The Brunsviken Sailing Club (Stockholm) has produced a film documenting its activities in 1925. Founded in 1899, the club is currently one of the largest in Stockholm and has always been extremely active in the field of sailing. The Brunsviken Sailing Club has around 750 members, including 3 honorary members, 37 life members, 74 women and 25 young people, and its vessel register lists 142 sailing yachts and 183 motor yachts. Of the club’s popular regattas, the ‘Round Lidingö’ is the best known, as is the annual ladies’ regatta, to which, amongst others, the sportsman John Carlsson – whose name is steeped in legendary sailing tales and who is more commonly known as ‘Glaskalle’ – donated the ‘Old Viking’ trophy the previous year. The decision to make the film was taken with great foresight by the club’s long-standing chairman, Mr G. Forsström, who considered the year 1925 to be particularly suitable as the start of the club’s second quarter-century. With the support of the well-known sailing cinematographer Oscar Norberg, around 1,600 metres of film were shot, capturing all phases of the year in a most impressive manner.
Starting with January, when everything is frozen solid, the boats lie in hibernation, whilst the sailor’s restless spirit seeks outlets in skiing, ice fishing and convivial winter festivities. Later, life gradually begins to stir, both in nature and at the boat yard and in the private workshops of the DIY boatbuilders. This is followed by the launch ceremonies, the first exploratory voyages, the inauguration of the new clubhouse, and then the colourful series of races, which reach their climax with the ‘Brunsvik-Najaden’ regatta. In between, we see life in the clubhouse and on the dance floor, until finally the onset of the autumn storms serves as a reminder that the all-too-short sailing summer is drawing to a close.
The film, which is notable for its wonderful nature shots, amongst other things, was screened for members at the club’s autumn festival on 28 November and received unanimous acclaim. A shortened version of the film is to be made available to the public at a later date, and there is no doubt that this has provided an excellent promotional tool for the sport of sailing, one which is sure to be emulated. Moreover, the historical value of such a film cannot be overestimated, as a film is able to show future generations, in a way quite different from even the most detailed yearbooks and sports reports, how the old-timers used to sail. If only we were so fortunate as to be able to watch a film from the good old days, when there were still wooden ships and iron-willed crews.
Would you like to browse through old issues of YACHT? You can find all issues from 1904 to 1981 in the digital yachting archive.
Do you know of any historical sailing films online? Please feel free to leave a comment here.
