Different to other sailboats, the true Skärgårdskryssare or Square Metre Boat and their successors for cruising are designated by sail area instead of their length or a formula. For example, the 15 stands for the smallest 15 m2 class, the 22 for the 22s, and so on. If the designation number is underlined, as in the above photo of a 30, it is a measured and approved as a 30 m2 class.
The nominal sail area of a Skärgårdskryssare
How does this number come together? As with the metre classes of the International Rule set up in 1906, the mainsail triangle and 85 percent of the headsail triangle are considered. Initially, when most of the sail area was in the gaff rigged main and the rest in the fairly small forewing-like jib, this approximated the real sail area. Obviously, the jib has a little more cloth than 85 percent of the foresail triangle. As in other areas of our life, there is a difference between the official number and the real one.
The actual sail area of a Square Metre Boat
In 1926, a special headsail tailored by Italian sailmaker Raimondo Panario was first tested on the Six-Metre Yacht Cora IV in Genoa, Italy. It was considerably larger than the commonly known jib. And it was legal. Pulled sideways past the mast, it had the charm of significantly increasing the up wind sail area regardless of the sail measurement.
With this sail, the boat was doing well in very light air at the regattas off Genoa. Thus, the name of the new sail. The following year, the new sail was hoisted at the Scandinavian Gold Cup in the American Oyster Bay. In 1930, the American sailor Elisabeth Hovey enjoyed her 30 sqm boat Oriole II off Marblehead with this light wind weapon. Besides that, it seems remarkable that she was steering, and the two lads took care of the foresheet.
Lucky with the Genoa – Courtesy of the Boston Public Library, Leslie Jones Collection
A little later, Hovey brought the sail to square metre boat regattas to Kiel/Germany, where it was always taken off board in the evening for safety’s sake. The Genoa was so interesting that the areas of the main- and headsail were rebalanced aboard new sqm boat designs. The headsail area, which was considered with a factor of 0.85, was increased at the expense of the mainsail. In addition, the headstay was moved forward and attached higher to the mast. This added drive. As a precaution, the so-called headsail height was limited to 70 percent of the mainsail height in 1935.
The consequences of the Genoa in the m2 class
In light wind waters near the European Alps, the Genoa has become indispensable — and larger. On many 30 sqm boats, it has become an almost isosceles triangle with enormous foot length. The clew is pulled all the way back — even behind the helmsman. As the Swedish Square Metre Class expert Olle Madebrink describes in the book The World of Square Metres, the Genoa had consequences for the design of the class. They now were well better motorised and could be built longer. The length measurement is revealing in this regard. Measured 18 cm above the waterline, it grew from just under 9 metres to about 10 1/2 m from 1929 to 1952. The hull speed increased from seven to eight knots.
30er square metre boats on Lake Constance – Foto M-Tec Sails
The geometric sail over the flat-borded hull is a wonderful sight. But the light wind weapon also has disadvantages. Visibility is limited. From an aerodynamic perspective, a high aspect sail shape would be better. The Genoa is unwieldy, subject to wear and expensive. Tactically, it limits the sailor. Every tack with this cloth slows down seriously. It takes time to get the boat going after a tack. So sailors are careful with the course, tactics, and tacks. Some Genoas even have two windows for a desirable view. Sailors want to know if someone is coming and what the competition is doing.
The Lindau sailmaker Markus Roesch reports that a typical 30-Square-Metre Boat like the Bijou type is sailing upwind with 54 instead of 30 square metres. That’s the thing with the sail area aboard sqm boats. At first glance it seems simple, a closer look reveals the class is special, and the prettiest boat in the world.
Literature
Per Thelander: Alla våra Skärgårdskryssare, Svenska Skärgårdskryssareförbundet (SSKF), Stockholm 1991, 160 Seiten (Swedish), secondhand, ISBN: 91-970902-1-2. ↑ Chapter Regeln och des utveckling, pages 11ff.
The world of Square Metres. The Square Metre Rule – 100 years. Facts, history, and reports from all over the globe. Svenska Skärgårdskryssareförbundet (SSKF), Stockholm 2008, secondhand, ISBN: 978-91-633-3069-8 (English)
Credit to Ossi Paija, Chairman of the Board of the Six-Metre Class, regarding the invention of the Genoa. Photo above by Ulli Seer: 30 sqm boat Dreamtime at the Chiemsee-Classic Regatta. Published December 8, 22, updated May 9, 25.→ Subscribe the free Newsletter.
