Reading Time: 6 minutesA while ago Richard Natmeßnig invited me for an afternoon aboard his Swede 41 Classic named Sleipnir. Having spent three unforgettable hours at the tiller of his boat on Fehmarnsund, I vividly remember this tempting experience. Swede 41 Classic with a lot of sail area Interested in sailing and familiar with Square Metre Boats, I found two observations irritating. First, …
Reading Time: 7 minutesThis 13-metre racer is an important boat for the Skerry Cruiser scene in Northern Germany. With Aurora, Georg Milz brought his idea for a sailing event from the 2008 centenary of the Square Metre Class from Stockholm to Fehmarn. She gifted fans of true and classic Skerry Cruisers and their successors, the fabulous Schlank & Rank Regatta. The North German …
Reading Time: 5 minutesAdvantages and disadvantages of the slender and long Square Metre Boat, the development of the so-called Skerry Cruiser, and how beam is measured since 1925. A brief look at the compromise between minimal water resistance in light wind and the ability to carry sail in a fresh breeze. Rapid Skerry Cruiser development in the 1910s The slimmer the boat, the …
Reading Time: 3 minutesAs outlined in the page about the first S30 version, a production of 229 boats within six years was a remarkable, by today’s standards, astonishing achievement. However, expectations regarding boat handling and space below deck significantly increased in the 1970 ties. The competition provided a lot more in this regard with other boat models. So Fisksätra Varv principal Torild Larsson …
Reading Time: 3 minutesThe modern cruising version of the Square Metre Boat of the seventies, also known as Cruising Skärgårdskryssare like S30 and Swede 55, is an interesting boat. It is a clever merge of agile and enjoyable sailing with comfort for a family or friends aboard. It is easy to maintain and durable. In the nineties they were relaunched in advanced lightweight …
Reading Time: 4 minutesThe contemporary sailboat is high, wide, and chunky. This Spirit 52 D reminds on the mayor purpose of a sailboat: being connected to the water with immediate response at the helm, seeing the breeze ahead and looking nice. For this custom-built manufacture, headroom and similar considerations were secondary. So this one off by Sprit Yachts is a kind of 52 …
Reading Time: 6 minutesThe Square Metre Boat cruising variant Swede 55 is delighting sailors all around the globe. Although series production ended in 1979, with Gamle Swede as hull number 27 launched by Fisksätra Varv, 18 more boats followed. One of them, technically and in terms of sailing the most interesting, is Cheyenne. Göran Lindgren got his dream boat for the Stockholm archipelago. …
Reading Time: 3 minutesHere you see some Videos of Cruising Square Metre boats: the S30 successor Swede 41 Sleipnir, the Swede 55 successor Cheyenne and the last Swede 55 Fisksätra delivery Gamle Swede in German and Danish waters. Swede 41 Classic Sleipnir The gentleman with the hat at the tiller is Stockholm sailor Olof Hildebrand. He initiated the development of Swede 55 in …
Reading Time: 6 minutesWhich profile is ideal for the rudder blade, different to the Swede 55 keel fin? What was common in advanced boat building in the 1970s? What is used today? Which shape helps to avoid the stalling effect? How you determine the ideal profile for your boat. Following the first article on suitable bushings for the rudder bearing and the second …
Reading Time: 5 minutesThe appeal of a special type of sailing photography, showing the action half above and half of the aquarium-green water below. How southern German water sports photographer Ulli Seer became inspired by George Greenoughs Psychedelic Surf movies of the Seventies and Berlin outdoor photographer Soeren Hese later carried on. Technical challenges and how they were mastered in analogue times and …
