The aim of this participative wiki-type website is to take advantage of the well-named World Wide Web to collect and make public as much information as possible about the « 5.5 metre International Class » yachts, born in 1937, and to build up a documented history of the Class.
6096 documents, links and infos have already been uploaded and made accessible to everybody via the web, since the creation of this wiki in November 2005.
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The very first « 5.5 metre » racing yacht design, and the Rating Rules issued from this project were created in 1937 by Charles E. Nicholson. However, the first unit built (K-1 « The Deb ») and launched conforming to these rules wasn’t until 1949, about eight years later. No further notes needed to explain that long gap…
Since that date, the successful « 5.5 metre » has not only been recognized as an « International Class » by the World Sailing association (named « IYRU » at this date), the but also by the Olympic Games Committee as an Olympic category for the games that held in Melbourne, Australia in 1956, until the last campaign in 1968 at Acapulco, Mexico.
Approximately 800 original and different boats have been designed, built and sailed all over the world by ca. 131 designers, 184 boat builders and more than 1556 owners over almost 34 countries to date ! What a record !
This heritage is now regularly preserved in two famous spots: the Yachting Heritage Center - Robbe & Berking Museum in Flensburg (GER) and the Musée du Léman in Nyon (SUI). [ Less ]
2024-04-13
Added photography «5.5 D 6 "Jane"» to the gallery.
2024-03-30
Added racing result «Ostern TYC» to the racing history.
2024-03-26
Added note «The boat farthest right seems to be John B, BAH 11?».
2024-03-26
Added note «The picture is from the world championship in Nassau 1981».
2024-03-15
Added new owner Olaf Schulz for boat GER-126.
2024-03-06
Added document «5.5 NOR 53 - lines». Hull deails
2024-03-06
Added photography «5.5 NOR 53 - actual image» to the gallery.
2024-03-06
Added photography «5.5 NOR 53 - half model» to the gallery.
2024-03-06
Added photography «5.5 NOR 53 in 2004» to the gallery.
2024-02-22
Added note «Newly found info: In the start-/result lists from Sandhamn 1959 the name is
2024-02-22
Added note «Also the finnish Gold Cup-challenger in Sandhamn 1959 with G Kyntzell»
2024-02-22
Added racing result «Regatta for 7 boats left behind in Scand Gold Cup.» to the r
2024-02-05
Added hyperlink «5.5m S.I. - Classe italiana». Italian Class site
2024-01-22
Added new owner Markus Pois for boat AUT-027.
2024-01-22
Added note «The name is spellt Tomatwo according to certificate from 1971 when Nathorst
2024-01-22
Added document «Certificate». Second swedish cert, G LLoyd
2024-01-22
Added document «Certificate». First swedish cert, signed Ljungström
2024-01-22
Added document «Certificate of rating». With signature Torsten Gustafsson
2024-01-22
Added document «Measuremeny Cetrificate SWE 5». First certificate june 26, 1951.
2024-01-22
Added document «Measurement certificate SWE 5». First certificate june 26, 1951.
How to contribute ?
Participation is free and open to all, but is subject to prior registration. Anybody can contribute by adding information, gossip, tips, pictures, drawings, rating certificates, racing results, whatever is useful for this history… and also by participating to the maintenance budget via the crowd funding [to come, work in progress]. The language used on this website is English and the interventions are signed (no anonymous contribution).
[sources of the intro:
the World Class association website and the Wikipedia dedicated page ]
