Ton classes are categories used to identify classes of yachts.
Thames tonnage
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:
where the length is in feet, from the stempost to sternpost; and the beam is the maximum beam, in feet.
Godinet rule
The Godinet rule was adopted in 1892 by the "", and was quickly adopted by other nations on the European continent. It allowed the classifications of yachts by tons, with a formula established by Auguste Godinet which considers displacement, length, and the total sail area.
where: L = LWL P = girth of the hull S = Sail area T = Rule in tons The , 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 later won the gold medal in the category 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 were Olympic classes in 1900 and probably also in 1896. Due to weather conditions the yacht races in 1896 were cancelled and much information of that event is no longer available. For the 1900 events, sailing categories were 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
1900 Olympics
1900: Open class Great Britain (GBR)Lorne CurrieJohn GrettonLinton HopeAlgernon Maudslay Germany (GER)Paul WiesnerGeorg NaueHeinrich PetersOttokar Weise France (FRA)Émile Michelet
1900: 0 to .5 ton Race: 1 France (FRA)Pierre Gervais France (FRA)François TexierAuguste TexierJean-Baptiste CharcotRobert Linzeler France (FRA)Henri MonnotLéon TellierGaston Cailleux
1900: 0 to .5 ton Race: 2 France (FRA)Émile Sacré France (FRA)François TexierAuguste TexierJean-Baptiste CharcotRobert Linzeler France (FRA)Pierre Gervais
1900: .5 to 1 ton Race: 1 Great Britain (GBR)Lorne CurrieJohn GrettonLinton HopeAlgernon Maudslay France (FRA)Jules ValtonFélix MarcotteWilliam MartinJacques BaudrierJean Le Bret France (FRA)Émile MicheletMarcel Meran
1900: .5 to 1 ton Race: 2 France (FRA)Louis Auguste-Dormeuil France (FRA)Émile MicheletMarcel Meran France (FRA)Jules ValtonFélix MarcotteWilliam MartinJacques BaudrierJean Le Bret
1900: 1 to 2 ton Race: 1 Switzerland (SUI)Hermann de PourtalèsHélène de PourtalèsBernard de Pourtalès France (FRA)François VilamitjanaAuguste AlbertAlbert DuvalCharles Hugo France (FRA)Jacques BaudrierLucien BaudrierDubosqÉdouard Mantois
1900: 1 to 2 ton Race: 2 Germany (GER)Paul WiesnerGeorg NaueHeinrich PetersOttokar Weise Switzerland (SUI)Hermann de PourtalèsHélène de PourtalèsBernard de Pourtalès France (FRA)François VilamitjanaAuguste AlbertAlbert DuvalCharles Hugo
1900: 2 to 3 ton Race: 1 Mixed team (ZZX)William ExshawFrédéric BlanchyJacques Le Lavasseur France (FRA)Léon SusseJacques DoucetAuguste GodinetHenri Mialaret France (FRA)Ferdinand SchlatterGilbert de CotignonÉmile Jean-Fontaine
1900: 2 to 3 ton Race: 2 Mixed team (ZZX)William ExshawFrédéric BlanchyJacques Le Lavasseur France (FRA)Léon SusseJacques DoucetAuguste GodinetHenri Mialaret France (FRA)Auguste Donny
1900: 3 to 10 ton Race: 1 France (FRA)Henri Gilardoni Netherlands (NED)Henri SmuldersChris HooykaasArie van der Velden France (FRA)Maurice GuffletA. DuboisJ. DuboisRobert GuffletCharles Guiraist
1900: 3 to 10 ton Race: 2 Great Britain (GBR)Howard TaylorEdward HoreHarry Jefferson France (FRA)Maurice GuffletA. DuboisJ. DuboisRobert GuffletCharles Guiraist United States (USA)H. MacHenry
1900: 10 to 20 ton France (FRA)Émile BillardPaul Perquer France (FRA)Jean, duc Decazes Great Britain (GBR)Edward Hore
1900: 20+ ton Great Britain (GBR)Cecil Quentin Great Britain (GBR)Selwin Calverley United States (USA)Harry Van Bergen
See also Metre Rule (sailing) Square Metre Rule (sailing) Universal Rule
References