SIESTA
In Anker’s time the boat would have been built in his own yard under his own supervision, omitting the need for very precise specifications in the many small details was one of the most successful racing helmsmen of his time, crowning his racing career with winning the Olympic Gold Medal in Stockholm in 1912 with his 12-metre Magda IX. A year before, he had already made his mark in England, having sailed his 12-metre Rollo from Norway to Cowes where he put the strong British competition and the yachts of Wm Fife and other designer colleagues to shame. The President of the Royal Yacht Squadron, above all sportsman and gentleman, said at the time: “This is what I call sport. You have built your own boat, sailed it across the North Sea with your own crew and then won almost every single first prize!” The design of Siesta, as the new 12-metre is named, would have benefited from the practical experience gained with this and Anker’s other 12-metres. She was built to Anker’s original drawings using the specified materials: ribs of ash wood and steel, planking of mahogany, and teak decks. Admittedly, contemporary glues have been used and as Anker’s plans were not comprehensive in every detail, a naval architect had to work through them and complete them where necessary. In Anker’s time, the boat would of course have been built at his own yard under his personal supervision, omitting the need for very precise specifications in the many small details. However, due to Robbe & Berking Classics’ expertise with these yachts – let us not forget that the yard has its origins in
the restoration of the 12-metre Sphinx – this newly built classic 12 is in its construction as faithful to the original intentions and specifications as humanly possible. Siesta was in the water last summer but not yet quite ready for racing. Her regatta debut will be this coming August at the metre-class regatta organized by the KDY in Copenhagen. Before that, it is a case of crew and team building. 12-metres are difficult beasts to harness and to get the full potential out of them the crew has to work together like clockwork. Just stepping onto the boat and going out to race is not the recipe for success in this vintage class, as even double Olympic gold medallist Jesper Bank had to find out when he chartered the 1936 William Fife Vanity V for the 2015 Europeans to sail “with family and friends” and came “only” third in the overall rankings. For the experienced, sailing a classic 12 is pure bliss – and adrenaline. These graceful sailing machines are responsive but not nervous; however so powerful that they are indeed challenging even for the fearless. As Patrick Howaldt, co-owner of both Vanity V and Vim, puts it: “The 12s have tremendous power and elegance. These heavy yachts that have large sail areas are very demanding. It is immensely satisfying when you have moulded a crew of 15 people into a team and trained them so they can perform all manoeuvres, even in strong winds and under
Photo taken May 1940 at ‘King Cottage’, where King Haakon and Crown Prince Olav had his headquarters, shortly before his departure for London from Tromso. Between King Haakon and Crown Prince Olav stands Johan Anker CLASSIC SAILOR
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