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.
[ More ]
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 1565 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 ]
2025-01-17
Added note «Water lines of WEB II (D 10, S/Y 52) and Ylliam XIV (Z 36, S/Y55) are ident
2025-01-15
Added note «Water lines of WEB II (D 10, S/Y 52) and YLLIAM XIV (Z 36, S/Y55) are ident
2025-01-15
Added note «The water lines drawing reveals that they apply to both ITA 28 as well as A
2025-01-15
Added note «The water lines drawing reveals that they apply to both ITA 28 as well as A
2025-01-13
Added note «As per previous statement see the water lines where it is specified that th
2025-01-13
Added note «As per previous statement see the water lines where it is specified that th
2025-01-10
Added note «As the participation of the 1964 silver medal boat was confirmed by the pre
2025-01-10
Added note «Further research into the history of "Lully IV" has resulted in a connectio
2025-01-08
Added racing result «5 Nations Cup / Evolution Category» to the racing history.
2025-01-04
Added photography «5.5 GER 37 "Singora" - prepared for the 2024 World's» to the g
2025-01-04
Added note «The boat sailed in the early 60's, into the mid seventies as KR S 451, in S
2025-01-04
Added new owner Tage Eriksson for boat SWE-009.
2025-01-04
Added new owner Lars Kihl for boat SWE-009.
2025-01-03
Added note «Further research into the Ohlson family archives and into the Lloyd's Regis
2025-01-02
Added photography «Southern Cross GER 78» to the gallery.
2025-01-02
Added photography «Southern Cross GER 78» to the gallery.
2025-01-02
Added note «According to Lloyd's Register, 1975».
2025-01-02
Added new owner The Sewickley Syndicate for boat USA-017.
2025-01-02
Added document «5.5 US 3 "Rush IV" - registered in Norway». The Lloyd's Register
2024-12-23
Added photography «5.5 GER 117 "Alzira" - new rudder» to the gallery.
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 ]
