Knud Reimers (May 20, 1906 – 1987) was one of the most important Scandinavian yacht designers of the 20th century.

Biography

Knud Hjelmberg Reimers was born in Århus, Denmark and educated as a shipwright in Germany at Friedrich Krupp Germaniawerft in the twenties, a yard building large sailing and motoryachts at the time. He worked as apprentice at Abeking & Rasmussen in (Bremen-)Lemwerder under the supervision of Henry Rasmussen.[1][2] His first employment was in Stockholm at the design studio of the famous naval architect Gustaf Estlander. When Estlander suddenly died at the age of 54 in 1930, the 25-year-old Reimers bought his design practice. He promptly sold six 22m² Skerry cruisers to the Detroit Yacht Club. He later drew plans for the great 75m² Skerry cruiser Bacchant (II) that furthered his reputation as a designer of fast cruisers and racers.

Reimers most celebrated construction is the Tumlare which was designed in the early 1930s (1933 from a majority of sources; No. 1, 'Aibe' was built the next year for Bengt Kinde), and became a popular class worldwide. Examples are to be found all round the Baltic, in the UK, North America and Australia.[3][4] After owning the Tumlare Zara, Adlard Coles bought a 32' 'Large Tumlare' Cohoe, with which he won the RORC's Transatlantic Race from Newport, Rhode Island of 1950.[5]

Reimers went on to design cruisers, offshore racers and a large number of exclusive sailing and motor yachts. Reimers boats are available in numerous countries worldwide and boats are still built to his designs. His drawing archives are at the Maritime Museum in Stockholm.[6] Reimers also designed Motor yachts, e.g. Orwell Class, 25’, (Yachting World 1938)[7] and Swedish Express, 50’, (Yachting World 1938).[7]

Reimers was also a lecturer, and produced films of races like the Tall Ships Race, Bermuda Race, Fastnet Race and Atlantic Race. Knud Reimers argued that in offshore race sailing, the final test is to create boats that can travel at sea in any weather, and said (loosely translated): "The boat is the means to reach the treasure beyond the horizon".[8]

List of Knud Reimers yacht designs

Reimers designed numerous yachts for the metre Rule and square Metre or Skerry cruiser rule classes; they are known variously by length in metres or (more often) feet, and also often by their square metre rating etc. which together with the re-use of several names may justify this table as an attempt towards clarifying the confusing variety of naming conventions.

YearClass or Boat NameLOA FtBeam FtBuilders NameNumber BuiltNotes
1933TUMLARE27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)Various"At least 200"[9] "Some 600"[10][11] 20m2
1934SCHARENKREUZER 30SQM40 ft 0 in (12.19 m)7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)Various[12]
1934HOCCO27 ft 3 in (8.31 m)6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)[13] 28m2 on a Tumlare Hull for sailing on lake Geneva
19345½ S9 Blåsut35 ft 2 in (10.72 m)6 ft 10 in (2.08 m)Williams, Motala[14] Nordisk Kryssare 5½ S9 Blåsut

[15][16] Similar 5.5m Nordic Cruiser here[17]

