HISTORY & DESCRIPTION:
Malar 22 (M22) a Swedish national one-design sailing yacht.
Due to the changes made in the Skerry Cruiser Rule in 1925, in force from 1927 onwards, it became more comprehensive from about one page to a booklet. Thus, the yachts became more difficult and more expensive for amateurs to build. This was the beginning of the M-22 one-design skerry cruiser. At the Mälarens Seglarförbund (Mälaren is a lake to the west of Stockholm in Sweden) the members were anxious about the rising prices of the Skerry Cruisers and wanted to create a yacht which would be easier and cheaper to build. It should be comfortable and fast, and should not decrease in value due to changes in the class rules.
The famous naval architect Gustaf Estlander was contacted for the task, because he had designed the B22 in 1929 for Aeolus (a sailing club in the Gothenburg region), and this type turned out very well. The B22 had an iron keel and was clearly a cheaper yacht than any of the Skerry Cruisers, and this was what Mälarens Segelförbund was aiming at.
Mr Estlander, however, was not very inspired about the task. He said that he wasn’t interested in “taking the bread out of the mouth of himself or his fellow designers”. Consequently, it took Mr Hjalmar Neuman from the Mälarens Seglarförbund a while to persuade him. At the meeting of the sailing clubs of the Mälaren region, held in Uppsala in 1930, the plans for the M22 were finally agreed upon and the Mälarens Seglarförbund had finally got its first one-design class. During the first Spring, several M22’s were built. When summer came, the M22-class was a real success. In 1940 there were already 100 M22’s registered. In 1942, for example, the Ã…rstavikens Segelsällskap built an M22 (S 103) as their lottery yacht. In this way, various sailing clubs promoted the class by having their lottery yachts built to the M22-class rule. Moreover, the sail number of this yacht shows a great interest in the class over the years. Around 140 M22-yachts have been built throughout the decades and the class is still very active.
It was originally also agreed upon that Mr Estlander would later design a slightly bigger sail yacht of the same type but as he, unfortunately, died on the 1st of December, 1930, the design commission for the Mälar 30 (M30) was taken over by Mr Lage Eklund.
BROKERS NOTE:
CARITANA was restored to full racing specification at Mashfords Boat Yard, Plymouth in 2010. Mahogany planked hull with canvas sheathed decks. Road trailer.
She has now been laid up undercover for a couple of seasons so seriously for sale with offers considered on the guide price.
GUIDE: Sold
LYING: SOMERSET
VIEWING: Through the brokers
