Harry Becker

1905-1992

Sweden

Harry Becker was born in Sweden in 1905. In 1909 his father, Emil S Becker, started a small boat yard mostly producing small rowing boats and smaller fishing boats. There was a great interest for sailing in the little town, much due to the naval centre there. One of the local designers was a cornel at the Naval centre who had designed several Square Metre yachts both for himself and for others. Harry Becker’s father decided to build one of the Square Metre designs for himself and this was the 30 sq.m yacht ‘Gerd’. Harry spent much of his free time on board ‘Gerd’ and became a very good sailor. He liked the design a great deal but thought that there were a few things that could be improved.

In 1920 Harry Becker designed his first yacht at the age of just 15. It became the 30 sq.m yacht ‘Gerd II’. Much of the design was a copy of the original ‘Gerd’ but it had some changes that Harry had thought of. The design turned out to be faster and more manageable than the original ‘Gerd’ and Harry Becker won several races on the yacht.

The same year, Becker decided it was time to quit school and instead started working in his father’s boat yard. One year later he designed his very first boat on his very own ideas, ‘Gerd III’. This yacht turned out to be exceptionally fast and won every race it entered during 1922, until it was finally beaten by a Gustav Estlander design at the very end of the year. ‘Gerd III’ was followed by a string of “Gerd” yachts, each one faster than the earlier. The success filled the order books in the small yard where building capacity was soon reached and Becker’s designs had to be built by other yards, including the well known “Holms Yacht Yard in Gammleby”. The designs included both smaller 22 Square Metre boats as-well as larger yachts.

In 1933 Harry Becker designed his first non Square Metre yacht : the 6mR ‘X:ET’. However this was not a design-type that interested Becker very much as he thought the Square Metre rule was superior and also cheaper to build which suited the yards budget better.

One of the most successful Square Metre yachts ever was the 30sqm ‘Tre Sang’. She won every race she ever entered until she was eventually sold to a UK enthusiast right before the start of World War II. In 1945 ‘Tre Sang’ was converted into an ocean racer and was in 1946 named ‘Yacht of the Year’ due to her success on the circuit. The yacht was later sold first to the USA and then to Australia.

In 1938 the export of Square Metre yachts to the USA included two 30 Sq.m yachts : Rapid’ and ‘Marianne’. ‘Rapid’ was later sold to South Africa after having won the Lipton Cup twice.

During World War II Becker kept the yard going by producing different products for the army and navy, anything from ammunition boxes to folding boats, but in 1947 the story was over and the Harry Becker owned yard “Rodesunds Batvarv” was declared bankrupt. The same year Becker started working for his good friend Knud Reimers as the yard manager for his Hastholms Varvet (yard).

Becker later registered a new company and again started designing and producing yachts under his own name. In 1992 Harry Becker died, but his yard is still running, now by Tore Becker.