.5 – 1	1	[[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias GBR|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias GBR]] [[Template:Country IOC alias GBR at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias GBR]] (GBR)	LORD CURRIE, Lorne Campbell	GRETTON, John H. HOPE, Linton MAUDSLAY, Algernon	Scotia
	2	[[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias FRA|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] [[Template:Country IOC alias FRA at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] (FRA)	BAUDRIER, Jacques	MARCOTTE, F MARTIN, William VALTON Jules LE BRET, Jean	Crabe II
	3	[[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias FRA|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] [[Template:Country IOC alias FRA at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] (FRA)	MICHELET, E.	MICHELET, F. MERAN Marcel	Scamasaxe
	4	[[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias FRA|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] [[Template:Country IOC alias FRA at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] (FRA)	DE CHABANNE LA PALICE, Jean
1 - 2	1	[[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias SUI|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias SUI]] [[Template:Country IOC alias SUI at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias SUI]] (SUI)	COMTE DE POURTALES, Hermann Alexandre	DE POURTALES Hélène DE POURTALES, Bernard	Lérina
	2	[[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias FRA|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] [[Template:Country IOC alias FRA at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] (FRA)	VILAMITJANA, F.	ALBERT, Auguste DUVAL HUGO, Charles	Marthe
	3	[[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias FRA|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] [[Template:Country IOC alias FRA at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] (FRA)	BAUDRIER, Jacques	BAUDRIER, Lucien DUSBOSQ MANTOIS, Edouard	Nina-Claire
2 - 3	1	[[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias ZZX|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias ZZX]] [[Template:Country IOC alias ZZX at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias ZZX]] (ZZX)	EXSHAW, William [[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias GBR|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias GBR]] [[Template:Country IOC alias GBR at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias GBR]] (GBR)	BLANCHY Frédéric [[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias FRA|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] [[Template:Country IOC alias FRA at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] (FRA) LE LAVASSEUR Jacques [[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias FRA|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] [[Template:Country IOC alias FRA at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] (FRA)	Ollé
	2	[[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias FRA|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] [[Template:Country IOC alias FRA at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] (FRA)	SUSSE	DOUCET GODINET MIALARET	Favorite
	3	[[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias FRA|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] [[Template:Country IOC alias FRA at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] (FRA)	DONNY, Auguste		Mignon
	4	[[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias GER|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias GER]] [[Template:Country IOC alias GER at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias GER]] (GER)	SCHLATTER, Ferdinand	DE COTTIGNON JEAN-FONTAINE Emile
3 - 10	1	[[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias GBR|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias GBR]] [[Template:Country IOC alias GBR at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias GBR]] (GBR)	TAYLOR, Howard	HORE, Edward JEFFERSON, H. N.	Bona Fide
	2	[[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias FRA|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] [[Template:Country IOC alias FRA at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] (FRA)	GUFFLET, Maurice	DUBOS, A. DUBOS, J. GUFFLET, Robert GUIRAIST, Charly	Gitana
	3	[[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias USA|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias USA]] [[Template:Country IOC alias USA at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias USA]] (USA)	MACHENRY, M.		Frimousse
	4	[[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias FRA|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] [[Template:Country IOC alias FRA at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] (FRA)	GILARDONI
	5	[[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias NED|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias NED]] [[Template:Country IOC alias NED at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias NED]] (NED)	SMULDERS, Henricus Petrus	HOOYKAAS, Christoffel VAN DER VELDEN, Arie	Mascotte
10 – 20	1	[[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias FRA|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] [[Template:Country IOC alias FRA at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] (FRA)	BILLARD, Emile	PERQUER, P.	Estérel
	2	[[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias FRA|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] [[Template:Country IOC alias FRA at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] (FRA)	LE DUC DECAZES, Jean		Quand-Même
	3	[[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias GBR|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias GBR]] [[Template:Country IOC alias GBR at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias GBR]] (GBR)	HORE, Edward		Laurea
	4	[[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias FRA|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] [[Template:Country IOC alias FRA at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] (FRA)	CRONIER
OPEN	1	[[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias GBR|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias GBR]] [[Template:Country IOC alias GBR at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias GBR]] (GBR)	LORD CURRIE, Lorne Campbell	GRETTON, John H. HOPE, Linton MAUDSLAY, Algernon	Scotia
	2	[[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias GER|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias GER]] [[Template:Country IOC alias GER at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias GER]] (GER)	WIESNER, Martin	PETERS, Heinrich WEISE, Ottokar NAUE, Georg	Aschenbrödel
	3	[[File:Template:Country flag IOC alias FRA|22x20px|border|alt=|link=|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] [[Template:Country IOC alias FRA at the 1900 Summer Olympics|Template:Country IOC alias FRA]] (FRA)	MICHELET, E.	MICHELET, F.	Turquoise

• Phoebus090909.JPG

  the 3-tonner Phoebus II

• Phoebus090820.JPG

  aboard a 3-tonner

References

• ISBN 9789078440239