1936Bacchant (II)62 ft 0 in (18.90 m)9 ft 10 in (3.00 m)[18] (cf 1937 ‘Bacchante’ 42’6" given at ASQMA;[19] cf also NMM in Cornwall[7]);( "75m2" [20]) -original Bacchant was an Estlander 30m2 design, 1928
1937STORTUMLARE ("Large Tumlare") aka ALBATROSS [21]32 ft 0 in (9.75 m)7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) (2.3m given at[22])–Numerous Examples on the web; 30m2[23]
1937Havsornen52 ft 0 in (15.85 m)11 ft 0 in (3.35 m)Holms BatvarvSeems to have been designed jointly by Reimers and Tore Holm[24] -Built in Holms' yard and often attributed solely to him
1939Siska50 ft 6 in (15.39 m)8 ft 6 in (2.59 m)–Knud Reimers 40m2 boat modified for the Sydney-Hobart Race [20][25]
1941 OnwardsSCHARENKREUZER S2237 ft 0 in (11.28 m)7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)[26] –36’ given in[7] 22m2
1948Agneta82 ft 0 in (24.99 m)13 ft 9 in (4.19 m)Yawl[18]
1940Squall25 ft 0 in (7.62 m)5 ft 75 in (3.43 m)Yawl[18]
1955UDELL one design36 ft 3 in (11.05 m)6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)Raymond Creekmore11 in North America[27][28] Note: a one design sub-class of the 22m2 class [29] named after Clare Udell[30] Chicago YC[31] 1953
1955[7]C(H)AMELEON CLASS29 ft 0 in (8.84 m)6 ft 0 in (1.83 m)Various‘2 dozen built for 1956’[32][33] cf forum on classicboat.co.uk
1960sv:BACCHANT IV35 ft 10 in (10.92 m)9 ft 0 in (2.74 m)Vasteras Fiberplastca. 100[28] BACCHANT III a one design yawl
1964Bijou40 ft 9 in (12.42 m)7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)e.g. I. Beck & Sohne, Bodenseeclassic 30 m2[18] built in southern Germany. cf Bijou II in N America[34]
1964sv:FINGAL 2727 ft 3 in (8.31 m) 28’ given in[35]7 ft 10 in (2.39 m)Fisksatra Varvca. 200Supplied in kit form and fitted out to a variety of interior designs[36]
1972S 30 cf also S30-9341 ft 0 in (12.50 m) (40’/12.3m in [19](???))8 ft 2 in (2.49 m)AB Fisksatra varv, Sweden; Crown Yacht, Sweden'305' according to [35] -111, built between ‘30s and ‘90s, are listed at [12]30 sqm The project name was originally Gota 30 which was later changed to O 30 and finally to S 30. Types A30 and S30;[12] Sometimes Swede 41/ S30: aka Skerry41 30m2/ 41ft Loa
1975sv:Swede 5552 ft 6 in (16.00 m) 53’[7]10 ft 0 in (3.05 m)Crown Yacht, Sweden35[37]designed at request of some of Stockholms Royal Swedish Yacht Club members[38] 55m2 aka SWEDE 52 (52' 6" loa)
1982JUBILEE S40[28]47 ft 3 in (14.40 m)8 ft 10 in (2.69 m)Tufa Marin.[39]9designed to celebrate Remiers' 50th anniversary as a yacht designer, 4 boats in Germany and 5 in Sweden.[40] 40m2
1986[35]SK 30/4040 ft 0 in (12.19 m)7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)Jansson & Zarin7[35]30m2/ 40 ft Loa
1993 (posth.)S30-9341 ft 0 in (12.50 m) (40’/12.3m in [19](???))8 ft 2 in (2.49 m)AB Fisksatra varv, Sweden; Crown Yacht, Sweden'305' according to[35] -111, built between ‘30s and ‘90s, are listed at [12]1993 updated version of S30, with increased sail area by extending the boom and increasing the foretriangle: at this stage the original was termed 'S30 classic'[19] -see also sv:S 30

Further notes re designs

Sensa is given as a 5m class; 6m designs are mentioned; a number of individual boats to Reimers' designs are listed on the Australian square metre association website,[19] e.g. Wings 44’, 1938/ Joyous- plans 1958/ Lady in Red: similarly, Jibslist[32] mentions the 41' GOTA (original project name for the S30) and the 42'8" SCHARENKREUZER 40S.

Further notes re specific boats

Landfall / Flicka- in April, 1937, Reimers ordered the first 4 Albatross to be built by Oscar Schelin, Kungsors Batvarv, Sweden. They were finished in March, 1938. #4 was named Landfall by the buyer and shipped to Texas.[41] February, 2017, this remarkable boat is 79 years old, has had 10 owners and four names; she is (2017) being restored as Flicka in Port Hadlock, Washington.

