Toronto’s Royal Canadian Yacht Club hosts the prestigious 8Metre World

by Victoria Crowder on 15 Jun 2010 8Metres of all vintages will start and race together during the 2010 World Championships at the Royal Canadian Yacht Club. Competitors will be racing for the coveted International 8Metre World Cup, awarded to the overall winner.

The regatta takes place at Toronto’s Royal Canadian Yacht Club on Lake Ontario from August 22 to 28, 2010. Sailors will compete in a 5-day series to decide who will be the 2010 8Metre World Champion. Scotland’s Lafayette will be present to defend her title against German, Canadian and American competition. The Classic Division will race for the Sira and Neptune Cups.

The 8Metre Class

The 8Metre Class was at the forefront of one-design sailing when the International Yacht Racing Union (IYRU) was formed in 1908 to introduce design coherence to international yacht racing. Specific rules and design criteria for each boat were set out in order to technically even the playing field and allow for international competition between hand-built wooden boats. The International 8mR Rule provides a set of measurement parameters for length, girth, freeboard and sail area. These measurements are part of an equation that can be manipulated by the designers and builders of each boat for local conditions. But, additions in one area mean deductions in others resulting in a close parity. Prior to the arrival of fibreglass and production molds, a one-design wood boat was extremely difficult to achieve but development was encouraged and changes to the International Rule were introduced in 1920 and 1934. The 8mR class has maintained its development status and new boats continue to be designed and built by some of the leading yacht designers.

The Modern Division of the 8Metre Class
The boats in the 8Metre Modern division have been designed and built after 1967 and closely resemble successful America's Cup 12Metre boats. Other than the restrictions specified in the Class rules, the Modern Class boats have no limits on materials for the hull, sails, spars and deck gear. Most of them are equipped with state of the art systems. The Modern boats race for the International 8Metre World Cup.

The Classic Division of the 8Metre Class
The boats in the 8Metre Classic division have been designed and built before 1967 and they qualify under the First, Second or Third International 8mR Rule. In World Cup events boats that have adapted the latest developments in yacht gear such as Kevlar sails, aluminum/carbon spars and modern deck gear race for the Sira Cup, donated by the King of Norway, Olaf V in 1983. More traditional boats seeking to maintain an authentic classic look with wooden masts and brass winches qualify to compete for the Neptune Cup. While the original boats designed and built before 1920 can compete for the First Rule Cup.

RCYC

The Royal Canadian Yacht Club (RCYC) offers both a down town city club and an island get-a-way, RCYC has something for everyone. The Island Club offers members and their guests a relaxing getaway while the city club’s downtown location is perfect for sports, entertaining and dining. The island club is accessed by private launch and is just minutes away from the hectic city pace.

RCYC was founded in 1852 to serve both as a yachting recreational club and, in the British tradition, as an unofficial auxiliary of the Royal Navy in the defence of the waters of Lake Ontario. After two fires almost 100 years ago, Edward, Prince of Wales, laid the cornerstone for the gracious two-story Southern-style Clubhouse that has been the RCYC's summer home ever since.