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The Canottierc Napoli Canpionat <> -Mondial 5.5 Metre Class Cup . Won at Napoli in 1965 .
The world championships for 5.5 metre yachts , Palm Beach Circle , 1986 .
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THE INTERNATIONAL 5.5 METRE CLASS
In the immediate years that followed World War 11 , people interested in yachting considered that the
6 metre yacht had become too expensive to construct and campaign as an intemalional class . With this in view , the yachting hierarchy encouraged 1he famous yacht designer . Charles Nicholson , to produce n design that would be less expensive to build than the
6mctre . a1arles Nicholson also considered thnt there were many advantages and disadvantage with the rules that applied at that time to the measurement rules of the International Metre Rule and the Square Metre Rule , the Inner being very popular in the Scandinavian cou . ntries , i . e . 40 . 30 , 22 and 17 square metre yachts . The International Metre Rule encouraged yachts to be a heavy displacement . then known as ' lead mines ', whereas the Square Metre Rule specined the maximum area of sail permitted which in tum encouraged long and light displacement types of yachts to be built .
With this in mind , Charles Nicholson contrived a rule that incorporated the many good points from both of the rules that then applied . This rule became the lntemational 5.5 MeueRulc , a rule that specified
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minimum and maximum dimensions for sail area . displacement . beam , draft etc . To indicate to the yachting world what a yacht built to the 5.5 Metre Rule would look like , he organised llis firm . Camper
& Nicholson , to build to his design a yacht which was named The Debutanle . The Deb , ns ~ he was referred to . was a p : 1rticularly handsome yacht , of medium displacement with long traditional overbang . s .
The IYRU adopted the International 5.5 Metre Rule and the class was adopted to compete in the 1952 Olympic Games . The intcmntional 6 metre was also included in the 1952 games at Helsinki . however , these were the last games that the 6 metre sailed in . It is now history how Dr Britton Chance , fotherof Britton Chance Junior . in 1952 designed a 5.5 metre called Complex l / and won the gold medal for the United States at Helsinki . Jock Sturrock who competed in the Star class nt Helsinki was also fuU of praise for this new class when be returned to Australia .
The fact that the class bad been included in the 1956 Olympic Games to be held in Melbourne saw immediate interest and enthusiasm from our leading yach ! smen . Fred Harris imponed Huney , a Camper
& Nicholson design and build similar to The Deb , and Bill Furberimponed A / talr , built by Woodnuns . Isle of Wight , from the United Kingdom . Jock Sturrock encouraged Geoff Bingham to have a 5.5 metre built in Melbourne 10 a design by Arvid Laurin . from Sweden . who was u auccessfuJ designer of 6 metre yachts . The 5.5 metre was named Burradoo . The Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron raised funds from members within the club and their shipwright , Jim Perry , built Kirribilli a design from Ling <> --ilic designer of the Soling Clas .~.
Trials were held and the successful yacht was 811rradl ) O , skippered by Jock Sturrock . Jock went on to win a bronze medal for Australia at the 1956 Olympia in Melbourne . After the ' 56 games further interest was generated . Other yachts were imported from tl1e United Kingdom and several were designed and built locally .
Jock Sturrock sailed Burradoo in the 1960 Rome Olympics . however , she had become out-designed . The gold medal was won by Mi1101a11r , a design from the successful power-boat designer , Raymond Hum . Minotaur was a maximum displacement yacht with deep · v · sections . Norman Booth was impressed with thls yacht and commissioned Raymond Huntto design a similar vessel . Tue vessel was named Southern Cross . Norman Booth and crew ' Poddy ' O ' Donnell , and Curl Ryves won many Smte and national championships in her . Booth was a great supponuofboth the Dragon and 5-5 . metreclasscs . 1be famous Berry ' s Bay bootbuilder . Bill Bamen , built another three 5.5s for Norman Booth . They were Southern Cross II , a Bill Luders ' design ; So111htrn Cross Ill , a design from SparkmaoaodStcphens , andjina / lySouthernCrosslV . from Bill Luders . The laller yacht won tho world championshlps in 1974 .
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