The story of this Swede 55 successor reveals, what can done with a tiller steered 52-footer, taking part in regattas on the south and west coasts of England, the Fastnet Race or on the Côte d’Azur.
It is helmed like a dinghy with a tiller extension instead of a wheel. Almost all the crew is sitting on the high edge. This is how the 16-metre Cruising Square Metre Boat Universal Hartbeat was driven in fresh winds in the early nineties in English hands. The boat’s name was deliberately chosen to reflect the sporting ambitions of the southern English owner and long-distance runner John Harding.
Swede 75, a turbocharged Swede 55 successor
By 1979, 27 boats had been built by the Fisksätra Yard and six more Swede 55s at the succeeding yard by 1986, including the Swede 55 Temptress, which was successful in the San Francisco – Hawaii Race, and Swede 55 Counterpoint, succeeding in the Annapolis Bermuda Regatta. At the end of the 1980s, Swede 55 initiator Olof Hildebrand, advised by Prof. Sven Olof Ridder and yacht designer Lars-Olof Norlin, were thinking about an advanced Swede 55. The idea was, to give the boat significantly more sail area, hence the type designation Swede 75, which derived from the nominal sail area (mainsail ∆ + 85% headsail ∆).
Swede 55
Swede 75
Mainsail
44 m2
62 m2
Jib
30 m2
43 m2
Up wind sail area
74 m2
105 m2 (152 %)
Universal Hartbeat obtained a much longer aluminium mast from Isomat, stabilized at the top by a jump stay and trimmed with runners and checkstays.
Einrichtungsplan Swede 75 von Lars Olof Norlin vom Dezember 1988 – Archiv Swedesail
A revised underwater hull with a stretched keel fin, 700 kg more, a lower located ballast and a lighter construction were intended to increase agility, speed and sailing fun. The water tank was placed in the keel. The inner shells, for the Fisksätra series manufactured interior and for the attractive cladding of the cabin walls, were omitted. This did further save weight.
How Swede 75 came about
Yacht designer Lars Olof Norlin (1932-2017), not to be confused with his better known colleague and naval architect Peter Norlin, was a qualified naval architect. He developed the Lidingö Yard Stick (LYS) handicap system at the end of the 1960s. Norlin had designed numerous cruising boats named Adagio, Allegro, Fortissimo, Furioso and even the popular Marieholm 33, and built a considerable number of them. Lars-Olof Norlin was familiar with the topic since the temporary production of the Swede 55 in his Acva Bat AB. In 1988-90, Olof Hildebrand’s Crown Yacht AB built two boats of this type, named Niña and Universal Hartbeat.
He moored Universal Hartbeat off Brooklands Farm in the River Hamble and sailed it in the Fastnet Race in 1991 and again in 1993. The above Beken of Cowes photos show the boat in the Needles Channel, among other places, running – according to Harding – at 12-14 knots.
In 1993, Universal Heartbeat was transferred through the Bay of Biscay to the south of France to participate in the Nioulargue Regatta. Universal Hartbeat spent some time in Mallorca before returning to England. In 1997, Harding sailed in the Three Peaks Yacht Race. This regatta commemorates the sailing adventurer and extreme mountaineer William “Bill” Tilman. Three mountains are tackled, which are conquered by a crew member at the fastest possible pace. Then the sailing continues. As motors are not allowed, but rowing is, a rowing device with dolphins and a trolley was mounted on the foredeck. Presumably, only the British do this.
Boat data Swede 75
Length over all
16 m
Length waterline
≈ 12,80 m
Beam
2,97 m
Draft
≈ 2,26 m
Displacement according to yard
8,2 t
Ballast
4,1 t
Ballast ratio
50%
keel stepped Aluminium mast by Isomat
22 m
Upwind sail area
105 m2
Mainsail
62 m2
Jib
43 m2
Length — Beam Ratio
5,3
Segeltragzahl
5
43-HP-Volvo Penta with Saildrive
Harding’s experiences with Universal Hartbeat
Harding enjoyed his wild sailing years on the boat. During the ride, shown off the Needles, Universal Hartbeat surfed long stretches of 17-18 knots in 6-7 Beaufort of wind, a few miles south of the Isle of Wight, and once slid down the waves at 21 knots. Normally don’t repeat such stories and figures, but Harding who sailed the so-called South Coast Regatta every year at the end of August did. They sailed 300 miles (ca. 483 km) and walked 70 miles (ca. 113 km).
At the end of the nineties, I visited Harding at Hamble and took the opportunity to have a look at his boat at the mooring. Harding described Universal Hartbeat as an interesting and challenging boat to sail in the windy south of England. He considers Swede 75 to be about 20 per cent over-rigged, and had sailed it almost constantly reefed.
‘The mast is too heavy at the top, pushes the boat on its side and causes the flank of the foreship to set hard into the short, steep wave.’ At that time, Harding considered either selling the boat or shortening the mast for the sake of manoeuvrability. In the early 2000s, Universal Hartbeat first came into the ownership of a German owner and then was soon sold to Sweden. Although the wind blows there too, it is not quite as strong as in England and the water is smoother.
My Experience with Swede 75
Swede 75 was the reason for the founding of Swedesail in 1991. In May 1992, I had the opportunity to sail the sister ship, Niña, with clients off Schilksee in the Kiel Fjord and off Warnemünde. A fascinating boat, which performs impressively even in light winds, a kind of turbocharged Swede 55.
A boat for experienced sailors
The Swede 75’s upwind tendency, which is normally built in as a precaution when heeling increases, has been turned off. As I experienced on a windy afternoon off Warnemünde aboard Niña, you have to deliberately luff in a strong gust to relieve pressure from the sails. Otherwise, the Swede 75 continues sailing, unfazed by the increasing heel and stays on course. I sold the boat to a German owner in 1995. Niña has been sailing with a carbon mast for several years.
Photo on top by Beken of Cowes: Universal Hartbeat in the Solent. Updated July 5, 25→ Subscribe Newsletter and you won’t miss future articles.
