download

Is this the land of fjords and elks, as seen by touristfolklore? Maybe, but above all else, it is the land ofVikings and seafarers. Because of this maritime tradition,Norway is a true stronghold for classic yachts today.As Peter Ennals, commodore of the NorwegianClassic Yacht Club, points out: »Our grandparentswere used to boats and good at handling them. The boatbuilderskept alive the Viking tradition of building light vessels thatwere strong and seaworthy. They found oak and pine timberalmost everywhere. Looking back from 160 to 75 years ago,boatbuilding was an important industry in Norway. The mainvolume of production was small rowing and sailing boats measuring15 to 20 feet in length, used for daily transport betweenthe islands and for fishing and hunting.«PILOT and rescue boatsWith the rapid growth of shipping, pilots were competing forjobs outside every local harbour on the extremely long coastline.They were good sailors and often fought to be the firstto enter incoming ships, whatever the weather. Sometimes thepilots met for local regattas. Many ship owners also had privateboats built for pleasure and sport. Inspired by the Britishand Continental yachtsmen, they also established yacht clubs.At that time, Norwegian labour was cheap and competitive.Traditional »skøyter« – heavy and beamy gaff-rigged doubleenders– were popular as fishing vessels, pilot boats and lateras rescue vessels. Colin Archer, the son of Scottish emigrants,started as a boatbuilder and designer in Larvik. His rescue vesselsbecame famous all over the world.Colin Archer also designed sailing yachts for the growingnumber of leisure sailors, and these yachts were much sleeker,deeper and faster than his famous rescue and pilot cutters.Some of his boats were sailed around the world, and Archersoon had a full order book. He inspired new yacht designers,including Johan Anker and Christian Jensen. Anker’s fatherwas a wealthy industry leader and a founding member of Norway’sfirst national yacht club. Johan studied naval architecturein Germany. A few years later, he established his own yard atVollen, 20 miles south of Oslo. Johan Anker was also one ofthe fathers of the new international metre-rule in 1906. At thattime, he designed, built and sailed several metre boats and wonregattas in Scandinavia as well as in England and Germany.Boats from Johan Anker’s drawing board and yard now foundbuyers all over the yachting world. In 1928 he and his goodfriend Crown Prince Olav won the Olympic gold medal inAmsterdam with the 6-metre Norna.During the Second World War, a large percentage of Norwegianmetre-boats were confiscated, lost or destroyed. Afterthe war, a lack of materials and buyers led to a slow recoveryfor boat yards. However, interest in sailing was strong, andnew successful designers and yards were soon enjoying increasingdemand for boats. In particular, one-design classes such asFoto: wikipedia.orgjohan ankerJohan Anker (1871–1940) war ein erfolgreicherRegattasegler, Olympiasieger, Yachtkonstrukteurund Werftbesitzer. Seine Meter-Yachtenwaren international gefragt und galten alsbesonders schnell und elegant. Anker entwarfauch den bis heute populären Drachen. //Johan Anker (1871 to 1940) was a successfulracing yachtsman, Olympic champion, yachtdesigner and yard owner. His metre-class yachtswere in high international demand and seemed tobe especially fast. Anker also designed the Dragon,which is popular as a class to this day //24