You may all already know this, but to me it's new.... An interesting connection between this legendary Swedish boat designer who 'made it' in the US after immigrating there in his mid-twenties, and Arvid Laurin, another legendary boat designer... (to my Röde Orm for instance 8)
Both these two gentlemen were born in 1901 not very far from each other. As far as I understand, they also studied together at the Chalmers Technical & Engineering school in Gothenburg. (shipbuilding & -construction of course) And they both became among the most successful yacht designers of their generation. Laurin almost killed the Int'l 5 racing class and took an olympic gold medal as sailor too. Today he is mostly remembered for his 'kosterboat' (double-enders emanated from traditional sailing working boats) designs though. In 1960 the 31' Casella II participated in the Bermuda Race and then the Transatlantic Race as the smallest yacht. She did very well despite(?) a couple of furious storms underway, and finished as # 4 IIRC.
here's a link to more facts of Arvid Laurin (and the L-32)
http://www.l32.jbrems.dk/___Back_Ground/___Arvid_Laurin/___arvid_laurin.htm
-I always thiought there was something appealing and yet familiar about the Alberg designs ;D ;D ;D ;D
Me, a chauvinist? Oh. no! ::)
The following is an excerpt from the Alberg30 site:
Carl's own assessment agrees:
"Contrasted to the modern IOR boats where you have six gorillas sitting on the weather rail with their feet hanging outside trying to keep the boat upright, my boats are strictly family-cruising boats. In all my designs I go for comfortable accomodations and a boat you can sail upright without scaring the life out of your family or friends. I gave them a good long keel, plenty of displacement and beam, and a fair amount of sail area so they can move."
In 1979, while those modern boats were capsizing and sinking, an Alberg 35 on it's way to England comfortably lay a-hull.
"It was really blowing and though they shortened sails and did everything else they could in order to keep going, they eventually took everything off, went below, battened down the hatches and just ate, drank and played cards. When it had blown over they hoisted sail and continued to England, where they were told they had just sailed through the same gale that had taken 16 lives in the Fastnet race. They had ridden out the storm by just sitting in the cabin while everyone else was capsizing."
"There are still some designers around who whare my ideas about glass boat design. Everyone else is trying to conform to the new rules. My boats are more designed to follow the waves and stay relatively dry and stable."
Unfortunately not THAT many.... (my comment)
I haven't been on an Alberg-design that I didn't like. :D He and Laurin did design some very pretty boats....seaworthy ones at that.
I honestly do not think there is a designer of the last 100yrs that is responsible for putting as many people on the water in safe,seaworthy,good sailing craft and that were consistantly as pretty. He was stubborn and would simply not give in to others demands..."if you want more beam and berths...get another designer" We need more like him.... NOW
My hat is certainly off to him. I am very thankful to be the benificiary of his work. ;D