Reading the lists of winners of the Sydney Hobart I am amazed to find yacht names of obvious Norwegian heritage: Christina, Solveig, Anitra, Peer Gynt and Freya. And even more astonished to find designers and sailors called Lars, Trygve and Magnus with the family name of Halvorsen.
I guess Australian sailors are less surprised. The Halvorsen story about the immigrant family from outside of Arendal, Norway, leaving bankruptcy behind and becoming a major part of leisure boating, both by motor and wind in New South Wales, is well known in Australia. Among the better sources for this amazing family history is the book “Wooden boats, Iron men. The Halvorsen story, by Randi Svensen, Halstead press, 2004.
5,5 with King Olav
The Halvorsen family made a long list of good looking, fast and very sturdy small double-enders, besides World Champion 5,5’s (one of the brothers became World Champion in one of them, and the Crown Prince of Norway, the late King Olav, sailed a Halvorsen-build 5,5 in World Championships at least twice), and a Dragon …
The Halvorsen’s participated in the Sydney to Hobart race most years from 1946 to 1965 and became Line Honours winner or overall winners at least seven times besides becoming number two or three years they did not made the line or overall first. Anitra for instance won in 1957 and became second in 46, 58 and 1959. And Peer Gynt won the Trans-Tasman race to Auckland (a race of 1,512 nautical miles) in 1948 and 1949, and became third in Sydney to Hobart in 1947. In 49 the yacht was sold to San Francisco where it won the Winter Point Score on San Francisco Bay. (Point is – Trygve and Magnus Halvorsen was magnificent sailors, but other sailors did it well in Halvorsen designs too.)
Freya – 3 time Sydney Hobar winner
The most famous of the Halvorsen double-enders is Freya. She became the overall winner in 1963, 64 and 65. She was thirty-eight feet nine inches long, with a beam of 11 feet. She was planked in Douglas fir with glued spline, upon glued Queensland maple laminated frames. Her deck was fiberglassed plywood, and her spar was a deck stepped aluminium mast. Her rudder tapered to a feather-edge. Australian National Maritime Museum is supposedly holding the line-drawings and specifications of Freya.
Tell me all about it if you know something more.
Randi Svensen quotes Magnus Halvorsen about Freya:
“Her long deadwood gave her the underwater body of a contemporary 50-55 footer. She had that feeling of a much bigger boat at sea. With her large vertical rudder there was perfect control. She responded to the helm at all times. Never did she broach to! Today’s sailors would find that unbelievable. She carried a shy spinnaker longer than any competing yacht. Indeed, a spinnaker could be carried until it was aback, without rounding up. Freya could also carry full sail to windward in 30 knots of wind.”
8+ knots consistent
The conditions of the Sydney Hobart varies from hurricane force winds to no wind at all – but still Freya used 3 days, 10 hours in 1965, 3 days, 5 hours in 64 and 3 days, 6 hours on handicap in 1963. Which is astonishing consistent on a 628 nautical mile long race in all sorts of conditions – and even more amazing, her mean speed was more than 8 knots. The Halvorsens must have pressed Freya above her theoretical speed at all times and in all conditions.
Freyas speed would have made her high up on modern list. She would have won in 2004, 2003, 1993, 1988, 1984, 1981, 1978, 1977, 1976, 1974, 1970, 1968, 1967, and 1966. The last two years the winners have been doing the Sydney Hobart in less than two days. But Freya would still be doing better than most yachts given the same speed as during her three consecutive winning years.
Amazing! What a double ender! And remember all of the Halvorsen race contenders was built both for cruising and racing. The Halvorsen thought of comfort, security and speed. Both Halvorsen brothers disliked modern racing hulls and the very idea of using men as ballast.
The first photo is of Anitra on the Sydney to Hobart race in 1959.
The second is Freya showing her “shy spinnaker.”
41 comments
Comments feed for this article
Wednesday, February 21, 2007 at 10:15 pm
will
Hi – so when are you going to write about the Bruun boats?
Greate site – nice things to know. I like your Kaskelot a lot
Tuesday, March 20, 2007 at 11:44 am
Joel Ireland
Great to hear about some of the Norwegian history mixing with Australian!
The Salt looks like a lot of fun. Thanks for the chat last night – it will be good to meet you and have fun on the water.
