The Generations Cup

After World War II, funds were focused on rebuilding Europe, making the heavy 8-Metre class yachts prohibitively expensive to build. New, lighter boats with smaller sails emerged, but the 8 mR yachts continued to thrive, especially in Scotland, Scandinavia, France, and Lake Ontario, where they were raced on tight budgets. In 1967, Eugene van Voorhis built the first new 8-Metre, Iroquois, designed by Olin Stephens, but it never raced for Canada’s Cup due to rule changes. Instead, he sold another yacht, Iskareen, to Scotland, marking a pivotal moment for the class. At the Royal Northern Yacht Club, Eugene challenged the Scots to a race, leading to the inaugural 8-Metre World Cup in 1970. Despite foul weather, six boats competed, with Dr. Weir’s Silja winning and Eugene finishing a close second. The event sparked a new tradition, establishing the World Cup as an annual challenge among nations.

The Sira Cup, named after King Olav V of Norway's yacht Sira from 1938, was created in 1983 for 8mR yachts built before 1960 after the king realised that newer yachts did not harmonise well with older boats. During the 1983 8mR World Championship in Hankø, Norway, King Olav V and Erik Anker decided to endow the trophy. The Sira Cup, which is held in parallel with the 8mR World Cup, has maintained the participation of classic yachts and strengthened the class. Today, the eligible yachts form the ‘Sira Class’ within the 8-metre class.

The Neptune Trophy, which evolved from the Coupe Cartier, was presented to the Royal Northern Yacht Club on June 21, 1890, by James Coats Jr. as a prize for large handicap yachts during Clyde Week. The intricately embossed sterling silver trophy was first engraved with “Royal Northern Yacht Club Corinthian Regatta 21 June 1890” and was initially won by “May,” owned by W.J. Chrystal. After World War II, it became known as the 8-Metre Points Trophy, raced for at the Royal Northern Regatta during Clyde Week.

Prize for the best performing European 8mR. The Coppa d’ Italia is an Italian national treasure and was made in 1898. The Coppa d’ Italia, owned by Yachtclub Italiano, was donated to the 8mR class in 1908 by His Majesty King Umberto of Italy.All yachts with a valid measurement certificate are eligible for this cup.

The Canada’s Cup was created as a challenge between the Royal Canadian Yacht Club (RCYC) and the Lincoln Park Yacht Club of Chicago, first raced in 1896. The competition has since become one of the most important match-racing events in North America, typically featuring yachts representing these two nations in high-level racing. The cup bears historical significance as one of the oldest active sailing competitions in North America.

Introduced to support the restoration and competitive racing of classic 8-Metre yachts, especially those built between 1925 and 1940. Provides an equal platform for both classic and modernized yachts with historical upgrades like aluminum spars, Kevlar sails, and modern rigging. Helped inspire new restorations and revived interest in 8-Metre racing events. Held at Société Nautique Genève. La Coupe Cartier was followed by the Neptune trophy, a trophy that had been raced and won by eight metre class boats since the early ages of the metre class rule.

Amsterdam 1928: Yacht Club de France Trophy Virginie Hériot (1890–1922), member of the Yacht Club de France, honorary quartermaster of the French Navy, and emeritus navigator, was famous throughout the world for her elegance, her love of the sea and yachting, her numerous victories in regattas, and the gold medal she won at the Olympic Games in Amsterdam 1928, onboard her Aile VI, in the Eight Metre Class. In 2014, the Yacht Club de France created this annual trophy in her memory to encourage women amateurs who are members of the IEMA (the international 8-meter association) who, through their excellence on the water, contribute to the reputation of the class.

At an auction in Uppsala, Sweden, the historic Anker Trophy, crafted in 1918 by Norwegian silversmith David Andersen, was up for bid. The International Eight Metre Association (IEMA) saw this as a chance to reclaim a piece of its heritage. With a tip from friend Bobby Cyrus, the IEMA sent Tom Knutsen to secure the trophy. In a tense final moment, Tom placed a winning bid against an unknown competitor, bringing the trophy back to its rightful home. Renamed the Corinthian Trophy, it is now awarded annually at the World Cup to those embodying the true spirit of Eight Metre sailing.