Pelle Petterson

Last updated

Pelle Petterson
Pelle P June2010.jpg
Pelle Petterson in June 2010
Personal information
Full namePelle Helmer Petterson
NationalityFlag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
Born (1932-07-31) 31 July 1932 (age 90) [1]
Stockholm, Sweden [1]
Sailing career
Class(es) Star, Soling, 6 Metre, 12 Metre
ClubKattegattflottiljen, Gothenburg [1]
Medal record
Sailing
Representing Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
Olympic Games
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1972 Munich Star class
Bronze medal icon (B initial).svg 1964 Tokyo Star class
World Championships
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg 1969 San Diego Star class
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg1977 Marstrand6 Metre class
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg1979 Seattle6 Metre class
Gold medal icon (G initial).svg1983 Newport6 Metre class
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1969 Copenhagen Soling
Silver medal icon (S initial).svg 1974 Laredo Star class

Pelle Helmer Petterson (born 31 July 1932) is a Swedish sailor and yacht designer. He is the son of Helmer Petterson and Norwegian-born Borgny Petterson (born Holm), and studied design at the leading Pratt Institute in New York from 1955 through 1957. His father was also a designer who developed wood gas aggregates and Volvo PV444, strongly influencing his son to go in his footsteps. He is probably best known for designing the Maxi brand of sailing boats, which are still among the most common sailing boats in Swedish waters. He also designed Volvo's successful sports car, the P1800, while he was a student of Pietro Frua. [2]

Contents

There is a line of sailing clothing and sports wear bearing the name Petterson, under the Brand Name Pelle P. which are designed by his daughter, Cecilia. His other daughter, Ulrika "Icka", lives in the U.S. and is married to Paul Cayard, an American yachtsman and professional sailor.

Olympic medals and other yacht racing awards

A Volvo P1800, designed by Petterson Volvop18395va1961front.jpg
A Volvo P1800, designed by Petterson

Competing in the Star class, Petterson won two Olympic medals: a bronze in 1964 and a silver in 1972. [3] [4] He held the world title in this event in 1969.

He also won World Cup medals in the Soling class and participated in the America's Cup several times, skippering the Swedish America's Cup Challenges in 1977 and 1980.

Awards

Petterson was the first person to be inducted into the Swedish Sailing Hall of Fame. [1] On 14 May 2004 he received the Swedish Business Award for Outstanding Achievements of the first grade from the West Swedish Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Amongst previous recipients are Arvid Carlsson Nobel laureate, Ingvar Kamprad founder of Ikea and Pehr G. Gyllenhammar former CEO of Volvo.

On 19 November 2004 he received the KTH's Stora Pris from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. [5]

On 8 June 2010 Petterson received from Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden the King's Medal (12th size bright-blue ribbon [6] ) for outstanding contributions as a yachtsman and boat designer.

Achievements

Petterson in the 1960s Pelle Petterson.jpg
Petterson in the 1960s
As of 27 September 2015 [7]
YearCompetitionVenuePositionEvent
1964Olympic Games Enoshima, Japan3rdStar class
1966 Star World Championship Kiel, West Germany7thStar class
1967 Star World Championship Copenhagen, Denmark5thStar class
1969 Star World Championship San Diego, USA1stStar class
Soling World Championship Copenhagen, DEN2ndSoling
1970 Star World Championship Marstrand, Sweden13thStar class
1971 Star World Championship Puget Sound, USA7thStar class
1972 Star World Championship Caracas, Venezuela4thStar class
Olympic Games Kiel, West Germany2ndStar class
1973 Star World Championship San Diego Bay, USA8thStar class
1974 Star World Championship Laredo, Spain2ndStar class
1976 Star World Championship Nassau, Bahamas8thStar class
1977 6 Metre World Cup Marstrand, Sweden1st6 Metre class
1978 Star World Championship San Francisco, USA17thStar class
1979 Star World Championship Marstrand, Sweden6thStar class
6 Metre World Cup Seattle, USA1st6 Metre class
1983 6 Metre World Cup Newport, USA1st6 Metre class
1995 Star World Championship Laredo, Spain63rdStar class
1998 Star World Championship Portorož, Slovenia89thStar class
2009 Star World Championship Varberg, Sweden61stStar class

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">KTH Royal Institute of Technology</span> University in Stockholm, Sweden

The KTH Royal Institute of Technology, abbreviated KTH, is a public research university in Stockholm, Sweden. KTH conducts research and education in engineering and technology and is Sweden's largest technical university. Currently, KTH consists of five schools with four campuses in and around Stockholm.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dennis Conner</span> American yachtsman

Dennis Walter Conner is an American yachtsman. He is noted for winning a bronze medal at the 1976 Olympics, two Star World Championships, and three wins in the America's Cup.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Ocean Race</span> Yacht race around the world

The Ocean Race is a yacht race around the world, held every three or four years since 1973. Originally named the Whitbread Round the World Race after its initiating sponsor, British brewing company Whitbread, in 2001 it became the Volvo Ocean Race after Swedish automobile manufacturer Volvo took up the sponsorship, and in 2019 it was renamed The Ocean Race.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Volvo P1800</span> Car model

The Volvo P1800 is a 2+2, front-engine, rear-drive sports car manufactured and marketed by Volvo Cars between 1961 and 1973. Originally a coupé (1961–1972), it was also offered in a shooting-brake configuration toward the end of its production (1972–1973). Styling was by Pelle Petterson under the tutelage of Pietro Frua when Frua's studio was a subsidiary of the Italian carrozzeria Ghia, and the mechanicals were derived from Volvo's Amazon/122 series.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Ainslie</span> British sailor