Cheers Joel
Ph: +47 46800199
Tuesday, May 29, 2007 at 7:39 am
Chip Wheeler
I am the proud new owner of Solveig. She is the Halvorsen 36 cutter that achieved line honors in the Sydney to Hobart Race in 1953. She was overall winner in 1954. Solveig is moored in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA. She has been in the tropics for many years. Though she is built of Tasmanian Huan pine, she is a sound vessel still, showing no signs of damage from termites or worms and very little rot. She is a well-behaved little vessel of 36 ft., and sails fast with a balanced helm. Does anyone have more information on this famous, little racer?
Wednesday, May 30, 2007 at 12:03 pm
Espen
Hi Chip,
nice to know someone appreciate the old double ender.
I am sorry, but I don’t know more about the Halvorsen boats then what the book tells. Here is a photo of Solveig from 1953 http://farm1.static.flickr.com/161/383714766_cd6fbf9783.jpg?v=0
Why don’t you mail me a new and update photo I can include on this website? The most elegant way to share photos is by using Flicr.com
Espen
Tuesday, June 19, 2007 at 12:44 pm
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Thursday, July 19, 2007 at 9:23 am
Chip Wheeler
Aloha, Espen, I would indeed like to send you a recent photo of Solveig, but please wait until I have her hauled out and her topsides repainted. She is looking a little long in the tooth right now, as you can imagine. Also, I am waiting of parts for the BMW diesel engine, so I can’t even get her to dry dock, as it is. No worries, though. The last boat I had was the first Westsail 32 ever built. I half rebuilt her before I sold her, so give me time and I should have Solveig back in commission and looking better than she has in years. Regards, Chip Wheeler
Sunday, October 21, 2007 at 10:45 pm
Minards Diesel
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Thursday, December 20, 2007 at 6:39 am
Maximus
I would like to see a continuation of the topic
Thursday, December 20, 2007 at 10:19 am
reiss
I will do my best. In fact I have a plan for the x-mas holidays. However, at the time beeing I am more into innovative sails and making ready for the doublehanded race from Bergen to Stavanger and back in spring.
Espen
Thursday, May 8, 2008 at 1:34 am
mike spence
I am the original owner of a 1977 vintage Gannon yachts’ Freya 39 that I finished from a bare hull. Our boat is in Trinidad, West Indies, where we just concluded a 2000 mile sail through the Bahamas and Caribbean. In Bequia, Grenadines, we saw the original Freya moored near the shore in the inner harbor, where she has called home for 30 plus years. She still looks great! Our own boat, while not raced extensively, has lived up to the pedigree, finishing many offshore passages, including South Pacific and Hawaii, in good form. Most of our sailing has been in Alaska and British Columbia, much of it in the Fall and Winter, where the design has proven itself in harsh conditions fitting of a Norse legend.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008 at 10:41 pm
Patrick Steel
Hello all! We sail with Foxglove, a Freya 39 built by Gannon and fitted by the original owners, Roy and Tee Jennings. We have cruised in the Med and Caribbean and intend to head down to NZ in 2008/2009. Foxglove is currently resting in Grenada, waiting for s to return after the hurricane season! She’s gorgeous!!
Wednesday, October 1, 2008 at 8:20 am
Espen
Hi Patrick,
I am glad to find that someone is appreciating the old nordic/australian double ender. How is her speed, compared to other 39’ers? How is she in a gail? How is the space down bleow compared to more modern yachts? do you have any photos? How is she compared to the original Freya – is anything done to the rigging?
Yours Espen
Saturday, October 11, 2008 at 4:56 pm
Reg Mecham
i have a freya 39 gannon built hull that i am finishing off. i started
with a hull that had sat for 28 years. What i need is cocpit dementions
and head lay out as i don’t have any plans. i would like to put out a
request for any posible help on aquiring lay out plan. if no plans are
available a picture of cocpit and head or measurements would be a big
help. Thanks
reg mecham
Wednesday, November 12, 2008 at 5:46 am
michael Spence
Ahoy Patrick and the Foxglove,
My Freya 39, the Deva, is in Trinidad. We will sail up to Grenada again this December, thence in January to Panama and the South Pacific again. Maybe we will see you?
I last saw Foxglove in CA, probably late 1978 or 79. Met the Jennings then and I think when they owned the original Freya also.
For Espen, Over 30 years my Freya has been sailing many times in gale force winds, though not by intention of course. In Alaska, we did this in a snowstorm once. Off the wind with a reefed main and staysail, or close reaching with double reefed main and staysail/spitfire jib, she sails dry and fast. Self steering with the Aries vane she tracks well on and off the wind. Our boat is one of the few (maybe only) with tiller steering, so her responsiveness with the vane gear off the wind may be quicker than with a wheel steered boat. We have sailed many days over 190 miles and hope to achieve the 200 mile mark sometime this Winter when we sail Grenada-Panama, and later, Galapagos to Marquesas, both downwind legs in tradewinds.
