Yachts

ELINORE

In 1933 the International Rule achieved the final basic form in
which we know it today. The maximum mast height was fixed, spinnakers were
allowed to be sheeted outside the forestay and the whole concept of measuring the
hull was rethought. This alteration of the rules made longer waterline and higher
freeboard possible. As well was the ballast keel allowed to be located lower than
before. The 6mR boats constructed according to this revised set of rules were
considerable larger than their predecessors.

The designer Einar Olofsson wanted to experiment with the extreme limits of the new
rule with Elinore. Consequently the boat's length exceeded twelve meters. When
drawing up Elinore's frame Olofsson followed the lore of German boat design.
Because of this, Elinore and her younger sister-boat Arneta have a striking
resemblance to a boat called Sleipnir II, which was constructed for the German navy
by Abeking & Rasmussen. As Olofsson was a sea captain by education and valued
seaworthiness, Elinore received a high and valiant bow with which she glided through
the waves.

FINE WOODWORK

When building a Six Metre boat all the materials have to be of only the best quality.
Planks of mahogany were without prolongations, the bent frames were constructed
from elm and the boat was full of beautiful bronze reinforcements and mountings.
Grooves on the sheer plank were finished with pure leaf gold.

WEALTHY SHIP OWNER

Also, the person who constructed Elinore was a professional seafarer, ship owner
Gustav Thordén. In the twenties he departed from Sweden to Finland with no money
in his pockets. He prospered, made a fortune in Finland and travelled back to Sweden
in the final days of the World War II. As an sailor Thordén was more like a patron than
a race sailor. In the thirties Thordén had altogether three actively competing six-
meter class racing boats; Elinore, Pepita and Anitra, though seldom was he seen as a
helmsman on any of these boats.

After the Second World War Elinore was transformed into a cruising boat in Sweden,
as Six Metre yachts didn't compete regularly after the
Helsinki Olympic Games. Its slender shape and good sailing characteristics made it an
ideal vessel in the narrow channels of the Uddevalla archipelago. As the interest
towards classic racing boats revived in the late eighties a group of Finnish wooden
boat enthusiasts brought Elinore back to Finland and restored her back into a racing
boat. From 1993 she has been raced actively in the Finnish yachting events.

RACING

Althought the summer 2000 was a bit quiet in Finland as so many boats
regained their strenght after the effort of arranging the 1999 World Championships,
Elinore participated all the domestic regattas and achieved the 7th position in the
Finnish ranking list.