The "2.4 Metre" originated in Stockholm in 1983, where local ship designers used the "R metre" rule to design a single-handed keelboat. In the end it became the 2.4mR . It is a well thought-out racing boat with the sensitivity of a dinghy and the complexity of an America's Cup 12m racer, without the astronomical costs. As a sister boat of the larger 6m, 8m and 12m class design, the 2.4mR has the typical powerful sailing style of the "Metre boat" design.

Equal competition in the competition field

Since the helmsman sits facing the direction of travel of the boat with all trim control lines within easy reach, sailing the 2.4mR is not physically demanding. The races are run in an Open Class, in which men, women, young and old, able-bodied and disabled can compete against each other. Because the helmsman is seated close to the weight centre of gravity of the boat, the 2.4mR is not affected by differences in body weight between one or another helmsman. On the contrary, competitive sailing in a 2.4mR places the emphasis on sail trim, tactics and strategy.
The 2.4mR soon became a popular class and is now known worldwide. In 1992 the 2.4mR class acquired International Status, and since then official World Championships have been held annually, with 70 to 100 boats appearing at the start. Because the 2.4mR is easy to handle for sailors with a handicap, it has become the one-man boat class of the Paralympics since the Sidney 2000 Paralympics. The largest fleet is to be found in Scandinavia, the United Kingdom, Italy and Australia.

Future dream of Thierry for the 2.4mR

Owing to the great success of the Open World Championships with around 70 -100 participants at the start, the 2.4mR class does have a chance of becoming an Olympic class. This dream /development will have great consequences for the integration of handicapped top-level sports in top-level sports in general, a subject about which there is much discussion and much less action.

International Class Organisation: www.inter24metre.org