Mike Spence
Friday, December 5, 2008 at 12:55 pm
mike spence
Reg,
Your cockpit layout will depend on whether you are going to have wheel or tiller steering. Because the Freya has a vertical rudderpost, the tiller fitting at deck level is quite far forward.. The tiller should be at least 6 feet long for adequate leverage on a boat this size. Clearance between the fwd end of tiller and the deckhosue shoud be at least 1 foot. My tiller steered Freya has the deckhouse aft end about 4 or 5 feet fwd of the wheel steered boats.
A very important consideration is planning the deck layout and construction of a hull that has been sitting is the use of epoxy adhesives instead of polyester to fasten the deck to the hull sheerclamp. Polyester resin will not crosslink with old polyester, so do not even think about using poly resin for bonding to the hull/sheerclamp. My hull sat for a year before deck attachment. The sheerclamp was put in at time of hull molding with polyester resin. After that my deck design has through-bolted fasteners from sheerclamp to outside of 2.5 inch square oak rubrails, tying together the sheerclamp and the outside of the hull, exclusive of the epoxy adhesive used to bond the deck to sheerclamp. Oak beams were also throughbolted vertically to the sheerclamp. Bonding of the chainplate knees is similarly an important consideration.
My approach to cockpit layout was the old-school method. The deck was built stem to stern with no openings. Then the cockpit and deckhouse openings were later simply cut into the completed deck. Inherently this means the cockpit seats are same elevation as the deck itself. The cockpit well is molded fiberglass from the Freya deck mold, like a bathtup about 5 feet by 2.5 ft, set into a rabbeted joint in the deck and glassed with epoxy. The coaming around the cockpit then dictates the internal size of the sitting area, and I wanted it to be at least 7 feet long for laying down on the cockpit seats in the tropics. The deckhouse opening is about 8 ft wide and 10 feet long. The deckhouse was built in traditional method with oak beams and verticals and wrapped plywood around sides and tops to a thickness of one inch.
The coaming is attached to deck on oak cleats, with a curved shape around the cockpit. It is a box structure with space inside for dorade-type ventilators and stowage and for engine controls. Both the coaming and deckhouse sides are covered in teak overlay and finished natural. The deckhouse has a conical front shape, and the outside of the coamings raked so the overall appearance is aesthetically pleasing.
This method of achieving the cockpit and deckhouse layout is primitive but hella strong. and seaworthy. The sea-flooded cockpit well is less heavy than the standard Freya fiberglass cockpit would be.
I hope this gives you some ideas for your deck and cockpit layout. It does not address the interior buldkhead plan. The buldkeads are either goiung to be in the stadndard layout or one you create for optimum headroom and space under the deckhouse.
Thursday, December 11, 2008 at 12:36 pm
mike spence
Reg,
Sorry about the typos. There are pictures of several Freyas and particularly their cockpit and self steering setups at:
http://www.selfsteer.com/boats/view.php?boatTypeID=920
Sunday, December 14, 2008 at 8:41 am
Chris
Argg !
I too am the care taker of a 1979 Gannon Freya. Pleased to see a few other proud folks sailing such a fine boat.
The original owner works at the magazine Latitude 38. The boat went through a couple owners till I got it 2001 in Port Townsend, WA. Who would have thought the design is 40+ years old!
I replaced the fuel tank in the bilge. The under side of the sole had a drawing of a sailboat left by some yard worker. Very cool. I was removing the ligh circuit in the head. When I pulled the celling down I found a 1979 penny glued to the over head. Who ever built those boats must have enjoyed their work and the boats………
Have fun…. I am 🙂
Chris
Monday, August 9, 2010 at 4:19 am
Andy M
We owned a vagabond 31 built in scandanavia a double ender, In several places on the boat coins were molded into the gell coat, it was for good luck and they might put a coin at the bottom of the mast as well. A custom from a long time ago. Now own a halvorsen freya 12.4 m built in 1995, sails so well
Monday, December 29, 2008 at 1:22 am
mike spence
Chris,
I was putting the deck on my boat in the Petaluma yard when your boat was built in 1978-79. It had thunderbolt stripes down the sides… The guys in the yard had fun building the boats. They always had the Stones playing full blast on the stereo in the building in which the boats interiors were built, which was an old poultry barn. I think it was Richard who was (maybe still is) the editor of Latitude 38 a the time…..
Friday, October 2, 2009 at 1:03 pm
Chris
Hi Mike:
I appologize for not getting back to you sooner.
