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Tore Holm 1896-1977

Tore Holm was born in Gamleby on November 25, 1896 as the second son of the founder of Holms Yachtvarv, the legendary Knut Holm, who at this time works as a mate on the steamer “Tjust”. Tore is a calm and withdrawn boy who patiently works his way through the school, until in 1922 he stands as a completed civil engineer at KTH in Stockholm. His work alone deals with “Per Brahe’s” listing on Vättern. Already as a five-year-old, Tore and his older brother can join us in building the first fin-keel boat “Bris” in the outbuildings of the newly built villa on Garpedansberget. As is customary at this time, Dad Knut is a dominant and demanding father. The boys learn the sailing and the boat’s construction from the ground up.

Around 1915, Tore began to draw his own archipelago cruisers, but he was not allowed to sign the drawings but they were stamped “Knut Holms Yachtvarv”. That is why Tore first debuted in 1919 with the 55 sqm archipelago cruiser “Mayflower”. He breaks through 1920 with the excellent construction, 40 sqm “Sif”, with which Tore and his brother Yngve win Olympic gold the same year in Antwerp. The following year, Tore constructs the archipelago cruiser “Marga IV” (now “Pajazzo”), a construction that Yngve extends further and which resulted in “Britt-Marie”. These boats dominate the archipelago cruise throughout the twenty years and result in new rules being introduced. Tore is increasingly focusing on designing and sailing R yachts. In an attempt to launch the Holm boats internationally, Tore participates in the Genuaregattan in 1928 with the 6-laurels “Lilian” and “Västanfläkt”. Both boats win all part of the sailing and orders from all corners of the earth come to the shipyard in Gamleby, which results in Holms Yacht Shipyard being the most productive in Sweden.

SK95 S8 Britt-Marie:

The Swedish name Skärgårdskryssare means Shoal Cruiser, or phonetically translated Skerry Cruiser, referring to the protruding rocks off the coast of the Baltic Sea.

SK95 S8 Britt-Marie is an archipelago cruiser designed and constructed by Tore Holm in 1921. She was built to order from publisher Åkerlund. And is built by Lap Holm’s Yacht shipyard, Gamleby.

Sailing Yacht Marga – One of our favourite rivales! If you stand behind the two of them laying side by side, you can see the similarities but also lots of differences. Hard to believe they are built from the same construction drawings.

Her owners renovated with quite a different approach, favouring speed. This winter many hours of effort is put on the finish of the hull under the water line. They claim the reason is to beat Marga…

We have salied against Britt-Marie a couple of times now and it is very clear that she is the faster in light to moderate wind and Marga is faster in stronger winds. Unfortunately (?) our handicap system, the SRS rule, punish her high mast and deep keel so we always have our own “race in the race”.

Sail Finland – The best thing about sailing the Airisto Segelsällskap 150th anniversary regatta on-board the skerry cruiser Britt-Marie was that we overtook pretty much the whole Baltic Classic Masters fleet so lot’s of nice photo/video opportunities. Here is a small compilation of some of the boats we left behind

Historical

G.L. Watson & Co. Ltd. comments: https://www.glwatson.com

In April 1893, some 20 years into G. L. Watson’s trail blazing career, the royal sailing yacht Britannia was launched. The prestige associated with this order from the Price of Wales, Britannia’s revolutionary design, enduring beauty, speed and a 43 year career in the ownerships of King Edward VII and King George V have all contributed to the Britannia legend.

The Royal sailing yacht Britannia racing Career – Britannia was built at D&W Henderson’s shipyard on the Clyde alongside her near sister, the America’s Cup challenger Valkyrie II. Her spoon bow was controversial and Watson was initially condemned for experimenting on such a prestigious commission, but it was not long before her admirable qualities were recognised and the perfection of hull form became known as the ‘Britannia ideal’.

In the great season of 1893, Britannia acted as a trial horse for America’s Cup challenger Valkyrie II and saw off the challenge of the Herreshoff designed Navahoe to dominate racing in British waters. The following year when America’s Cup victor Vigilant raced in Britain in what was mooted as a re-run of the America’s Cup races, Britannia dominated; upholding British racing prowess after the loss of Valkyrie II.

The introduction of a new rating rule in 1896 gave Watson the opportunity to out-design Britannia, but the arrival of the Kaiser’s Meteor II killed off both the King’s pleasure and his prospects of winning. In 1898 Edward VII sold Britannia, but soon regretted it and by 1902 she was back in his ownership and once again became a regular sight on the British regatta circuit. Inherited by George V in 1910, Britannia was updated and again raced successfully in the British Big Class. The lead provided by George V in fitting out Britannia for the 1920 season re-established the Big Class in the aftermath of World War I and paved the way for the likes of Cambria, Astra and the J Class.

Conversion to J-Class – Following Watson’s early death in 1904, all leading British yacht designers were involved in the regular updating of the royal sailing yacht Britannia. In 1930 it was Charles E. Nicholson’s turn and he designed what remains the world’s tallest wooden mast for her. In 1931 Britannia emerged rejuvenated to race competitively with the J Class against which she would add a further 15 firsts to her racing record.

Britannia’s last season was the summer of 1935, when the American J Class Yankee visited British waters, in what was the last great flourishing of Big Class racing. Then with the King’s health failing she was withdrawn from racing and on 10th July 1936 her great career came to an end. As per the dying wishes of George V, she was towed out to St. Catherine’s Deep off the Isle of Wight and scuttled.

