Ohlson 41

Photo courtesy of: Stephen Wolf

Ohlson 41

The blue-water racer/cruiser  

Designer: Einar Ohlson

FACTS AND QUOTES

 

The Ohlson 41[1][2] first appeared as a long-keel boat design in late 1964[3], judging from the dates on the drawings and the first two boats at least were finished that way. However, the keel design then changed to a fin-keeled design with a rudder attached to a skeg and the first of a “family” of big boats from the drawing board of Einar Ohlson was born:

 

The Ohlson 41, of which we know of four or five boats delivered. However, there are drawings available for five distinct potential clients, number SY/89 – 93 and SY/105 with dates between 1965 – 68. We will deal with her later.

 

Judging from the design dates, the Ohlson 41 therefore seems to be the blueprint for the other boat designs (44, 45, 38). All designs have very similar hull shapes with a somewhat “longish” fin keel, a small rudder fitted on a skeg, lightweight built and LOA to Beam ratio of 3.66 – 3.71 and very similar other sailboat calculations.

 

From various later communications we learnt that the Ohlson 41 was built again to order only. From the drawings we know that, beyond the prospective owner, the US importer of the Ohlson office Richard ‘Dick’ Sheehan of Campbell & Sheehan was involved in handling the contract. 

 

The first boat commissioned was ordered by John Summerlin (SY/93) in 1966. Her hull was built in Corten Steel by the yard of Frans Maas in Breskens/The Netherlands[4]. The hull was brought to Sweden and finished by one of yards owned by the wider Ohlson family², most likely Svineviken, though there is no proof of the yard in particular. The initial design has undergone modifications, probably after some intense debate with Campbell & Sheehan as a completely new stern[5] had been proposed with a separated rudder off the keel which was used for the boat for Mr. Summerlin already[6]. Mr. Summerlin put into the contract tight specs, and he again had the interior design of the boat been redrawn by Alan Guerney[7], naval engineer of New York City (initially on the old hull shape). From one plan we know that Campbell & Sheehan[8] were involved in the process too. 

 

There also was debate of the new rudder design on the skeg[9]: Peter DeSaix from the Steven Institute in Hoboken, N.J. had been involved and proposed a wider and shorter rudder not protruding deeper than the skeg, but Einar Ohlson was concerned this rudder was to be lifted out of the water too early when the boat was heeled. So, he offered a compromise as shown. 

 

Of the boats designed we know the first boat was delivered to Ed Timkin[10] from Cleveland, OH. She was a good racer. From this letter we know that she was built in Corten Steel by Franz Maas of Breskens, The Netherlands. Unfortunately the name of the owner cannot be reconciled from the drawings but it is reported. 

 

The second and third boat (S/Y91 & 92) were probably built in wood. There is conflicting information on the keel design as the initial drawing saw for a rudder attached to the keel (S/Y91) where as Campbell and Sheehan involved the design office of Alain P Guerney of New York to propose a rudder on a skeg. 

 

The second boat (SY/91) and potentially the third as was built by the Molich Yard in Hundested/Denmark in double planked wood. She was ordered by Ed Moore, ex-ALEGRIA, her current name is GYRE.  S/Y92 was ordered by Russel. She was offered to the market around 2011[11] and under her new owner she received a major upgrade by Rockport Marine[12] in 2012/13. S/Y92 was definitely designed with a rudder on the skeg, for SY/91 this isn’t clear, nor which boat is GYRE. This needs to be found out. 

 

The fourth boat was built again from Corten Steel and built with the separated rudder on a skeg. She was built by Hitters Proost⁸ in s-Hertogenbosch, instead of Frans Maas. She was delivered to Mr. Summerlin, who picked her up from the freighter Husard. She was named Schuss (the position one takes for going downhill on skies in fast mode), her sail number was US 1776 (an important date in the US…).  She has been cruised extensively and sailed across the Atlantic to Europe by her 3^rd and 5^th owner and is named Phoenix, ex-Thursday’s Child, ex-Menemshabuilt. Summerlin describes her in that letter as a fast boat with an overall 2^ndin the Northern Ocean Racing Circuit “It wasn’t the boat’s fault that she wasn’t 1st (Damn it”). 

 

From the drawings it appears that there were five 41-footers altogether. The fifth boat could be SY/105 for Mr. Oberly, drawings from 1968 and built in GRP by Bristol Yachts. Her name was ESPERANCE around 2005. View a picture here..  

