Charles Nicholson and Malden Heckstall-Smith finished producing the 5.5 Metre class rating rule in 1948, 73 years ago and yet there has never been a book written to fully cover the international class history.
This is about to change as the Finnish-Norwegian team of Matti Muoniovaara and Mikkel Thommessen have started to write the first ever definitive book to cover whole story of the class from the very beginning through to the current day.
The 5.5 Metre class was born after World War II, designed as a cheaper option than the 6-metre for sailing in the Olympics, as well as a modern up-to-date keel boat. The story begins much earlier, in around 1900, when all principal rating rule formulas were developed.
The book we will tell how this small keelboat developed to one of the finest ever handcrafted wooden sail racing boats until the end of the 1960s. In 1970 the boat was modernised with a separate rudder to make it as modern as possible. Did you know that at the 1952 IYRU conference there was already a proposal to allow the separate rudder? Unfortunately however that proposal was rejected.
During the Olympic era the boat was the formula one class of sailing. Many famous sailors sailed the 5.5, such as Britton Chance Sr, Lars Thörn, Pelle Gedda, Ernest Fay, Robert Mosbacher, George O’Day, Louis Noverraz, Bobby Symonette, Ray Hunt, Albert Fay, Bill Northam, Agostino Straulino, Poul Elvström, William Berntsen, Gordon Lindemann, HRH Prince Harald, HM King Olav V, Gordon Ingate, Jean-Marie Le Guillou, Ted Turner, Marc Pajot, Peder Lunde, Finn Chr. Ferner, Max Oberti, Beppe Croce, David Forbes, Claude Bigar, Frank Tolhurst, Thomas Sprecher, Roy Tutty, Harry C. Melges, Philippe Durr, Tom Jungell, Johan Gullichsen, Peter Tallberg, Ronald Pieper, Jonathan Janson, Robin Aisher, Kalle Nergaard, Christian Wahl, Kristian Nergaard, Dominique Lauener, Daniel Schenker, Glen Foster, Jürg Menzi, Thomas Moser, Gavin McKinney, Jochen Schüman, Bruno & Flavio Marazzi, Kenneth Thelen, Kristoffer Spone, Markus Wieser, Bernard Haissly, Bo Selko, Mark Holowesko and Craig Symonette,
The book will tell the development of the finest wooden sailboats, the 1970s modern cold moulded hulls and finally GRP construction through the 1980s.
The book will include the story of the Scandinavian Gold Cup, which was first raced for by the 5.5 Metres in 1953, the Olympic yachting era from 1952-68 and all the World Championship sailed since 1961 to the present.
The authors
Mikkel Thommessen is a well known Norwegian writer mainly in the Norwegian Seilmagasinet. The latest book he has written is the ‘Seiling i Norge - Norges Seilforbund 50 år’. Mikkel owned and sailed the 5.5 Metre ‘Vinnia’ from 1988 to 1995
Matti Muoniovaara has been in the class since 1988 and sails his second classic 5.5 Metre, ‘Scatoulitsa 4’, and is one of the most active sailors in the classics. He is also a longstanding member of the Technical Committee. In Finland he has written several articles about the 5.5s in the sailing magazines.
The book will be a high quality, large format and is expected to be around 300 pages and will be published by Robert Deaves. It is intended to be launched during the World Championship in Hankø in August 2021.
Finance
The class has already allocated €10,000 towards the project but much more is needed to see this through to completion next August.
1. Sponsors are being sought for contributions (Bronze: €500; Silver €1000; Gold > £1000) to cover the costs of production. In return sponsors will have their name included in a Tabula Gratulatoria within the book and will receive a special edition.
2. Advance ordering for the first copies will be available soon for around €60 each plus shipping.
3. Advertising opportunities may also be available at a later date.
Download more details on how to support this landmark book and reserve your special editions: here.
If you want to discuss this, or need persuasion to become a sponsor, please contact Peter Vlasov on petervlasov@mac.com
Content
In addition, members and former sailors are being asked to please dig into their files to look for historical pictures, diagrams and plans, preferable high resolution. Anyone with photos or material that can be used should please contact Mikkel on mikkel@seilmagasinet.no.