Henry “Jimmy” Rasmussen (1877 – 1959) Germany

Born January 15 1877 in Svendborg / Denmark, a boatbuilder, designer and shipyard owner.

Rasmussen apprenticed in 1895 at his grandfather’s shipyard in Svendborg. In 1907 Henry Rasmussen founded the Abeking and Rasmussen shipyard in Lemwerder with his partner George Abeking, whose names the shipyard still bears to this date.

Designed and built countless classic yachts to existing racing formulas, also developed new formulas and new boat classes, such as the KR formula.

In 1910 Rasmussen designed and constructed the worlds first patent screw Reefing.

In 1928 Rasmussen visited the America’s and discussed, and shared with N.G Herreshoff there experiences in yacht design and construction, and introduced the Square Metre Rule to the United States.

Through 1957 after 50 years, A & R constructed more than 5,000 yachts, including sailing, motor, and dinghies boats. Two years later Rasmussen, the “Grand Old Man” of German sailing, died in a car accident at the age of 82 near Bremen.

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