From the fastest to sail to .... the slowest...
Article translation from the Swedish Sailing Federation webpage original written by Stefan Rahm. It was a lovely day in Vastervik. The morning was spent on one hull with the Marstrom new Speed Racer the M32. The afternoon with one of the slowest yachts in the world, Sven Yrvinds "Yrvind Ten."
Göran Marström and Sven Yrvind next to a model of the boat going for a world record...
How fast could you go with this boat Sven, three knots? I ask. -Rather, two knots, answers Sven. There were great contrasts this day in Västervik.
First the experience of sailing on the Marstrom M32, the Koenigsegg of the sailboats. On the open sea outside Västervik, we talk about main sheet pressure, main sheet traveler position and sail shape while we tried to tame this fast machine. After a while you find the right balance staying on one hull and the other one just above the choppy waves. - What do you think about getting some more shape in the main, asks Göran and I nod to agree. A slightly better shape in the 54 square meters had done the trick. In a motor context we would probably have said that we could get another 50 hp out of the already powerful engine block.
But after a while alone on the sea you got hit by the sail racing vein and on the question about the sail racing plans, Håkan Mann as well on the boat, reply immediately. -It will be a race class and I think we are on track, says Håkan.
The picture is from Miami just over a month ago. Photo: Marco Oquendo
Sure, a price around 150 000 € ex taxes is very much money for a Racer as the M32, but the boat is built with the latest building technology and only a few details are not made from carbon fiber. This technology and materials showing a superior lifespan even as extreme racing boats which Göran already has proven with the Tornados using the same building technology.
After an exhilarating day of M32 sailing, we went to have a look and chat with in another way experienced guy, Sven Lundin. Currently working on building "Yrvind Ten."
The boat, which in the present situation more looks like a piece of Divinycell, will as Sven describes it go through "the last big ridiculous challenge of sailing." Sailing around the world non-stop with the world's smallest boat, and thus a world record.
Sven will load up the boat with 400 kg of food and 100 kg of books for keeping a good spiritual feeling.
As it looks right now the around the world tour will start in Tasmanien. One lap according to the red line is calculated to take one year with "Yrvind Ten."
Both of these gentlemen Marström (70 years) and Yrvind (72 years) are fantastic. Although their sailing is very different the similarities are hard to miss. Their curiosity, tenacity, drive for development is striking. Sailing is wonderful, isn’t it!
More on Marstroms M32 click here More on Sven Lundin's "Yrvind Ten" click here
Therefore, the M32 could be a really excellent racing class:
• The simplicity of the one design class and very few things which can break . More experience on multihull sailing than Goran doesn’t exist.
• Simple sail configuration (mainsail and gennaker) which keeps the running cost low.
• The interest of Multihull sailing is growing strongly. M32 might be an excellent platform for those who want to get into the Americas Cup or the Extreme 40 circuit.
• Large enough to make public sailings and bring sponsors on the Pro-Am races. It will be exciting to see what Berg Propulsion going to do with the M32 they have bought.
• Easy for a crew to disassemble and assemble and to bring on a trailer.
• Rumors telling that the Norwegians starting to get tired of hanging double folded on their keelboats and begin to have a look at the multihulls.
Stefan Rahm
