What is an 8 meter yacht?

In anticipation of the 2025 8 meter class World Cup in Turku, Finland, I'm starting a series of videos introducing the 8 meter (8mR) class and giving some behind-the-scenes information to encourage you to follow the class, perhaps even join in sailing and definitely making your way to Turku to see the World Cup August 3-9, 2025!

In this first video, 2 of the most knowledgeable people on 8 meter yachts, John Lammerts van Bueren and Murdoch McKillop get both technical as well as outright poetic in describing the ins and outs of the 8 meter class and racing with 8 meter boats.

Links:
8mR World Cup 2025 on the web: https://www.8mr.org/world-cup/2025/home
Race details and yacht registration: https://www.manage2sail.com/nl/event/...
Regatta venue: https://maps.app.goo.gl/91kjrjcaALJFV...

00:00 Introduction
02:25 What is an 8mR yacht?
07:17 Sailing and racing an 8mR yacht
09:10 Race categories explained
11:23 Comparing 8mR to one-design yachts
13:13 The World Cup event in Turku
15:31 The fun of racing 8mR yachts
20:36 The future of the 8mR class
22:04 Sustainable boating
22:47 Spectator vs participant sport

Photos: mostly from the 2013 8mR World Cup in Helsinki.
Shot of Murdoch's yacht Saskia: James Robinson Taylor
8mR drawing: Barbetorte, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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