I tied up my Freya and been sailing as an Able Seaman on a supply boat just south of Louisiana.
Yes, I do have white lightning bolts down my hull, although way faded. Ill be painting in a while.
Good to hear about the yard report from 1978 🙂
Chris
Wednesday, June 10, 2009 at 12:01 am
Patrick Steel
Hi guys, sorry, lost the link to this site! We are finally back on Foxglove and have sailed up from Grenada to Bermuda. Next stop NY. If you would like any info or pictures of Foxglove, please dont hesitate to call or use our website yachtfoxglove.com
Cheers
Patrick
Thursday, June 11, 2009 at 11:23 pm
James McGovern
Like Reg Mecham above, I recently purchased a Freya 39 that has sat for many years. The bare hull was originally purchased from Gannon Yachts in 1980. Over the next several years a fair bit of work was done on the boat: the hull was insulated, the lead ballast (9,500 lbs) was poured into a mold and then fitted into the hull of the boat and glassed over, a black iron fuel tank and 2 stainless water tanks were constructed and installed, the rudder was constructed and attached, and sheer clamps, carlins, deck beams and the first layer of decking were constructed, as well as bulkheads and some interior framing. As a result of some unfortunate circumstances, the boat then sat with no additional work being done for 15 years. I plan to finish the construction of the boat, and would certainly appreciate being connected with anyone who has experience either finishing a Freya 39 or has sailed one, or both. I’m basically looking to gather as much information as possible about this design and ideas for completing the construction. I can be reached at mcgovernj4@aol.com.
Thanks,
James
Friday, June 12, 2009 at 7:37 pm
Geoff Docker
Hi
The first artical on this site in feb 2007 is mis leading.
You need to get your facts right, The artical about Freya is totaly incorrect. You compare the corrected times of Freya in 1963, 64, 65 with the elapsed times of the modern boats and make her out to be a supper boat doing +8 knots. Freya did not go any where at these speeds unless she was surfing down a wave with the spinnaker up. Her time to Hobart in 1963 was 4days 15hrs 17min 3sec which gives an average speed of about 5.6kts. She did a little better in 1964 with 4days 1hr 17min 45sec and 4days 6hr 23min 32sec in 1965. She would not have any where near the further wins if any, you claim, if she was around to day. On years with heavy weather these boat were even slower due the conditions with average speeds down to 4kts.
The great yachts of these early 60’s years were ASTOR and STORMVOGEL.
I agree with canoe stern yachts being great at sea though after having owned Ron Swanson’s CAMILLE for the part 25 years we have done thousands of sea miles in her and she really looks after you when it gets rough out there. CAMILLE, FREYA and CAPRICE OF HUON were members of Australia’s first Admirals Cup Team in 1965. All good solid sea boats.
These wooden yachts are our living yachting heritage we are caretakers of them till we pass them on to the next owner.
Good Sailing
Geoff Docker
Monday, November 2, 2009 at 7:27 pm
reg mecham
mike thanks for the help. the other thing that i need is pictures or
dimensions of the head as i don’t have plans,
i have been able to put the bulk heads where the original plans called for.
i have this and the cabin top left to do and then outfitting.
thanks again reg.
Thursday, November 26, 2009 at 5:06 am
Darryl Fuller
I’ve enjoyed reading all of the comments and input of the Freya designs. Can any of you give me some info on a 41 Freya Odyssey? They were built in Oakland, CA. I understand Gannon built the 39 in CA and is 39’6″ LOA. I’ve been researching one that has a LOA of 41’0″? I’t certainly looks like the Freya hull, but the manufacture facility and model I can find nothing about? any input here? Thanks Darryl
Saturday, December 26, 2009 at 5:09 am
Patrick Steel
hmmmm did you get anywhere with the 41? I may have some info. Its a long shot, but possible……
Wednesday, June 30, 2010 at 12:54 pm
steve
i bought a halvorsen 41, hull no. 5 of 5 built by odyssey yachts in oakland. contact me if you like
steve
Sunday, January 3, 2010 at 4:26 pm
Darryl Fuller
Thanks Patrick for you reply, would you might emailing me? Thanks Darryl
Monday, August 9, 2010 at 4:29 am
Andy M
we have a halvorsen freya 12.4 or 40ft and 8 inches built by diegman in Aus out of steel, dont know how common they are will supply pictures if it helps
Friday, May 13, 2011 at 11:17 pm
Grant Henry
Hi,
Curious – the only other built in steel that I have heard of, lives in San Fransico, I think. He’s had it for sale for ever.