Legacy – Although not a sailor, King Edward VIII fully appreciated the affection that surrounded Britannia and after she was scuttled, he commanded that G. L. Watson & Co. be presented with a memento of what remains the most successful racing yacht of all time. This souvenir of Britannia is held in the G.L. Watson Archive together with the original drawings.

Provenance (The Wall of Remembrance – The Owners, Crew & Notable Guest):

Owner/Guardian: (1893-1910) Prince Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later King Edward VII)
Owner/Guardian: (1910-1936) King George V., scuttled upon the wish by the King after his death. On 10 July 1936, after Britannia had been stripped of her spars and fittings, her hull was towed out to St Catherine’s Deep off the Isle of Wight where she was sunk by HMS Winchester. Britannia’s 51-foot (16 m) long gaff, the king’s chair, tiller, some mast hoops, blocks and rigging, anchor chain and clock are preserved in the Sir Max Aitken Museum in Cowes High Street and the remains of her spinnaker boom are at Carisbrooke Castle, also on the Isle of Wight.

Historical:

The 1927 Abeking & Rasmussen 10mR BRANTA is one of 14 boats built to a W. Starling Burgess Design for a New York client. She is one of only two remaining boats from that series, and has been in the same ongoing ownership for three generations. BRANTA is single planked mahogany on alternating steel and oak ribs, the planks have been splined during the 1980´s and she is in a very good and sound state of condition. BRANTA has been a true family cruiser over the years and has participated in various club races ever since, winning quite some of the races she entered.

Provenance (The Wall of Remembrance – The Owners, Crew & Notable Guest):

• Guardian/Owner: -Don Ayres
• Guardian/Owner: – Dr. Don Barber
• Guardian/Owner: – Richard Reineman

Resources

• Classic Driver
• Craig Chaddock

 

 

Historical:

Johan had been dreaming for some time of designing a larger Metre boat. In 1909, he turned this into reality and financed the new build himself. Brand IV was 18.8m (61ft 8in) long, 3.5m (11ft 6in) wide and had a sail area of 246m2 (2,648sqft).

Goose Yachts (Winter 2012/13) – Having his own 12-metre was one of Anker’s personal dreams that he could fulfil, first with Brand IV, which he brought to Kiel Week in 1909. He sailed so well at this event that after only four days he was well ahead in the overall rankings on corrected time – even over the mighty Meteor owned by the German Emperor, who was both impressed and probably quite upset. Your going like a steamship, Wilhelm II repeatedly told the Norwegian when they met briefly ashore.

Provenance (The Wall of Remembrance – The Owners, Crew & Notable Guest):

Owner/Guardian: (1909) R. Van Rees, NL

Historical:

Built for Ned Dane as an aristocratic sailing yacht, equipped with her own steward, often serving meals with fine silver and shortened sails.

In 1952 Bounty changed hands and was bought by Clarence Knapp, who cruised the yacht “Down East” a beautiful stretch of picturesque harbors, bays, and Thoroughfares, from Penobscot Bay, Maine to the Canadian border.

During the Hurricane of 1954 (Carol), one of the worst tropical cyclones on record to affect the New England region of the United States, the Bounty was washed, by a storm surge of 8 to 13-feet, far ashore, in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, with considerable damage.

Stacy Lloyd, bought the vessel in 1957, and through 1967 experienced significant leaks. Based in the Caribbean, Lloyd tried many yards to try and find the source of the leaks, to no avail. Eventually brought the yacht up to Paul Luke’s boatyard in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, where Luke offered to build a new hull in 1967, for the same costs as repairing the old hull.

Two Bounties now existed, the original in 1970 was restored in Rockland, Maine, by O. Lie-Nielsen, who once worked with L. Francis Herreshoff.

The original Bounty, now named L. Francis Herreshoff, continued to sail out of Rockland up until 1974. Subsequently, Phil Long bought the boat, after a couple of years Long sold the boat in California. Years had passed and the vessel fell into disrepair and was being used for drug smuggling.

In 1977, a well know movie producer Roger Riddell, saw the vessel, eventually purchased the boat, and had her refastened, reconstructing the interior and maintained her for 23 years.

October 2000 fire broke out in the main stateroom, changing hands again the new owner Sean Fagan, restored the fire damaged center section of the interior, and lived aboard.

Changing hands again, Eric Blanc-Garin, a French businessman, shipped the boat late 2011, 3,195 miles over land from California to Rockport Marine, where he had the boat restored to in as new condition.

The new BOUNTY, with salvaged original spars, rigging, ballast, hatches, cabin trunk, winches, and bowsprit, in the late 1960s now had a new hull and was enjoyed by the Lloyd family in the Caribbean for many years.

Provenance (The Wall of Remembrance – The Owners, Crew & Notable Guest):

Owner/Gaurdian: (1934-1952) Ned Dane
Owner/Guardian: (1952-1957) Clarence Knapp
Owner/Guardian: (1957-1970) Stacy Lloyd
Owner/Guardian: (1970-1974) O. Lie-Nielsen, renamed L. Francis Herreshoff.
Owner/Guardian: (1974-1976) Phil Long
Owner/Guardian: (1976-1977) unknown ownership
Owner/Guardian: (1977-2000) Roger Riddell
Owner/Guardian: (2000) Sean Fagan
Owner/Guardian: Eric Blanc-Garin