 

Data

Length            41 feet – 12.5 meter

Lenght on waterline  8.7 meter

Beam              10 feet 9 inches – 3.28 meter

Draft               1.9 meter

Displacement             9,072 kilos

Sail area                     68.6 m2

 

More data is available at Sailboatdata, not necessarily more accurate. 

 

Yards

Hulls by 

Frans Maas, Breskens, The Netherlands

Hitters Proost Yard, s’-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands 

Complete boat by Paul Molich in Hundested, Denmark 

Bristol Yards Bristol, RI, USA   

 

 

Material available: Drawings, photos, communication with individual owners. 

 

 

Here is what other got to say: 

 

Charles “Butch” Ulmer, UK Sailmakers New York

I knew Dick Sheehan well. The Ohlson boats he sold were both fast and good looking. I did two Bermuda races (1968 & 1970) on a Ohlson 41 yawl. The ’68 race was the first time I skippered a boat in the Bermuda Race Andover in 1970 the owner, Mr. Henry Becton, skippered the boat with the majority of the crew being the AMB Syndicate from LYC (Howie McMIchael, Joe Fontanella, Pat O’Neal and me). See the photo below. This was the year we rounded a tower west of Bermuda and reached the finish line by leaving Bermuda to port.

Recently I have been making sails for an Ohlson 38 named Tynaje owned by Bill Gunther of Guilford, CT. Tynaje was originally named Pursuit and owned by Dick Sheehan. A few years ago, I convinced Bill to put a sprit on the boat and on his first weekend of racing he won the Fall Off Soundings Regatta. Bill just sold Tynaje to Dan Fisher of Sachem’s Head“.

 

Steve Wolf, owner Ohlson 41 PHOENIX 

” My wife and I bought a derelict steel Ohlson 41 in the late ’70’s, and spent a year in Florida disassembling, scaling rust, reassembling, and getting her ready for cruising.  Because she had been left in disrepair and we resurrected her, she was renamed “Phoenix” (previous names were “Thursday’s Child” and “Menemsha”).  We sailed her to Europe, Africa, South America, the Caribbean, and back home to San Francisco, a total of 27,000 miles in 4 years… including a stop in Gothenberg where we tried unsuccessfully to contact Einar Ohlson to show him his work.  Our hull was originally built with extraordinary skill out of 2.5mm Corten steel, to the exact Ohlson lines, in Holland and transported to Gothenberg for completion.  The interior had been somewhat redesigned by Alan Gurney prior to construction, though it is basically the same as other Ohlson 41’s. The boat participated in the Bermuda Race at least once, and I understand was the only steel hull boat to win its class one year in the SORC (Southern Ocean Racing Conference) – though I have no evidence. 

On that extended trip she proved herself over and over again – she was arguably the perfect cruising sailboat, and (did I fail to mention)… beautiful. 

We sold her in 1984, and she went through two subsequent owners and trips to Mexico and Hawaii, and, through an interesting set of circumstances, we reconnected with her, and re-purchased her a few months ago.  Her previous owner spent two years doing a very extensive refit of all the critical bits (lots of hull and deck work), but precious little cosmetic work. We’re correcting that now, removing years of paint over mahogany, though I’m not sure we’ll remove the horrendous hard dodger.  Our intent, as soon as I retire (shortly) is to take it easy – first trip to the channel islands in Southern California, then Mexico… then who knows.” 

 

Christopher G. Kennedy, owner Ohlson 41 GYRE

I purchased the awesome 41 on the recommendation of my broker a fellow named Jim Payne. Jim is regarded as the Premier wooden boat broker in the eastern United States. He has a sister ship which is a steal version of the O-41”. 

”There are very few private boats which have hosted more sailors having a great time then Gyre”.

 

Gyre – Ohlson Cruiser Transformed, text by Maria Simpson, Rockport Marine

”GYRE is a sturdy, ocean-going cruising boat, originally crafted to meet to requirements for the Bermuda Race. Designed by prominent Swedish designer Einar Ohlson, she, like other Ohlson vessels, is a production boat. She was built in Denmark by Paul Molich, a respected builder and designer in his own right. The boat is built with edge-glued single planking stiffened with intercostal plywood, an inner layer of plywood laminations between the frames. Her oak frames are comparatively light when compared to other wooden boats of her era. There are several other handsome Ohlson designs in these waters, notably DULCINEA, cared for at this yard, and KRISTIN, a frequent winner of the Eggemoggin Reach Regatta”. 

 

More quotes

 ”A gorgeous classic steel boat”.

”A thoroughbred”