Why "Metre" Is in The Names International Rule Yachts
It is commonly believed that the term Metre refers to the units of measurement used for the input values entered into the formula. This has led to the idea that the use of metric units for the formula represented a major concession on the part of the British whose preeminence in yachting at the time could have justified using Imperial units. In fact, the formula works equally well with Imperial Units. The relation between the length and area components of the formula are preserved whether in metric or Imperial Units.
The use of the term Metre refers to the unit of length used in the expression of the result of the calculation. If one uses Imperial Units, the result for a Six Metre yacht is 19.685 feet. The London Conference preferred the term "Six Metre" yachts to "19.685 Foot" yacht.
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