6 metres, Open

The 6 metre class had been on the Olympic Program since 1908 and would remain an Olympic class through 1952. The International Rules for the metre classes were written in October 1907. The “6” in the 6 metre class represents the product of a formula, not the length of the boat. The 6 metre boats are usually 10 to 11 metres long. The formula uses the values of boat length, beam, waterline length, skin girth and chain girth, freeboard and sail area. The result is a fixed number, which is then referred to as the ship class. The class identifier for the 6 m class was an underlined Six “6”.

Three 6 metre boats competed in six races at the 1932 Olympics, so all teams won a medal. There was not much drama in this event as the standings were the same in all six races. The Swedish yacht Bissbi, skippered by Tore Holm, dominated the regatta, winning all the races and the gold medal. Equally clear was the silver medal for the United States boat, Gallant, which took second place in all races, while Canada’s Caprice was third throughout.