Sir Charles Benedict Ainslie is a British competitive sailor. Ainslie is the most successful sailor in Olympic history. He won medals at five consecutive Olympics from 1996 onwards, including gold at the four consecutive Games held between 2000 and 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Cayard</span> American sailor

Paul Pierre Cayard is an American yachtsman and professional sailor. He has competed at multiple world championship level sailing events, including the America's Cup, the Whitbread Round the World Race, the Volvo Ocean Race and the Olympic Games. In 1998 he was selected as the US Rolex Yachtsmen of the Year. He has won seven world championships, twice participated in the Olympic Games and seven times in the America's Cup. In 2011 he was elected into the US Sailing Hall of Fame.

Petterson is a Scandinavian and Dutch surname. Notable people with the surname include:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Torben Grael</span> Brazilian sailor

Torben Schmidt Grael is one of the most well known Brazilian sailors, renowned in international competitions. A descendant of Danes, he was taken sailing by his grandfather at the age of five years on the sailboat Aileen, of the 6 Metre class, which was the boat used by the silver medal winning 1912 Summer Olympics Danish sailing team. Once he moved to Niterói, he started sailing with his brother, Lars Grael, also an Olympic medal winner, on the Bay of Guanabara. He is father of Olympic champion Martine Grael.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farr Yacht Design</span> Racing yacht design firm

Farr Yacht Design, founded by Bruce Farr in Auckland, New Zealand, is a racing yacht design firm based in Annapolis, Maryland, United States. The firm is led by Patrick Shaughnessy. Its yachts measure from 25 feet (7.6 m) to 125 feet (38 m). Farr develops custom and production yachts, including interiors, sails, and hull design. Farr uses outside research and development with tank testing and wind tunnels. Farr-designed yachts have won and placed well in a broad range of races.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fredrik Lööf</span> Swedish sailor

Max Emil Fredrik Lööf is a Swedish professional sailor who has participated in six Summer Olympics, winning one gold and two bronze medals. He won the gold medal in Star with Max Salminen at the 2012 Summer Olympics and the bronze medals in Finn in the 2000 Summer Olympics and with Anders Ekström in Star in the 2008 Summer Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Assar Gabrielsson</span> Swedish industrialist (1891–1962)

Assar Thorvald Nathanael Gabrielsson was a Swedish industrialist and co-founder of Volvo.

Fernando Echávarri Erasun is a professional yachtsman in the Olympic Tornado class. Teaming with crew Antón Paz Blanco, he became the Spanish, European, World Champion, ISAF Sailor of the year in 2005, Olympic gold medallist at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games held in Qingdao.

Iain Murray AM is an Australian sailor and yacht designer

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Poul Richard Høj Jensen</span> Danish sailor

Poul Richard Høj Jensen "PRHJ" is a Danish sailor, boatbuilder, sailmaker and Olympic champion. Høj Jensen lives with his wife Sophia alternating in Burnham-on-Crouch and Freetown, Antigua and Barbuda.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Burling (sailor)</span> New Zealand sailor

Peter Burling is a New Zealand sailor. He was the 2021 America's Cup winning skipper and helmsman, and the 2017 America's Cup winning helmsman of Team New Zealand, and won an Olympic gold medal in the 49er class at the 2016 games and silver medals in the 2012 and 2020 Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Stena Match Cup Sweden</span>

Match Cup Sweden is a sailing event on the World Match Racing Tour held in Marstrand, Sweden in the beginning of July every year. Organizers of Match Cup Sweden are The Royal Gothenburg Yacht Club and Brandspot.

Andrea Giuseppe "Beppe" Croce was a sailor and yachtsman from Genoa, Italy.

The 6 Metre World Cup are biennial international sailing regattas in the 6 Metre class organized by the International Six Metre Association.

<i>Alfa Romeo II</i>

Alfa Romeo II is a maxi yacht designed in 2005 by Reichel/Pugh for yachtsman Neville Crichton. First-to-finish in the 2009 Transpacific Yacht Race, she also set a new elapsed-time Transpac race record for monohulls.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joe English (sailor)</span> Irish yachtsman and sailmaker

Joe English was an Irish yachtsman, professional sailor and sailmaker. He competed at multiple world championship level sailing events, including the America's Cup, the Whitbread Round The World Race and Admiral's Cup race series. In 1989, English skippered Ireland's first entry to take part in the Whitbread Round the World Yacht Race.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Pelle Petterson. Swedish Olympic Committee
  2. Swärd, Lasse (8 November 2009). "Volvo ger upprättelse åt P1800:s skapare (Volvo provide redress to the P1800's creator)". Dagens Nyheter . Archived from the original on 9 November 2009. Retrieved 8 November 2009.
  3. "Pelle Petterson". Olympedia. Retrieved 9 June 2020.
  4. "Pelle Petterson - Sweden's sailing hero", 32nd America's Cup Interviews, 9 January 2005, retrieved 8 November 2009
  5. "KTHs Stora pris - Samtliga vinnare (KTH's Grand Prize - All the winners)", KTH , 29 September 2009, archived from the original on 6 December 2009, retrieved 8 November 2009
  6. HM King Carl XVI Gustaf Medals, 8 June 2010, retrieved 8 June 2010
  7. "Sailor Biography". members.sailing.org.