A brilliant combination to go to the most extreme places.
Grant
Monday, November 24, 2014 at 9:02 am
Michael Foley
Horst DIEGMANN was a fine steel boat builder and a nice man. He learnt his craft in Germany. He may have built as many as 20 or more round bilge steel Freyas in Victoria and Queensland during the seventies and eighties. He would build for you and where you wanted to fit out the hull or he would complete the boat for you. People completed some beautiful boats with his help and guidance. The 60 foot Banjo Paterson is an example of his work, which he often mentioned. He got me going on ‘Merops’ in my back yard in ’79 on the Nicklin Way at Kawana. The Council would have had me going, too. They were horrified. Horst became a friend and I learnt to weld…..and grind a lot, too. The Council put a Fire Station and Switch Yard either side of me and I got on with it. Put the deck on and kept going… the best work and play balance I ever found…launched her in ’85.
Still living aboard. Michael Foley. Mooloolaba. 2014
Friday, February 11, 2011 at 11:26 pm
Dr Dan Halvorsen
Trying to connect with the Aussie Halvorsen’s.
We ive in Minnesota, but have a niece who married an Aussie
and they live in the Blue Mts. If interested, let’s connect.
DKH
Monday, May 21, 2012 at 5:22 am
Matthew Holliday
Richard, we have one of Horst’s ‘Freya’s’ for sale (for the second time!). Her current owner has been trying to track down Horst Diegmann with no success (trying to get the boat Australian registered). If you know of his whereabouts and / or contact details please could you drop me a line? You can contact me through my website http://www.centralyachts.com. Thanks Matthew
Saturday, July 30, 2011 at 12:39 pm
Richard Potter
I have the last Freya design blow-up built by Horst Diegmann and his son Erik in steel – not in the water yet in fact. Mine is 66′ LOD , I think the next down is the 60′ “Banjo Patterson” presently chartering out of Hamilton Island in the Whitsundays. Horst has built dozens of Freyas all in steel – “Ibis” was 51′, “Claire da Lune” a bit smaller. Some built in Melbourne, others on the Sunshine Coast. A few others were part built by him or others. “Tooluka” is still chartering out of Ushaia when not sailing to the northern hemisphere.
Many of these were blown up with some creativity by Horst or their owners. I actually went to the bother of tracking down Trigve Halvorsen and purchasing the original plans (largely irrelevant to my yacht specs but seemed like a fair thing to do at the time) or what there remained of them – just a few sheets of specs. Horst presently has these in his keeping.
Sunday, November 6, 2011 at 10:43 pm
mike spence
OK all you Freya buffs: My eyes lit up last May when I was back in Alaska to work the Summer, and I spotted the Freya 39 “Arctic Wolf” in Yakutat. Owner Jerry Borucki , a retired NASA scientist, was endeavoring to make his final push to the North Pole. He had been a few degrees shy in the previous year…He showed me his chart and some pictures indicating that he had to get through some ice, but the Freya could take it. His boat is one of the more recent hulls built from the Gannon molds after they moved to Port Townsend, WA. My own Freya, the DEVA, has made it to New Zealand where I have seen at least one other Gannon built boat in Opua…
Saturday, December 3, 2016 at 8:50 pm
Steve Ruff
Hello Mike
Are the molds still in Pt. Townsend ? I live nearby and would like to talk to someone about this boat.
Sunday, December 4, 2016 at 7:27 am
Mike Spence
Hi Steve,
I am not sure but its a small town and I’ m sure if you went asking someone there would know. Perhaps the people that build the Cape George 38 or Cecil Lang if hes still around.
Friday, March 2, 2012 at 4:55 am
Cathy
Hello there,
We are seeking information on which boats are sound off-shore boats. Some recommendations are Westsail 32, Ingrid 38’and Freya 39′. Any comments on how the three compare to each other in terms of seaworthiness?
Saturday, May 5, 2012 at 10:22 pm
mike spence
Hi Cathy, the major difference is the Freya is the one boat of the three that has a inboard rudder and cutaway forefoot. This makes it a faster boat by far, while retaining its ability to track straight through the ocean. All three of these boat shave narrow sterns which make them less likely to broach in a following sea or to round up as is common with wider transom-sterned boats.
Sunday, March 31, 2019 at 10:10 pm
Andrew
I’m looking at a Halvorson Freya 44 , steel hull, been out for a few years,
Tuesday, June 2, 2020 at 3:45 am
danny ma
I am looking for Freya 39 operation manual or maintenance manual. old or new. Tks.