100 yachts from ten countries celebrate the 100 year Square Metre Jubilee
The Square Metre Rule Jubilee races took place in Saltsjöbaden, Sweden, in early August. One hundred yachts from ten countries participated in the 100 year anniversary arranged by the Swedish Maritime Museum and the Swedish Sailing Federation.
The regatta was preceded by the worst summer storm on record, but fortunately the two flotillas of visiting yachts (one from the south with mostly German yachts and one from Finland) had already reached the Stockholm area when the storm hit. Lucky, considering that many of the yachts are over seventy years old.
Present were a couple of 15 sq m, about twenty 22 sq m, more than forty 30 sq m, ten 40 sq m, ten 55 sq m and abound ten large square meter yachts (75, 95 and 150 sq m).
The Square Metre yachts are the most important Swedish contribution to the development of modern yachting. They are elegant and fast yachts and 1200 boats have been built since the rule was established in 1908. The yachts come in nine different sizes, from 15 sq m to 150 sq m. “So, there is really no need to get any other type of boat,” as the president of the Swedish Square Metre Association, Hans Samuelsson, modestly remarked.
Summary of Results:
There were 26 A22’s racings in the International Swedish Championship. Hummingbird with Stefan Andersson at the helm won, with Rolf Erixon in Gazell second and the third boat was Ramona 2 with Claes Ahlin at the tiller. The best performing guests were Eos from Berlin, captained by Berndt Zieger, who finished tenth and Vinst2/Tatjana with Johnny O’Donnel from Newport Harbour Yacht Club in the United States, who finished, 12th.
The European 30 sq m Championship included 39 participating yachts. It was won by Malin with the Swede Martin Klinga at the helm. The Hungarian yacht Vezmadar with Laszlo Hozmann at the helm took the second place and Swedish Gryning with Stefan Linder finished third. There were thirteen German yachts in the race and yachts from Britain, the USA and Switzerland were also participating.
The remaining yachts of all sizes were racing according to the Swedish LYS handicap system and they really put on a magnificent performance for a small group of lucky spectators. The winds were varied from light air to strong breeze with three races just outside Saltsjöbaden and a finishing archipelago race on the last day of the jubilee.
The winner of the races was the Finnish 55 sq m Mayflower, with Yrjö Rossi at the helm. He and his crew put on an excellent performance. They won one of the four races and finished second twice. Rio with the Swede Jan Pettersson at the helm finished second and Nils Forsfält on Swedish La Morena, a 95 sq m, finished third. Reiner Willman at the helm of the German 95 Girl took the fourth place. The fastest 40 sq m was the German yacht Aurora with Georg Miltz, who finished fifth.
The smallest yacht, a German 15 sq m MaCa III, with Hubert Mattaush at the helm finished 23rd and the largest yacht, the Swedish 150 sq m Beatrice Aurore, skippered by Henrik Kahm, finished 12th.
The Swedish Square Metre Association has published a jubilee book in English, The world of square metres. It is a collection of texts and pictures from Square Metre enthusiasts in Sweden, Finland, Germany, The Netherlands, Hungary, Britain, Australia, South Africa and the United States. This 320 page “ultimate book of the Square Metere of the world” cost 400 Swedish crowns (approx. €40 plus postage) and can be ordered through www.sskf.se. The website also gives further information about the Square Metre Classes.
Olle Appelberg
