Eight Meter
Description
The Eight Meter (or 8 Metre, abbreviated 8mR) is a historic International Rule racing yacht class established in 1907 under the International Yacht Racing Union (now World Sailing). It is a construction class (not one-design), meaning boats vary in hull form, rig, and details but must conform to a measurement formula that produces an "8 metre rating" (essentially a rating rather than literal length). The formula balances sail area, length, and other factors to create competitive, elegant yachts averaging around 40–50 feet (12–15 m) in overall length, with sleek lines, deep keels, and powerful rigs. The class was an Olympic event from 1908 to 1936 (e.g., 1908–1936 Games featured 8mR races) and remains active today through the International Eight Metre Association (IEMA), with world championships, national fleets (e.g., North America, Europe), and restoration efforts. Approximately 500 8mR boats were built between 1907 and 2008, with 177 surviving as of recent counts — many are classic wooden classics (pre-1960s) raced under Sira Cup rules (allowing modern rigs/deck hardware), while post-1960s boats use original materials for authenticity. The sail rig dimensions listed here are suggestions.
Construction Details
| Designer | Unknown |
|---|---|
| Length | 50.000 ft |
| LOA | 21.800 ft |
| LWL | 18.200 ft |
| Beam | 8.200 ft |
| Max Draft | 3.300 ft |
The standard boat dimensions
| i | 41 ft |
|---|---|
| j | 16.33 ft |
| p | 54.33 ft |
| e | 20 ft |
| p2 | - |
| e2 | - |
| i2 | - |
| j2 | - |
| I | J | P | E | P2 | E2 | I2 | J2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 41 ft | 16.33 ft | 54.33 ft | 20 ft | - | - | - | - |
Sails
Eight Meter - MAINSAIL
| Luff | * 54.33 ft - (16560 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 20 ft - (6096 mm) |
| Leech | * 57.06 ft - (17392 mm) |
| Tack Angle | * 87.98 ° |
| Diagonal | * 57.23 ft - (17444 mm) |
| Head (inches) | * 6 in - (152 mm) |
| Area | 542.77 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator |
Eight Meter - JIBSAIL
| Luff | * 35.31 ft - (10762 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 22.58 ft - (6882 mm) |
| Leech | * 29.52 ft - (8998 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 115 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 18.78 ft - (5724 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 12 ° |
| Area | 331.58 ft² |
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Eight Meter - GENOA
| Luff | * 41.93 ft - (12780 mm) |
|---|---|
| Foot | * 27.19 ft - (8288 mm) |
| Leech | * 38.83 ft - (11835 mm) |
| Percentage LP | * 150 % |
| Length Perpendicular | * 24.5 ft - (7468 mm) |
| Deck Angle | * 4 ° |
| Area | 513.55 ft² |
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Eight Meter - SPINNAKER
| Stays | * 41.93 ft - (12780 mm) |
|---|---|
| MidGirth | * 29.39 ft - (8958 mm) |
| Foot | * 29.39 ft - (8958 mm) |
| Perc LP | * 180 % |
| Area | 1047.47 ft² |
| Edit in Calculator |
Disclaimer. Boats are not all the same -- even when produced in the same factory of the same model. Sailrite does its best to publish accurate dimensions, but we often find it worthwhile to have our customers measure their boats carefully before we produce kits for them. You should take the same precautions, especially when the data is not from Sailrite. The information on this site is not guaranteed to be accurate. Sailrite offers this content as a service to our community, but takes no responsibility for the reliability of the data provided.
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