References

  1. ↑ "Page for Reimers". classicyacht.info. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  2. ↑ "(Archived copy) Knud_Reimers at pia.hostoi.com". Knud_Reimers. Archived from the original on 16 December 2014. Retrieved 8 July 2016.
  3. ↑ "A web site for Tumlaren". tummelisa157.dinstudio.se.Archived 4 October 2013 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ "(Archived copy) Knud_Reimers, p2 at pia.hostoi.com". hostoi.com. Archived from the original on 15 December 2014. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  5. ↑ "Erroll Bruce: DEEP SEA SAILING". archive.org. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  6. ↑ "Reimers records mentioned at page for Swedish maritime museum". sjohistoriska.se. Retrieved 9 July 2016.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "National Maritime Museum Cornwall". nmmc.co.uk. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  8. ↑ Herlin, Sonja (1983). Blå Horisont [Blue Horizon]. Stockholm: Rabén och Sjögren. ISBN 9129561035.
  9. ↑ "TUMLAREN sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com". sailboatdata.com. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  10. ↑ "Tumlare Owners Group". tumlare.org.uk. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  11. ↑ "Classic Boat Classes". classicboatclasses.co.uk. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  12. 1 2 3 4 (dead link, 8 July 2016- Archived copy) Knud H.Reimers in yachtregister at 30er.com Archived 8 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  13. ↑ "Saint Bonaventure - Hocco (1934) - Atelier des Voiles d'Antan du Léman (AVAL)". voilesdantan.org. 5 October 2010. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  14. ↑ Page for S9 Blåsut, Nordisk Kryssare 5½
  15. ↑ 1934 -'Eolo' (afterly 'Maracaibo'), for the Argentinian yachtsman Mr. Sierburg. This boat was entirelly built with 'Viraró' (a South American Wood) by 'Astillero Rio de La Plata' (Germán Frers) (dead link, 8 July 2016) Page in Swedish Maritime Museum, sjohistoriska.se
  16. ↑ Page for Blasut at Swedish Maritime museum sjohistoriska.se accessed 9 July 2016
  17. ↑ 5.5m Nordic Cruiser drawing by Reimers at digitaltmuseum.se accessed 12 July 2016
  18. 1 2 3 4 Braschos, Erdmann. "Knud Reimers - SWEDESAIL". swedesail.de. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 "Australian square metre association". asqma.com. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  20. 1 2 Braschos, Erdmann. "Willkommen - SWEDESAIL". swedesail.de. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  21. ↑ "Celeste - Wooden Boat". woodenboat.com.au. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  22. ↑ "Stortumlare fakta om båt iHamn.se". ihamn.se. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  23. ↑ Stortumlare drawing by Reimers at digitaltmuseum.se Accessed 12 July 2016
  24. ↑ Page for Havsornen at billionaire.com accessed 9 July 2016
  25. ↑ "Page for Siska at Australian square metre association". asqma.com. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  26. ↑ "22 KLUBBEN - www.sk22.se: Jaktregister". sk22.se. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  27. ↑ Page on N. American Udells at squareskerryyachts.net accessed 9 July 2016
  28. 1 2 3 page for Reimers' designs at sailboatdata.com accessed 9 July 2016
  29. ↑ "Boat List". 22squaremeters.com. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  30. ↑ Some Udell history at labyrinthina.com accessed 9 July 2016
  31. ↑ "Classic Sailboats - Keeping The Legends Alive". classicsailboats.org. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  32. 1 2 Knud Reimers page at jibslist.com Archived 10 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  33. ↑ Specifications for CHAMELEON CLASS at jibslist.com Archived 10 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine
  34. ↑ "BIJOU II". woodenboat.com. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  35. 1 2 3 4 5 "Maringuiden". maringuiden.se. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  36. ↑ "Fingal - Sailguide.com". sailguide.com. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  37. ↑ "SWEDE 55 sailboat specifications and details on sailboatdata.com". sailboatdata.com. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  38. ↑ Braschos, Erdmann. "Baltic Sea Yachting Highlight - SWEDESAIL". swedesail.de. Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  39. ↑ "Jubilee S40". segeln-magazin.de. Retrieved 7 July 2016.
  40. ↑ Page for JUBILEE S40 at sailguide.com accessed 9 July 2016
  41. ↑ Oct. 1982, personal letter from Reimers
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