Text by Anette Bengelsdorf
Cast-off requires a delicate touch and plenty of helping hands. At just under 19 metres in length, this yacht exceeds even the capacity of the largest marina on Lake Constance. At the head jetty, the bow and stern protrude a metre beyond the piles. But the manoeuvre goes off without a hitch. Silently, the electric motor pushes the slender beauty out onto the lake, where a cool breeze ripples the water.
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Hoisting the mainsail now requires some strength. With a luff length of 17.5 metres, this can only be achieved through teamwork. After all, the yacht is equipped with only the bare essentials in terms of technology. It is intended to be a teacher. A teacher of seamanship. Only the genoa has been fitted with a furling system; its drum is hidden below deck. No sooner has the sail been unfurled than the yacht shows what she’s made of, cutting through the water at six knots.
The rediscovery of a classic wooden racing car
This racing yacht dates from a time when yachts were built from wood and designers took aesthetics into account alongside building regulations and speed potential.
This beauty was built in 1932 by Abeking & Rasmussen as a 75-m² archipelago cruiser. A Dr Walter Schmidt from Berlin, a member of the Seglerhaus am Wannsee sailing club, christened her ‘Schwanenweiß’. There on Lake Wannsee, the “Schwanenweiß”, together with two other 75-m² archipelago cruisers, took on their biggest rivals: the 75-class National Cruisers. Reportedly, they sailed circles round them. In 1929, the ‘Albatros III’, with sail number G1, and in 1931 the ‘Albatros IV’, G2, were also launched at A&R in Lemwerder on the River Weser. Both were commissioned by Dr Julius Springer of the Berlin-based Springer-Verlag and provided ‘Schwanenweiß’ with excellent company at regattas.
Along with her future owner, Felix Meyer-Absberg, the “Schwanenweiß” changed waters and found a new home at the Lindau Sailing Club on Lake Constance. From then on, the archipelago cruiser, like all his yachts, bore the name “Argo”. It was a miracle. Despite all the turmoil of the war and its aftermath, the two former sister ships, ‘Albatros III’ – now called ‘Benny’ – and ‘Albatros IV’, renamed ‘Aloha’, also found their way to the LSC harbour on Lake Constance. Until 1970, the three sisters lay side by side at the jetty. Extra-long berths had to be created for the racing yachts.
“Argo” transforms from an archipelago cruiser into a regatta racer
When Meyer-Absberg fell ill in 1961, Helmut Vetter, a young chemist from Ravensburg, bought the ‘Argo’ from him. As a passionate regatta sailor, he immediately made a splash on the scene. However, in the 75 m² skerry cruiser class, apart from ‘Benny’, there were soon no other competitors left. Fitted with a new wooden mast and a top-class rig, he therefore had the archipelago cruiser measured at 14.5 KR. From 1964 to 1969, the ‘Argo’ won the Blue Ribbon in the ‘Round Lake Constance’ race, with just one exception.
But that alone was not enough for Helmut Vetter. In 1972, based on his own ideas and under his supervision, he gave the ‘Argo’ a facelift. Everything except the hull was stripped away. A new cabin superstructure now blended harmoniously into the slender silhouette. The deck plan then had to be adapted to reflect the practical experience gained over the previous years. The cockpit was divided and the tiller replaced by a steering wheel to provide the helmsman with an unobstructed workspace. The old wooden rig was replaced by a state-of-the-art, tapered aluminium mast, which, at a length of 22.5 metres above deck, provided more sail area. Beilken tailored 250 kilograms of Dacron sails for the impressive rig. The 700 metres of running rigging could now be handled with less effort, aided by large-calibre winches. A ‘baby’ forestay with a stretcher made it possible to sail the top-rigged racer in future even with a small crew and smaller headsails.
Helmut Vetter also took his creative vision to the extreme below deck. A galley on the port side, with storage space for crockery and ample provisions to cater for a large crew on longer voyages, together with an opposite washroom featuring a shower, washbasin and chemical toilet, made the Renner immediately suitable for cruising. Attention was also paid to the elegant appearance. Green silk wallpaper on the cabin ceiling made the mahogany of the interior fit-out gleam. According to old sources, the refit is said to have cost 200,000 Deutschmarks. Following this, the ‘Argo’ was measured to IOR standards. The former 75-m² archipelago cruiser had now been transformed into an open-class yacht with running cold and hot water.
