SSSS 1962-2012
The Philberth brothers' memories from the early years /
PDF
in Swedish
SSSS – a society not just for shipbuilders
On the initiative of the enterprising and
forward-looking
S-technologist George Richardson, the Ship Section's Sailing
Society, SSSS, was formed in the spring of 1963. From the beginning a society
planned for shipbuilding technologists. Three sailing enthusiasted
V technologists,
Hakan "Sebbe" Jakobsson, Leif Gustafsson and Bertil Grandinson also got the
chance to participate.
The company's boat, a 505 made by Honnor Marine, was purchased in 1963. It was
ceremonially named the SS SOS. That it was SSSS's boat was also clearly evident
from the neighboring black spinnaker where the company's logo shone in gold like
the worst mark of piracy.
What an experience it was to sail SS SOS for us who grew up with boats like GKSS-eka and the Star boat! The 505 is a very light dinghy with a modern hydrodynamic shape, which provides good conditions for the boat to plane. The crew in the trapeze provides a good righting moment. And the spinnaker gives you extra boost on downwind at speeds of fifteen knots and above. We hadn't sailed that fast before. The sight of surprised motorboat drivers who had to see themselves sailed around was memorable. It got away, but there was also a lot of racing and bathing, especially in the beginning.
With 505, a completely new dimension was added to the sailing sport in Sweden. Sailing life on the west coast at that time was mostly about Christmas and feasts. The popular Folk boat was often the largest class at the regattas. The Star boat had been introduced in our part of Sweden a few years earlier by, among others, Pelle Pettersson. It was done with great hesitation from leading gentlemen in GKSS, who considered the boat unsuitable for the wind and waves of the west coast. The Finn dinghy, which is a relatively heavy dinghy, was the only dinghy class at the regattas.
Several famous sailors in Gothenburg acquired 505 at the same time. So right from the start there was a good turnout in the class at the races in Gothenburg and its vicinity.
The Philberth Brothers
As juniors, Leif and Bertil had sailed a Star boat, etc. together. We were not forced to participate in the occasional competition with the company's boat. The arrangement was that the members had to sign up for the days/weekends when they wanted to dispose of the boat. We had booked the boat for the first weekend in June when one of the first regattas of the year, Hovasdagen, took place. About a week before, we were supposed to register. At that time it was done by phone. As we were unsure of who would steer, we agreed to report the pseudonym Philberth Pettersson as the helmsman. Leif was holding the receiver and was having a hard time spelling out the first name. When the lady on the other end had noted it, she said: “Yes, that was the last name, I see. What should we name first?” Leif had a hard time keeping from laughing, but managed to force out: "Write the brothers!"
Thus the Philberth brothers were born. It then became our stage name, which fit well in the 505 class among the many other brother rappers. The fact that it was then Bertil who became the helmsman was of course due to the fact that Leif, with his height and strength, was cut and cut for the trapeze worker job.
Much to learn
The competition seasons that followed were very instructive. In the summer of 1963, we participated with varying results in points races and regattas of all kinds. In the second spring, we took part in useful training with Gothenburg's 505 sailors on Riseberget's ocean course outside Kullavik. Long courses, such as Naples, in strong seawater gave a good feel for how the boat would be handled both on upwind and downwind. It was wet and cold. We sailed in moped racks. Sandwiches and Festis were languished from the motorboat between the races. All extremely empowering!
The Oresund Week Regatta and the Academic Sailing Championships in Saltsjobaden in 1964
After a study trip in Europe, we felt like trying our wings in a slightly larger context. The choice fell on the Oresund Week regatta in Skovshoved, which offered fine sailing conditions in decent proximity. Bertil, Leif and Sebbe went down there and we took turns sailing the boat. There were no successes, but we had a lot of fun with butter & bread, pilsner beer and everything else.
Bertil and Leif, alias the Philberth
brothers, sail into Skovshoved harbor (photo Sebbe)
In the autumn, the
Academic Sailing
Championships were announced in
Saltsjobaden. Attractive to say the least. We
decided to take a short break from studies. Sebbe with his dinghy and Leif and
Bertil with SS SOS traveled there to represent SSSS in ASC.
Leif and Bertil had to stand over the first race in order to instead help
repair the boat, something that had not been done before departure. In the
following it went all the better. We managed to find our way in the changing
winds on Baggensfjarden so we ended up in joint first place. Sebbe took the
title in the dinghy class, so it was almost a full pot for SSSS at ASC. In the
name of truth - the number of participants was not that great in either the 505
or the Finn dinghy class.
