Since the early 20th century, the Square Metre Boat is admired for its beauty, speed, and joy to sail. Inspired by the elegance of the Skärgårdskryssare, it was time for a good-looking and well sailing one-design suiting better to the requirements of a family in the early seventies. So Swede 55 was conceived in 1974-75 by naval architect Knud Hjelmberg Reimers in Stockholm/Sweden as a modern version of the classy Square Metre Boat. Here you find more about the development.
Thanks to the length Swede 55 is fast. The slim line offers a swift ride and soft motion in a seaway. The big distance between keel and rudder provides good directional stability. And the boat alters course instantly when the freestanding and cleverly balanced rudder is turned. This finesse provides endless fun.
Compared to a true Skärgårdskryssare Swede 55 is slightly wider, has a little more freeboard and offers full headroom below the stretched cabin roof. The time aboard is spent mostly in the comfortable and safe centre-cockpit: albeit sailing, relaxing, chatting or dining. Recessed between the main and aft cabin, it is as comfy and safe as aboard a Motorsailer. And in high seas it is nice to have a couple a of metres behind.
Fisksätra Varv AB in Västervik on the east coast of Sweden built Swede 55. As Swedish pioneers of glass fibre manufacture, the yard built small powerboats like the Mustang or Folkparca and motorsailors like Havsfidra, Storfidra and Parant in substantial numbers. Further, more than 300 S30 cruising square metre boats, the smaller sister of Swede 55, were built by Fisksaetra since 1972.
Being introduced with a pleasant brochure and advertised, for instance, in the SAS flight magazine. Further, Swede 55 was displayed at the Hamburg Boat Show. One boat even came in a cargo plane to make it to the Toronto Boat Show in time.
This led to 27 Swede 55 Fisksätra manufactures from 1976 to fall 1979. Most of the Swede 55 went to Sweden, Finland, three to Germany, one to Switzerland/Lake Constance, one to Italy, some to the Adriatic Sea and the USA. Fisksätra belonged to the Swedish investor Gylling, which withdrew from Fisksätra in 1979.
Further, six Swede 55 were built from 1982 to 84 by a successor named ACVA Båt in Nyköping using the original mould, among them Counterpoint. This boat has been sailing since 1992 in Cape Town/South Africa as Spilhaus III. So from 1976 to 84 a total of 33 Swede 55 were built. Here you find details of the entire fleet.
Construction of Swede 55
Hull: Hand laid glass fibre reinforced polyester resin with woven roving. Thickness varies from 4/5” (20 mm) near the keel to 3/10”(8 mm) in some parts of the stern where stress is minimal. Several longitudinal stringers.
Deck and superstructure: Including the cockpit, made in one unit of GRP, reinforced with a 4/10” (10 mm) balsa core on horizontal surfaces. The deck and superstructure are further reinforced with 3/10” (8 mm) aluminium plates in places of tracks, cleats, winches.
Illustration on top: Cabins spread over 39 feet (ca. 12 m). Brochure Swede 55 Project ≈ 1974 Swedesail Archives. Updated July 12, 25.→ Subscribe Newsletter and you won’t miss future articles.
