Page 46 - Folk Boat Year Book 2021

more than any other type of boat –
11 wins spread over nearly every
decade since the 1940s.

But they are equally suited to the
ascetic who wants to sail to far-flung
places with the minimum boat, as
Ann Gash did when she took hers
around the world solo from 1975-77.
The two-berth interior, with its low
headroom, is akin to camping, and
most examples are equipped with an
outboard motor rather than a diesel.

When Colonel Blondie Hasler
initiated the first singlehanded ocean
race – the 1960 OSTAR – he chose a
Folkboat (albeit junk-rig modified)
and so did fellow competitor Val
Howells. Others have found them to
be ideal for coastal cruising or as
family dayboats. Anyone can sail a Folkboat, but they are tunable enough to keep the
most ardent racer satisfied.

Variants followed thick and fast. British Folkboats, IF or ‘Marieholm’ Folkboats and, in
the 1970s, mock-clinker GRP Folkboats all appeared on the scene, all aiming to
preserve that wonderful hull but add more accommodation. Near variants include the
Stella and Contessa 26. Today, there are an estimated 4,000+ Nordic Folkboats in the
world.

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