Swedish
championship (SM) in Arild 1965
The 505 class's first SM was arranged in Arild in 1965. The Philberth
brothers naturally wanted to participate. We had prepared properly, including by
participating in a physical training program for dinghy sailors during the
winter. The Carnegie Brewery sponsored us with a back of strengthening strong
porter, our life drink at the time. With good courage we set off by car with SS
SOS in tow to the Skane sailing metropolis. About twenty-five crews from
Gothenburg, Stockholm and Skane would settle for the class's first set of SM
medals. Expectations were high in several quarters.
At a SM there
is always a check to ensure that participating boats comply with the class
rules. Most everything was checked before the races began. That the boat's weight did not fall below the minimum
weight would, however, be checked by weighing the first three boats in each
race.
The races took place under varying wind conditions. In one of the partial races
with light winds, we managed to come second. This meant that the SS SOS had to
be weighed, something that aroused great interest on the beach. Not that anyone
thought the boat was too light. No the opposite. The question was how much did
the Chalmers boat really weigh? While other boats could be launched by their
crew, i.e. two people, despite our strength training, four men were always
required to launch SS SOS into the water.
The SS SOS was placed on the scale and the surveyor added one weight after another. In the end he had put on all the weights he had, 180 kg, but it was not enough. The weight of other boats was just above the minimum weight of 127.4 kg. We obviously had almost an extra old man on board. No wonder we had a hard time keeping up in fresher winds – SS SOS's planing started later and ended earlier compared to everyone else. A lot of meters were lost in total during a race in strong wind.
The boat's high weight was due to SS SOS undergoing several thorough repairs with repairs and reinforcements at vital points. On one occasion the boat had capsized in shallow water and had been lying upside down with the mast in the dune. Not all members were very used to handling the boat. It had been damaged on several other occasions. There we were spotless apart from a broken boom during the storm in Oresund the year before.
What happened next?
After graduating, Bertil moved to Stockholm
with a job but without a boat. The desire to sail the 505 again was strong. In
the spring of 1967, Bertil bought a new 505, a blue Parker, which was named
Djevotjka (a girl). Which club would Bertil sail for? The choice was simple – of course
it was SSSS, where Bertil was still a member.
The racing premiere at Riddarfjarden for Bertil with a Stockholmer and KTH
technologist as crew member resulted in two nails in the two races. What a tasty start
with the new boat! Then it flowed on with several good placements. That year,
the SM took place in Olmanas the week after the Marstrand regatta. It was close
at hand to ask Leif, who was still living in Gothenburg, if he wanted to
participate. "Obvious!" Leif replied and the Philberth brothers had resurrected.
We managed one day of joint training before the Marstrand regatta, where 505 was
one of the largest classes with seventeen boats on the starting line. Cool!
In the first day's race, we were too hot on the porridge, so we had to restart after a false start. It was a hectic hunt for the lead. Our position improved leg by leg. On the last leg we picked two of the three boats that were still in front of us. Only the Bath brothers crossed the finish line before us. It felt like half a victory. Once ashore, Christer and Pelle Bath came forward and congratulated. They had been disqualified due to a false start, so it was a nail for us in the new premiere.
We were out on
the fjord early on the second day to read the wind and currents. Our
reconnaissance immediately showed that it was the right side that applied. But
we also noted that the port end of the starting line was favored. Our strategy
was therefore to start in the lee and then search our way through the entire
field to get over on the right side. It didn't work at all. We had to give way
to starboard boats all the time and were almost last at the top rounding mark. Then we sailed up a few places to a thirteenth
place. On the last two days we came third and first, so had it not been for the
strategy miss on day 2 we would have won the regatta overall. That's what racing
sailors think.
Then followed the SM
in Olmanas, a real strong wind regatta. In the first
sailing, after several laps, we came last of the boats that finished. Then it
got better. We came fifth overall after several other brothers, i.e.
Christer and Pelle
Bath (first), Anders and Lars Heuman (second) and Stig and
Goran
Petersson (fourth).
With this we had arrived at the last competition for the Philberth brothers in 505. Acquisition work, separate places of residence and newly established families put obstacles in the way of continued joint ventures. Bertil's 505 career (and thus competition with SSSS as a club) continued for another year and ended with participation in the WC in Kiel in 1968 where he had qualified. A great regatta! The result was 37th out of 75 boats, not bad for a happy amateur.
Our thanks to SSSS
In conclusion – 505 is undoubtedly the most fun boat we have sailed. For all our experiences, we are deeply grateful.
As a sign of globalization, we also propose that the name of the club be changed to Chalmers University Yacht Racing Club. Very useful in international contexts! The name already existed in our time. It is documented. Along with the original logo is the name on Leif's light blue shirt, which he still has, much to wife Elisabeth's dismay.
Saltsjobaden and Gothenburg in September 2012
Bertil Grandinson Leif Gustafsson
— Sv.505 Förbundet —
Uppdaterad 2024-04-28
