Which sailor doesn't know the cute IF boat, which is actually an International Folkboat, but was never allowed to be called that because it was only recognised as an international class in Sweden and Denmark. Now Peter Grönlund from the Seacamper company in Berlin has bought the brand and production rights and wants to relaunch the IF boat in an updated version.
Grönlund is currently looking for suggestions for improvement and possible changes to adapt the new IF boat to any changes in requirements. On his website he has published a Forum where IF owners and those who would like to become IF owners can comment on the planned project. And: To ensure class conformity, Peter Grönlund is in contact with the national class associations in Germany and Scandinavia and is also negotiating with the Swedish Sailing Association, which is responsible for the IF class rules. "It is my hope that we will have enough input in two months' time so that we can finalise the specifications and construction details for the new IF boat," Grönlund told YACHT online.
The plan is to rebuild the IF boat according to current standards and using modern production technologies. However, Grönlund does not want to announce details of this until a later stage. However, he has already named a price: the class-compliant new edition of the IF boat will cost 59,900 euros, ready to sail, including the sails (main, jib, genoa) and 19 per cent VAT.
The IF boat was first presented in 1967. The design by the Swede Tord Sundén was essentially based on the design of the clinker-built Nordic folk boat from 1942, but the IF boat was given a higher freeboard and the stern and transom were slightly modified. And to ensure safety at sea, the boat was also fitted with a self-draining cockpit. The IF boat was built until 1987 at the Marieholm shipyard in Sweden in a run of around 3,600 units. The IF boat is still actively raced today in strong fields, primarily in Scandinavia, but also in Germany.
Michael Good
Editor Test & Technology
