Tore Holm 53 ft Bermudan Cutter 1937/1987 - Vendu

HAVSÖRNEN is a very fine example of Scandinavian design and boat building from Tore Holm at the peak of his powers with the build supervised by him in his family yard. Well maintained by her present owner, including a major winter refit 2016-2017, she has excelled on the Mediterranean regatta circuit and has also proven herself a very capable cruising yacht. Her seaworthy hull provides good headroom below, and the interior finish is a delight.

Winner in class
- Ajaccio
- Antibes x 2
- Bailli de Suffren
- Marseille x 2
- Porquerolles
- Porto Rotondo
- Saint-Tropez

- 2016-2017 Major refit incl. deck recaulking, new deck hatches to original, all new winches
- 2011 Refit
- 2000-2001 Refit and all new spars
- 1987 Restoration

HAVSÖRNEN’s story, it is said, begins during a late 1930s afternoon sail aboard a Johan Anker-designed International Rule 10-Metre in the Swedish skærgårde: the myriad of small rocky islands among sounds that make sailing there so entrancing. There was a nice breeze and, as is such a vessel’s want, she was well heeled with the lee rail awash. The 10-Metre’s afterguard were Swedish yachting “royalty”, and her owner, paper industrialist Holger Nilsson, apparently began dreaming of a yacht with more stability but no less power. Handily, yacht designer and expert helmsman Tore Holm was one of that afterguard, along with another fine helmsman, Sven Salen, the inventor of the Genoa foresail. Holm was tasked by Nilsson with designing and building a more comfortable yacht. The result we now know as HAVSÖRNEN, but was launched as CITONA - and Salen raced her in the following season’s (1937) prestigious Round Gotland race, and won, of course.

That's the story... The reality is most surely that they knew exactly what they were doing and that she was specifically conceived to win Round Gotland; after all, these were people who left little to chance.

The rating rule then increasingly being used for Baltic long distance races, and originally in 1928 for the Cruising Club of America’s Bermuda Race, the ‘Bermuda Rule’, encouraged wholesome, beamy, hard-bilged offshore racer cruisers through the 1930’s to 1960s; latterly known as the CCA Rule - and Holm worked it to the maximum. HAVSÖRNEN is such a strikingly beautiful yacht to most eyes nowadays, so it may be surprising to learn that her debut engendered much comment about her looks, so noticeably different were they to the more traditional and ubiquitous low-freeboard Skerry Cruisers and International Rule metric class boats so well known in Swedish waters.

The name HAVSÖRNEN was originally used only when helmed by Sven Salen in the 1937 Round Gotland race, after which it reverted to CITONA. Her full ownership and naming history follows:

AS CITONA
1937-1940 - Holger A.E. Nilsson
1940-1943 - Sten E. Holgersson

As MIRA II
1943-1951 - K.E. Hedborg

As SIESTA
1951-1968 - Nils Nessim (Matt Nessim)

As PHIESTA
1970-1974 - Anders "Aje" G Philipson
1974-1982 - Lövstedt family

As HAVSÖRNEN
1982-1999 - Peter & Tony Carlén, Sweden
1999-2016 - Charles Langereis, Holland
2016 - Philippe Fabre, France

Any yacht over 70 years old has had its tough moments, and at times HAVSÖRNEN hasn't had to seek them, but in each case she's come back stronger: from a serious fire in Denmark during the mid 1980s, and from a dismasting after a spars collision with the 112ft/34m Laurent Giles ketch BLUE LEOPARD at the 2001 America's Cup Jubilee Regatta. Her current, beautiful 2001 Pasqui mast and boom are the result.

In more recent refits, HAVSÖRNEN's current owners have invested much thought and funds in her authenticity and future well being. We think Messrs Nilsson, Holm and Svalen would heartily approve.

©2021 Iain McAllister/ Sandeman Yacht Company Ltd

- Carvel mahogany on oak and steel frames
- Two oak timbers between each set of steel frames
- Russian pine deck 30mm

All deck furniture wooded and refinished 2017
- 30mm Russian pine laid deck (recaulked 2017)
- Butterfly hatches new 2017
- 12 x Harken Classic Collection winches including 1 x electric (2017)
- Bronze genoa track (2017)
- 1 x 60 m Anchor chain

All interior revarnished 2017
- 4 x Guests in one cabin
- 2 x Quarter berths
- 2 x Berths fore cabin option
- 1 x Cabin with 2 narrow berths
- Large saloon seating area
- Saloon table (in store)
- Galley with stove, fridge and sink

Spars
- Spruce mast 70 ft 2 in / 21.40 m to original drawings Pasqui (2001)
- Spruce boom and spinnaker pole Pasqui (2000/ 2001)

Rig
- Stainless steel standing rigging (2017)
- Running rigging all new 2017
- All blocks new and leather covered 2017

Sails by Quantum (2017)
- Main
- Light genoa
- Medium genoa
- Yankee
- Staysail
- Spinnaker

- 75 HP Yanmar Diesel (off boat overhaul 2017)
- All bronze through-hulls replaced 2017
- All electric system renewed 2017 (details to follow)

- Max Prop 3-blades in aperture

- 140 litres / 37 US gallons fuel
- 150 litres / 40 US gallons fresh water

- 2 x B&G Hydra 5000 repeaters in the cockpit (2017)
- B&G Autopilot with discretely below deck push strut (2017)
- Auto pilot screen next to the helm (2017)
- Simrad chart plotter inside (2017)

- Alternative wheel steering system - removed for tiller but carefully stored