SVERIGE — 100 Knots?!

Posted on January 31, 2012 by Carl Cramer

(Rendering unknown)

‘”The year is 1930. The place is Detroit yacht Club in USA. It’s all about Harmsworth Trophy – the motor boatings counterpart to America’s Cup. Gar Wood completes his Miss America IX and is getting ready. The two Swedes standing on the dock in white overalls are also ready. They put on their flight hoods and motor goggles and enters the boat. ”Sveriges” two V12-engines roar up with a thunderous rumble”.

The words are Gits Olssons, a very well known swedish journalist, and the scenario could have been a reality. A few members of the Swedish Royal Motorboat Club had real plans to challenge the “Silver Fox” Gar Wood about the absolute speed record at sea. Even then it was understood; the value of hosting the world’s fastest boat. However, the plans unfortunately stayed just plans at that time. But Ruben Östlund’s drawings remain. And the precise architectural description is preserved. So the possibility still exists today.?

100 knots was an almost unattainable goal, already at that time. Today it is still an incredible speed – something that few people will be fortunate to experience. And especially not in a boat made of mahogany!’

The enterprising crew at Johansson & Son boatbuilders, in Holmsund, Sweden, and two clients have commissioned the (re-)creation of SVERIGE, designed to compete against Gar Wood in Miss America IX in 1930.   Unfortunately, the global economy at that time prevented the Swedish challenge from going forward.  But work on the new boat commenced in the summer of 2011.

There is a very good blog and photos of the construction of SVERIGE, here:

http://www.jsbab.se/startpage/out-boats/sverige/

and here’s where they were yesterday:

(Photo courtesy Johansson & Son)

If you’d like to hear the engine (a Rolls Royce Meteor), here’s a clip:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=H7fGB62l-5o

Good luck to them as they launch and try to hit 100 knots.

What do you think?

Thanks, Carl

Posted in My Wooden Boat of January 2012 | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Help, I’m In Love: Arthur Ransome’s RACUNDRA

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Carl Cramer

By pure happenstance and almost by mistake, I recently purchased a copy of Arthur Ransome’s RACUNDRA’s First Cruise.   First published in 1923, this was Ransome’s account of the cruise with his wife Evgenia and friend (“the Ancient Mariner”) through the eastern Baltic aboard their custom boat, RACUNDRA.

RACUNDRA was about 30′ LOA, and was designed by Ransome’s friend, Otto Eggers, Reval (now Tallinn), Estonia.

The story is fabulous, and is reminiscent — to me — of Erskine Childers’ TheRiddle of the Sands.  Except that Ransome’s tale is non-fiction.

On, now, to RACUNDRA.  Here she is:

I love this boat!

She’s a little more than I want… but I can handle that.  Ransome wanted to be able to handle her himself.  Thus, her tiny sail area.

So, your challenge today should you choose to accept it:  Redesign her with a modern rig.  The winning entry will get a WoodenBoat hat and my gratitude, both paid for by me.  You don’t have to do anything more than her rig, please.  Please post your designs here, under “Comments.”

As it turned out, RACUNDRA’s First Cruise became a popular book, Ransome’s first such.  Of course, Ransome went on to achieve great renown with his Swallows and Amazons series.  I have just ordered a copy of his RACUNDRA’s Third Cruise,  and am trying to track down a source for her plans.

Here’s a link to the book:  http://www.amazon.com/Racundras-First-Cruise-Arthur-Ransome/dp/1898660964/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327417811&sr=1-1

and here’s more information about Arthur Ransome:

http://www.arthur-ransome.org/

And — wouldn’t you know it? — here’s a link of a reference in the Forum:

http://forum.woodenboat.com/showthread.php?111039-Recundra-sail-plan-lines-etc 

 

Thanks in advance for your comments.  Carl

Posted in My Wooden Boat of January 2012 | Tagged , , , , , | 15 Comments