The lottery
In 1927 or 1928 the Royal Göteborg Sailing Club approved a lottery for 2 International Six Metre class sailing boats to be designed by Bertil Bothén (1892-1966) and to be built at Holms Yachtvarv in Gamleby. The boats were first mentioned in the Swedish Sailors’ Magazine “Seglarbladet No 9” of 15 May 1928 with some physical data and a description of the construction.
We do not know exactly when the boats were launched or who became the lucky original owners. We know, however, that the launching has taken place in 1928, that Zephyr’s original name was Babsen (pet name for Barbara) and the other boat was named Ramona (now in Germany under sailno. GER 67).
We do not know when the boat’s original name Babsen was transferred into Zephyr, but measurement certificates issued by the Swedish Cruising Association of 1977 and the Royal Swedish National Sailing Federation in 1978 explain she had the name Zephyr in those years already. Zephyr is the God of the West wind, but since ± 1600 English sailors indicated a zephyr as “a gentle breeze”, usually refreshing.
The boat was advertised by Carlos Duarte, a photographer from Tønsberg, Norway, in the end of 2006 on the website of the Association Suisse 6metre JI with a picture (see above) that immediately attracted our interest. We acquired Zephyr in January 2007.
Carlos Duarte had her for some 3 years (N 88). He purchased the boat from Sture Ytterberg, from Saltsjøbaden near Stockholm, Sweden (S 34). Sture, most likely, obtained Zephyr in 1978 from Bladh Gösta of Stockholm.
Following are images from the Sailor’s Magazine, May 10, 1928 and the Swedish Measurement Certificate 1978:
