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Grimstad continued as a leading boat building center
through the early 20th century. Sam O. Berge, a renowned
naval architect and sailing legend, perfected a quick yet
sturdy sailboat that combined the sleek lines of the classic
Hereshoff-designed “Gloriana” boat with the traditional
clinker-built Norwegian sloop. The result was the Grimstadjolle
(pronounced grim-stah-YO-leh). The clinker-built lapstrake
hull provides extra strength and exceptional durability.
The Bermuda-rigged semi-decked sloop measures 5.65 meters,
a little over 18 feet in overall length, features a full
keel and 10 square meters of canvas for both foresail and
mainsail, as well as an additional 10 square meters for
the spinnaker.
The first Grimstadjolle boats plied the
coastal waters of Norway in 1944, under the guns of the
German occupation. Fearing escape attempts to Great Britain,
the Germans severely restricted boating in Norway. While
the Grimstadjolle met the strict standards for the size
and type of boat allowed, the Germans never imagined so
many of these tough little boats would be produced. Freedom-loving
sailors raced their Grimstadjolle boats in the outer fjords,
beyond the view of the authorities that banned unofficial
sporting events.
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