The Universal Rule determined a yacht's eligibility to race in the America's Cup from 1914 to 1937. Boats built according to the rule reached their peak in the large J-class yachts. Before 1914, the Seawanhaka Rule was used, and after 1937 smaller boats were desirable, and so the International Rule regained its popularity and became the standard. The 6, 8 and 12 Metre Classes were the most popular and the latter was used for the America's Cup until 1987, the last year the America's Cup was sailed in 12-meter yachts.
Yacht designer Nathanael Herreshoff devised the rule in 1903. Herreshoff had designed winning America's Cup yachts which fully exploited the Seawanhaka rule, which was based only on a yacht's waterline length and sail area, to create narrow boats with long overhangs. This reached its peak with Reliance, the defender of the 1903 America's Cup, which was described as a "racing freak", suitable only for certain conditions. This prompted Herreshoff to propose a rule which also took into account the displacement of the boat.
Read more about Universal Rule: Universal Rule Formula
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