At the meeting of the Friends of Classic Yachts During the Hanseboot trade fair, Torsten Conradi, President of the Boat and Shipbuilders' Association, presented the Hinnerk Bodendieck designed plaque "Sail - Love - Preserve" to Jens Burmester, owner of the 38-square-metre "Astral" class pointed galley from 1939. The plaque is awarded by the Freundeskreis "as an award for the exemplary preservation of a classic yacht. Personal commitment and the avoidance of serious stylistic inconsistencies are also included in the assessment."
Jens Burmester prefers to talk about the 2,000 nautical miles he sailed last summer, but the fact that he works hard to earn this time on the water every winter took centre stage when honouring his efforts to preserve the maritime heritage. After all, it is people like him who make sure that extensive restorations that require replacing the substance of the ships are not necessary in the first place. For many years, the Freundeskreis Klassische Yachten (Circle of Friends of Classic Yachts) has presented the "Sailing - Loving - Preserving" award to owners who, like Burmester, help to ensure that the "originals" are preserved.
The "Astral" pointed gate is not only an "original" in terms of its condition. In his laudatory speech, Torsten Conradi explained:
For lovers of classic yachts, the "pointed gate" is the epitome of Danish boatbuilding. This design, in which boats are pointed not only at the front but also at the stern, is one of the oldest of all. It can be found again in the tried and tested and widespread kragejolle, a clinker-built boat that was the tried and tested vessel of Danish small-scale fishing for centuries. The karweel-planked hull of the pointed galley with more elongated lines and a larger lateral plan developed from it.
The development of the rig initially led from the original spritsail of the dinghy to the gaff rig. It was only later that the advantages of the marconi rig were recognised, resulting in the distinctive high masts and the typical powerful sail area in the main and a fairly small headsail.
The round tapered stern with the attached rudder ensures a harmonious flow of water. The attached rudder also distinguishes the pointed creel from the "double-ender", which has a rudder shaft guided in a coker. As this design only allows for a backstay with an elaborate auxiliary construction, the mast is usually only held by the shrouds and occasionally by backstays.
The Spitzgatter had its heyday between 1920 and 1950, when a trio of gifted designers perfected the boats: Georg Berg, M. S. J. Hansen and Aage Utzon. They were sailed in several classes: 20, 26, 30, 38, 45 and 55 square metres. The 30-square metre and 38-square metre boats were the most popular.
The great sell-off to the USA and Canada in the 1950s brought entire fleets to the Great Lakes and the west coast. In American trade journals today, the reader comes across numerous, mostly well-preserved examples. In this country, a pointed gate is one of the rarer boats to be found.
The 38-square-metre class topsail "Astral" exhibited here was designed by Aage Utzon. His designs were predominantly fast regatta ships. Utzon liked to draw somewhat playfully, with rather inconspicuous features. His boats typically have the rectangular windows that are also visible here. "Astral" was built in 1939 at P. Clausen's shipyard in Bandholm on the Danish island of Lolland. However, it was not launched until after the war in 1946.
The first conversion with the forward cabin was carried out the following year, 1947, and apart from necessary repairs and a redirection of the halyards into the cockpit for safety reasons, "Astral" is largely original.
And the engine is also a speciality. Although it is not over 75 years old like the ship, an engine of the same name from the legendary factory in Marstal harbour is undoubtedly a rarity befitting a Danish pointed gate.
Also present at the award ceremony was Gorm Boa, 71, from Copenhagen, one of the previous owners who had owned the ship in the 1980s and 1990s. "I am very proud that 'Astral' has been honoured by the Circle of Friends," he told YACHT online. He and his family have mainly sailed tours with it, in Denmark of course - but Sweden, Norway and Germany have also often come alongside. Of course, he has also restored it, says Boa: "The deck, the cabin roof, a new boom." Much of it is still in service. Like the s-shaped curved rail for the mast slides of the mainsail. "This made it much quicker and easier to reef the mainsail," says Boa.
Lasse Johannsen
Deputy Editor in Chief YACHT
