Back From The Dead
Classic Boat|December 2019
One of history’s most radically advanced yachts, saved to race again
Sam Fortescue
Back From The Dead
Ester was built for one purpose, and one purpose only: to defeat the Finns in 1901 and retain the coveted Tivoli Cup held by the Royal Swedish Sailing Society (KSSS). That she was designed by an amateur and went on to sweep all before her for nearly 30 years is impressive enough. That she was apparently scuttled on a dark night, then rediscovered 80 years later on the seabed, raised and rebuilt to race again sounds like the stuff of fairytale. And yet this is that tale.

It really all began in 1900, the year before Ester was dreamed up by the gifted, young Gunnar Mellgren. In May, a remarkable yacht had been launched at Blekholmen boatyard in Helsinki. Aldebaran was designed by Gustaf Estlander to challenge for a number of cups in Finland, Russia and Sweden, and no cost had been spared to make her as fast as possible. The backbone and frames were made of steel and the planking of mahogany. She had a fin keel made of bronze and a lead bulb keel. Newspapers described her as the most elegant and expensive racing machine ever built in Finland. That year, she won 12 of her 13 races, losing only to a catamaran.

Suitably armed, Finland’s most prominent yacht club, the Nyländska Jaktklubben, challenged the KSSS for the Tivoli Cup just before Christmas. In Stockholm, they doubted they could match Aldebaran’s speed, but nevertheless started to plan a defence. Unsolicited designs began to trickle in to the KSSS, including one from Mellgren. In a twist that is unthinkable these days, he won the commission, setting him on the pathway to become Sweden’s best designer of fin-keeled racers. Sweden’s top boatyard, Stockholms Båtbyggeri, was set to building it in mahogany on steel and oak frames, at a cost of 15,000 Krona – equivalent to over £500,000 now.

Denne historien er fra December 2019-utgaven av Classic Boat.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra December 2019-utgaven av Classic Boat.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA CLASSIC BOATSe alt
Classic Boat

The Need For Speed

Saving lives at sea has always been bound to the speed of rescue, from the first rowing boats to the 60-knot, all-weather motorboats of today

time-read
8 mins  |
March 2021
ROW YOUR BOAT
Classic Boat

ROW YOUR BOAT

There has been a steady rise in recreational rowing over the past few years, and the choice can be bewildering. What’s the right boat for you?

time-read
8 mins  |
March 2021
Traditional Tool
Classic Boat

Traditional Tool

JOINER’S NAME STAMP

time-read
2 mins  |
March 2021
Classic misuse of a word
Classic Boat

Classic misuse of a word

Real classic ownership involves rot, rust and reward

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2021
Classic Boat

SCUD MISSILE

Herreshoff’s newly-restored Bar Harbor 31 Scud lit up the classic racing scene in the Med in 2020 with a double win at Cannes and Saint-Tropez

time-read
10 mins  |
March 2021
BOSUN'S BAG
Classic Boat

BOSUN'S BAG

PRACTICAL TIPS FOR THE TRADITIONAL BOATER

time-read
4 mins  |
March 2021
DOUG LEEN - Tugboat man
Classic Boat

DOUG LEEN - Tugboat man

Vietnam vet, park ranger, dentist, small-craft conservator and tugboat skipper.... meet Ranger Doug!

time-read
4 mins  |
March 2021
CHANCE TO SAVE AN Albert Strange yawl
Classic Boat

CHANCE TO SAVE AN Albert Strange yawl

Chances at Albert Strange ownership don’t come up often, and Sheila II is the quintessential Strange – and one with a great history, too

time-read
4 mins  |
March 2021
AFFORDABLE CLASSIC Salcombe Yawls
Classic Boat

AFFORDABLE CLASSIC Salcombe Yawls

A friend and I once decided that walking might make a change from sailing. So we set forth to walk from Branscombe to Bigbury, a 100-mile stretch of the south-west coastal path marked by knackering climbs and knee-wrenching descents.

time-read
3 mins  |
March 2021
Cardiff, Wales - Save The Elena Maria Barbara!
Classic Boat

Cardiff, Wales - Save The Elena Maria Barbara!

A rare, 18th-century schooner replica, restored to the tune of around £1 million, could be abandoned if a buyer is not found soon.

time-read
2 mins  |
February 2021