page_title: Skerry cruiser
section_title: Decline and rebirth
hierarchical_section_title: Skerry cruiser / History / Decline and rebirth
caption_attribution_description: Svenska: Singoalla på Kanholmsfjärden. Konstruktör: Gustaf Estlander. Français&#160;: Singoalla, plan de 1912 par Gustaf Estlanders d'un 150 m2 à la jauge des Skerries
context_page_description: Skerry cruisers are yachts, usually wooden, which are constructed according to the Square metre rule. Originating from Sweden, they were historically most popular in the Baltic Sea, though some classes also saw popularity in other European countries and USA. Skerry cruisers are construction classes, meaning that though the boats are not identical with each other, they are all built according to same formula, making them broadly comparable in size and performance. Most skerry cruisers are slender boats, with low freeboards and tall rigs.
context_section_description: The Square Metre rule was much less restrictive than competing International Rules. The relatively loose set of rules allowed previously built boats into the new classes if their rigging was modified to comply with the rules. They also gave designers relatively free hand, and top designers like the Finns Gustaf Estlander and Zake Westin soon came up with very extreme designs which pushed contemporary sailboat technology to its limits. Development was dramatic: for example, whilst early 40m² boats tended to be around 9 to 10 metres long, in 1923 Westin designed a 40m² boat which was 15.2 metres long and had a beam of only 1.74m – a length to beam ratio of nearly 9 to 1. An often cited example as some sort of pinnacle of the rule was the 150m² Singoalla, designed by Estlander in 1919 and claimed to have been the fastest boat in the Baltic: Uffa Fox had the dubious pleasure of surfing this boat at 14 knots and claimed afterward that it followed the waves "like a sea serpent".
  This development quickly led to diminishing popularity of the Square Metre rule as these extreme hulls were perceived simply as too weak and uncomfortable to ride. 30m² and 40m² classes were accepted to the 1920 Summer Olympics, but only a handful of boats participated. Meanwhile, International Rule had been revised in 1919 and in their new form became very popular, soon supplanting the Square Metre rule boats in the international arena and Olympic regattas.
  As weaknesses of the original rule became apparent, the Swedish Sailing Federation enacted a number of modifications from 1916 onwards. Construction standards became much more strict and classes had minimum freeboard and maximum lengths defined. The Rule also specified new minimum measurements for internal space, to ensure that boats would have adequate room for accommodations. This is in contrast to International Rule designs where cabins are not required. The final revision of the rule was issued in 1925. It is still in effect with only minor later changes.
caption: 150m² Skerry cruiser Singoalla, designed by Gustaf Estlander, on Kanholmsfjärden in 1922.
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