The owner’s son, Udo Vetter, recalls that dark day following the launch of the yacht, which had undergone an extensive refit. When the family arrived at the harbour, only the mast of the “Argo” was still visible above the water. Despite the pumps being connected, she had taken on water overnight and sunk. The reasons for this, says Vetter, remain a mystery to this day.
Tuning experiments on Lake Constance
Freshly refitted, the ‘Argo’ went on to win the Blue Riband again in 1974 and 1976. But she was temperamental under greater pressure. If the ‘Argo’ heeled over so much that she dragged the winches through the water, she would lose speed. Things couldn’t go on like that. Helmut Vetter now fitted his “Argo” with trapezes – something uncharacteristic of classic yachts. With six men on the leeward side, one less reef needed to be tied in. Yet the competition on the regatta course was becoming ever more numerous, modern and faster.
Vetter’s response to this challenge was a new spinnaker, measuring 400 square metres. However, as the wind picked up, its enormous surface area made the yacht so prone to luffing that it became impossible to steer. As is customary for a skerry cruiser, the rudder blade was attached to the keel. Now the hull had to be redesigned. Vetter moved the keel aft, increased its length, shape and surface area, and fitted the yacht with a free-standing rudder blade. By this point at the latest, the ‘Argo’ bore no resemblance whatsoever to a 75-m² archipelago cruiser.
With winds of 2 to 3 on the Beaufort scale, the “Argo” – flying a giant spinnaker and with six crew members on the trapeze – was now doing eleven and a half knots, faster than her hull speed. Vetter explains that the stern wave rose three-quarters of a metre higher than the yacht’s transom.
In 1984, the souped-up classic won the Blue Ribbon for the last time. From then on, the lightweight Liberas dominated the scene. It was a heavy blow for the former star. The wooden beauty was so prominent that the locally based writer Martin Walser couldn’t resist sailing the legendary long-distance race with her.
An uncertain future for “Argo”
Whenever the ‘Argo’ sailed into a harbour back then, it drew a huge crowd. This was due to its spectacular beauty and, even more so, to the complicated manoeuvres it performed. The propeller shaft was not centred in the hull, making it almost impossible to reverse. If the ‘toothpick’ was then positioned at right angles to the wind, it took on a life of its own, as Udo Vetter puts it.
Once again, everything except the hull was stripped away. Helmut Vetter was by then 79 years old when he decided in 1998 to stop competing in regattas. With even greater living comfort and electric winches, the ‘Argo’ was to earn its keep in future as a pure cruising yacht. But it was not to be. The following spring, he passed away.
Now the heirs were left with an empty shell. What was to become of the ‘Argo’? Neither Udo Vetter nor his sister Bianca had restoration on their agenda, but they refurbished the hull to such an extent that the work could be completed at some unspecified point in the future. Until 2022, the ‘Argo’ and its dismantled parts waited in a barn for that moment.
Then the heiress, Bianca Vetter, decided to get the yacht she had grown up on back on the water. She funded the restoration and set up an association to enable young people to sail on a historic yacht.
‘Argo’ is transformed from a family yacht into a youth project
Today, ‘Argo’ is out on the lake for the second time in her new life. The wind has now died down; not a single wave has lapped against the immaculate new teak deck. Extreme sailing on the trapeze with the large spinnaker is off the cards. From now on, a gennaker will make manoeuvres easier and safer for the young sailors.
When Juliane Hempel, a yacht designer and classic yacht expert from Radolfzell, was brought on board the project, her priorities were safety and stability. The yacht designer 3D-scanned the hull and digitally reconstructed it. She calculated the weight and centre of gravity, and determined the righting moment. The mast was shortened by two metres, allowing the ballast to be significantly reduced. The rigging specialist then drew up a well-balanced sail plan.
