5.5 Metre (keelboat)
Class symbol
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| Current specifications | |
|---|---|
| Crew | 3 |
| Type | Monohull |
| Design | Development class |
| Keel | Fixed |
| LOA | About: 9.5 m (31 ft) |
| Beam | Minimum: 1.92 m (6 ft 4 in) |
| Draft | Maximum: 1.35 m (4 ft 5 in) |
| Hull weight | Minimum: 1,700 kg (3,700 lb) Maximum: 2,000 kg (4,400 lb) |
| Main & jib area | Minimum: 26.5 m2 (285 sq ft) Maximum: 29.0 m2 (312 sq ft) |
| Spinnaker area | About: 50.0 m2 (538 sq ft) |
| Development | |
| Year | 1949 (rule design) |
| Designer | Charles E. Nicholson (rule designer) |
| Former Olympic class (Vintage Yachting class) | |
The International 5.5 Metre class was created to yield a racing keel boat giving a sailing experience similar to that of the International 6 Metre Class, but at a lower cost.
The main class regulation is a restriction on a single quantity output from a formula involving the boat's rating length L, weight (expressed as a displacement D) and sail area S; the regulation states that the output of this formula must not exceed 5.500 metres. There is considerable scope for variations in design while still meeting this restriction, and as a result each 5.5 metre boat is unique.
If the design parameters of a proposed new boat result in a formula output exceeding 5.5 metres, then one or more of the parameters must be suitably adjusted. Performance data gained from testing models towed in a long water tank (referred to in yacht design as Ship model basin) can suggest optimal combinations of parameters. The 5.5. metre rule is a variant of the International Rule (sailing) that was established already in 1907. The 5.5. is therefore closely related to larger metre boats such as the 6mR, 8mR and the 12mR.
Since 2010 the 5.5 Metre is one of the Vintage Yachting Classes at the Vintage Yachting Games.
Contents
History
The 5.5-metre class was a redesign of the 6-metre class by Charles E. Nicholson in 1937. The first boats conforming to the 5.5-metre rule were built in 1949. There had been an earlier attempt to build a cheaper alternative to the Sixes. In 1929 the 5-metre class was established by the French "Union de Societes Nautique Francaise" and the class was accepted in London. It achieved a position as the smallest new international metre class and some hundreds boats were built. Nevertheless the 5 metre never managed to achieve an Olympic status. The 5.5-metre class replaced it quickly and was raced in Olympics for first time in 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. The Scandinavian Gold Cup has also been competed with 5.5m boats since 1953. 5.5 metre boats replaced the International 6-metre at the 1956 Olympic Games held in Melbourne, Australia. The 5.5 metre participation in the Olympic sailing events continued at the 1960 Olympic Games and 1964 Olympic Games. During the 1960s it however began to draw similar criticism as preceding six-metre class - namely, increasing costs - and the boat lost Olympic status after 1968 Olympic Games, due to excessive design and building costs of one off boats, marking the end of development class keel boats in Olympic regattas. However, the class remained active thereafter and 5.5-metre boats are still very actively raced.
The formula
The measurement formula is given in the 2006 International Five Point Five Metre Rating Rules:
![5.500 \mbox{ metres} \ge 0.9 \cdot \left( \frac{L \cdot \sqrt[2]{S}} {12 \cdot \sqrt[3]{D}} + \frac{L + \sqrt[2]{S}} {4} \right)](/w/images/math/7/2/8/728a9eb7f8d1bb5516f44e7f375de9f7.png)
where
= length for rating
= measured sail area
= displacement in cubic metres
Events
Olympic Games[1]
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Sweden (SWE) |
2 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| 2 |  United States (USA) |
2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 3 |  Australia (AUS) |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 4 |  Great Britain (GBR) |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
 Switzerland (SUI) |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | |
| 6 |  Denmark (DEN) |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Norway (NOR) |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 5 | 5 | 5 | 15 | ||
World Championships[2]
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Vintage Yachting Games [3]
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Finland |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 |  Germany |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 |  France |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Pan American Games[4]
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  United States |
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2 |  Canada |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| 3 |  Ecuador |
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | ||
| Event | Gold | Silver | Bronze |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1959 Chicago | United States |
Canada |
Ecuador |
European Championships[5]
| Rank | Nation | Gold | Silver | Bronze | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Switzerland |
7 | 4 | 7 | 18 |
| 2 |  Norway |
2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| 3 | United States |
1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| 4 |  United Kingdom |
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 5 | France |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
 Soviet Union |
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| 8 | 8 | 8 | 24 | ||
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Class association
The object of the International 5.5 Metre Class Association is to promote and develop 5.5 Metre racing throughout the World. The first President of the association was Mr. Owen Aisher.[10]
Since the development of the class spanned more than half a century the early boats are not competitive to race against the modern designs. Therefore the association made, in 2007, divisions in the class based upon age of the boat:[11]
- Classic Fleet (Designs before 1970)
- Evolution Fleet
- Modern Fleet (Designs from 1994)
During major races there are separate trophies per fleet, however if a classic fleet boat beats the modern fleet, the classic fleet boat wins the modern fleet trophee.
References
- ↑ Olympic results
- ↑ World Championships
- ↑ Vintage Yachting Games
- ↑ PanAm results
- ↑ European Championships
- ↑ http://www.5.5class.org/archives/68/1968.html
- ↑ http://www.5.5class.org/archives/93/european1993.html
- ↑ http://www.5.5class.org/archives/95/european1995.html
- ↑ http://www.5.5class.org/archives/00/european_genova.html
- ↑ Constitution
- ↑ World Championship Rules
External links
- Official International 5.5 Metre Class
- 5.5m IC World Championships
- German 5.5m-Klassenvereinigung
- Switzerland 5.5m-Klassenvereinigung
- A 5.5m about to be restored in Australia
- A 5.5m about to be restored in Australia (cont.)
- The 5.5m World Fleet Online Database
- ISAF 5.5m Microsite Website
- ISAF Homepage
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