On November 5, 1892, it was announced in the 'Field' that the Union des Yachts Français had decided to adopt a hull- and sail-area rating, it being considered by the 'active element in French yacht racing' that 'the type ... produced by the French length and girth rule is inferior to the type produced by the British and American rules ... British yachts having defeated those of France, although handicapped by the French rule of rating.' The conclusion was scarcely a logical sequence from the premisses. It should have been that French racing yachts were not the correct evolution of the French rule of rating. But we are now concerned with the new French rule (proposed by M. Godinet) in which sail is an important factor.
| Name of yacht | L | S | √S | M | XI. | XII. |
| Genesta | 81.0 | 7,643 | 101.40 | 91.27 | 94.21 | 87.39 |
| Volunteer | 85.9 | 10,270 | 87.43 | 105.42 | 100.24 | 93.30 |
| Chiquita | 45.5 | 2,636 | 51.36 | 31.32 | 53.20 | 49.35 |
| Ghost | 46.5 | 2,577 | 50.77 | 34.60 | 48.10 | 47.38 |
| Minerva | 40.0 | 2,700 | 52.00 | 29.73 | 50.39 | 46.00 |
| Dis | 36.0 | 1,658 | 40.71 | 22.37 | 36.23 | 36.00 |
| Decima | 35.67 | 1,679 | 40.94 | 22.17 | 37.23 | 36.71 |
| Doreen | 38.05 | 1,572 | 39.62 | 21.67 | 38.34 | 38.23 |
| Oread | 28.2 | 1,063 | 32.60 | 13.33 | 31.25 | 29.82 |
| Quinque | 33.0 | 900 | 30.00 | 13.33 | 30.93 | 32.02 |
| Valentine | 29.8 | 996 | 31.56 | 14.47 | 28.50 | 29.08 |
| Bedouin | 30.0 | 1,000 | 31.62 | 14.96 | 28.00 | 28.92 |
| Madcap | 21.0 | 714 | 26.72 | 9.97 | 20.89 | 20.97 |
| Lady Nan | 23.0 | 653 | 25.55 | 8.63 | 24.16 | 23.63 |
| Dolphin | 25.7 | 581 | 24.10 | 8.27 | 25.07 | 25.41 |
In its simplest form, it is:—
English R = (4L - G) G √S ÷ 520 (XIII.)
G. being the greatest girth from top of deck planking port, round keel to ditto starboard, plus extreme beam. Each of the three factors L. G. √S. being linear (metric measure) the result is given in cubic form, and is converted into English rating by the divisor selected, and the Y.R.A. time scale has been adopted by the Union des Yachts Français.
The editor of the 'Field' considers that 'the rule is calculated to produce a poor kind of vessel for match sailing or anything else'; but it is hazardous to prophesy the evolution of any rule, more especially one which taxes L., B., D., bilge, and S. No doubt the tax on D. is doubtful policy, and it seems very unnecessary when we consider the small depth of water in many French harbours, which is the most efficient check on D. it is possible to conceive for large yachts, and in the small classes D. gives grip and power to windward, and seaworthiness.
A careful analysis of the rule by the writer leads him to believe that the conclusion arrived at by the editor of the 'Field' is correct. It certainly appears that the rule has a sail-curve nearly as steep as the New York rule, which has been abandoned because it encouraged such large sail-plans. For this reason, therefore, if for no other, the new French rule seems to be inferior to the Y.R.A. and the Seawanhaka rules. A good letter on the subject of girth, by one of our leading designers, was published in the 'Yachtsman,' September 8, 1892.
On the whole, English yachtsmen would probably feel very disinclined to adopt the new French rule for British yacht-racing.
This concludes the examination of the more important national rules in which sail-area and some hull dimension or dimensions are combined in the formula for the rating, whether the result be cubic, linear, or otherwise.
We therefore now pass to the simple sail-area rule proposed by Mr. Richardson in 1886, viz.