With a young crew, the “Argo” will be making an appearance at the Rundum again this year. She made her first appearance there even before her restoration. Hitchhiking on ‘Ernst’, the gravel barge owned by Meichle and Mohr, she accompanied the starting field off Lindau in June 2023, wrapped in a waterproof white plastic cover, with guests of honour, sparkling wine and canapés. It marked the start of her new life.
‘Argo’ as a floating classroom
Considering that the “Argo” had been sitting in a barn for 30 years, its hull was in surprisingly good condition, Karsten Timmerherm noted after it had been towed to the Michelsen shipyard. Only a few cracks needed repairing. Furthermore, the forward section was unstable. The old T-section, which was designed to counteract the pull of the forestay with a force of around two tonnes, was too weak. It was replaced by a three-metre-long, custom-welded stainless steel box section. Longitudinal beams on the deck provide additional rigidity. The hull was then painted white. The “Argo” had regained her classic appearance.
The helmsman sits at the tiller once more in the two-part cockpit, whilst the mainsheet is handled in the aft compartment. With its harmonious, low-profile deck structure, the ‘Argo’ looks, at least above water, like a 75-m² archipelago cruiser once more. However, a decision was deliberately made not to restore the hull, which had been heavily and atypically modified. The effort and costs involved would have been disproportionately high.
The interior is simple and functional. No cooking facilities, no cupboards – nothing that makes a cruising yacht feel homely. A fridge on the port side and a toilet opposite are all the yacht has to offer in the way of comfort. In future, it will provide around eight berths, which are to be fitted either as tube berths or hammocks. The electric motor, which has replaced the old, heavy diesel engine, also saves space.
The mooring manoeuvre once again requires all hands on deck. Bianca Vetter is happy: “The ‘Argo’, her victories, her refits, her crews and her admirers – they have been a constant presence in my life for almost 70 years,” she said. On every weekend when there was no regatta, she would sleep in the dog’s berth. During the day, she found a wonderful spot to read in the bow. Even today, the ‘Argo’ owner still draws strength from her childhood memories. She was only ever roused when helping hands were needed for manoeuvres in the harbour.
This is how young people around Lake Constance get on board
At the request of Bianca Vetter, the yacht is to be made available, as part of an experiential learning project, primarily to young people with sailing experience from the yacht clubs around the lake. As a historic yacht where teamwork is key and seafaring skills can be learnt. The focus is on active collaboration, joint planning, joint preparation, taking on responsibility and, ultimately, teamwork.
With immediate effect, all sailing clubs and sailing associations around Lake Constance can book day trips on the ‘Argo’ for young people aged between 14 and 25, accompanied by a supervisor. Sailing experience is required. Clubs can book either via the contact form on the Website or by email to info@argoev.org can be contacted.
Converted, sunk, tuned, restored
The “Argo” has had an eventful life. Built by A&R as a 75-m² Schärenkreuzer 19, she never saw salt water, but moved from the waters around Berlin to Lake Constance, where she caused a stir on the regatta scene. She underwent a series of major modifications: the cockpit was split, the tiller was replaced by a wheel, and the boat was fitted with an aluminium rig and a new superstructure. In the meantime, she was measured to IOR standards, fitted with a huge spinnaker and trapezes – which, incidentally, were not permitted under IOR rules – and went on to win races in the open class. In a further refit, the keel was altered and moved aft, and the rudder was suspended freely. In 1989, the owner’s heirs put the boat into hibernation in a barn, a state that was to last until 2022. The vessel was then restored at the Michelsen yacht and boat yard. The hull was found to be in sound condition, but the teak deck was replaced, as was the superstructure. Below deck, the fit-out remained spartan, with only a toilet and a fridge providing the bare minimum of seaworthiness.
Technical specifications of the “Argo”
- Shipyard: Abeking & Rasmussen, 1932
- Design: Henry Rasmussen
- Total length: 8.60 m
- Waterline length: 12.95 m
- Width: 2.85 m
- Draught: 2.20 m
- Weight: 9.0 t
- Wing area (today): 95.0 m²
- Theoretical fuselage speed: 9.0 kn
- Lift-to-drag ratio: 4.7
- Motor (Torqeedo): 12 kW
More classics in YACHT classic
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