Germán Frers Sr 49 ft Sloop 1947/2013

For every yacht design success story there is often one particular early yacht that kindled the fire. For the William Fifes of the Clyde it was FIONA of 1865, ‘The Fawn of Fairlie’; for Olin Stephens of New York it was, of course, DORADE (1930); and for the Frers of Buenos Aires, it’s FJORD III. Restored in present ownership to the fast, functionally simple, and effortlessly beautiful offshore racer Germán Frers Senior originally conceived for himself in 1947, since 2016 FJORD III has been making a name for herself in the Mediterranean, often with the second and third generations of the Frers family at the helm. FJORD III is moored in Spain and very ready for the 2024 CIM classic regattas season.

2013 ASTILLERO DE FEDERICO 'FIQUE' GARCIA, PIRIAPOLIS, URUGUAY

"We took FJORD III back to what she was originally designed for: a thoroughbred racing yacht. Over the years FJORD III had been converted into a sailing cruiser."

- Hull stripped completely
- 2 x Small planks replaced which were showing some signs of excessive wear
- Fibreglass deck removed revealing marine plywood over the original viraro deck
- After much consideration this substructure was retained
- A new 14 mm teak laid deck was laid
- Cabin trunk and doghouse taken back to the original specification
- Obtained from German Frers the son of the original owner and builder
- Forward cabin interior removed - forepeak now use to store sails
- Heating and the hot water systems removed
- Cockpit coaming lowered to original height
- Non original wooden spray hood removed
- Mast, boom and spinnaker pole stripped and varnished

GERMÁN FRERS JR. ON HIS FATHER:
"Germán Frers Senior was a very good man with a great heart. He talked a lot and sailed even more. His yachts have been studied from every angle and his defining trait was harmony. My father’s gift to me was teaching me to be passionate about what I do, and the magic he put into his drawings is what has inspired me over the years. I have seen great changes, just think of the transition from pencil drafting to computer-generated design. But one aspect that has not - and will not ever - change is that of creating connections with everyone putting the boat together; and respecting the people who work for and with us is at the heart of our vision. I am proud of the fact that as a family we have managed to carry on the magic."
(Argentario Sailing Week 2018).

Frers Senior (1899-1986) couldn't have known he was creating the ingredients for perhaps the greatest yacht design dynasty of the 20th and 21st Centuries - like the three generations of William Fifes of the 19th and 20th - but he was. In 1947, straight out the box, FJORD III started 24 hours late, but scored the fastest elapsed time in the prestigious Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro Race; the die was set.

Frers's third FJORD may have been at a rather different end of the yacht design spectrum from her Colin Archer inspired predecessor, but with FJORD II Frers had shown South American yachtsmen, addicted to their pure racers, the potential of a seaworthy and seakindly vessel. In FJORD III, the apparently self-taught Frers merged this experience with presumably many published influences to achieve this superbly pure, efficient - and, yes, harmonious - ocean-going racer that continues to attract admirers and win regattas over 70 years on. In current ownership, the restored FJORD III has been regularly helmed by the designer's son Germán Frers Jr., and grandson 'Mani' Frers - carrying on the magic.

For the 1950 Buenos Aires to Rio de Janeiro Race, FJORD III stated on time to win overall, then in 1952 a plan to ship her to New York for the Newport-Bermuda Race was scuppered when Eva Perón withdrew the boat's exit permit when her owner refused to paint political slogans on the topsides. After Perón's death the embargo was removed, and in the second ownership of Argentinian Raúl Decker FJORD III won her class in the 1954 Bermuda Race from a strong fleet.

Subsequently FJORD III found her way to the US West Coast where owners through the 1960s to early 1990s included a sailmaker, the inevitable hippies, and, from c.1994, Marcus Koch, a German NFL football player for Washington Commanders who purchased the boat on his retirement to the Pacific Northwest.

By this time FJORD III had become a dedicated cruiser. Her last West Coast owner, David L. McCarty, sold her to her present Uruguayan owner at Richmond, California, in 2012, and FJORD III returned to the River Plate for the first time in over 50 years. Her 2013 restoration at Piriápolis, Uruguay by Federico "Fique" García is described above.

Post-restoration, FJORD III raced again in her old River Plate waters. Since 2016 she has been Mediterranean based and has - of course! - proven very competitive at the Spanish, French and Italian classic regattas.

©2024 Iain McAllister/ Sandeman Yacht Company Ltd.

- 30 mm viraro planking on 40 x 50 mm viraro timbers
- Copper fastened
- Viraro backbone
- 3 x Bilge stringers per side
- Almost full length clamp as well as beam shelf
- Bronze diagonal hull strapping in way of mast
- 32 mm Monel keelbolts
- Teak laid deck on marine plywood substrate

SUMMARY
- Teak laid deck
- Varnished teak covering boards
- Varnished teak raised and capped toerail bulwark
- Varnished teak superstructure with laid teak tops

FROM AFT
- Bronze mooring fairleads port and starboard
- Bronze ensign staff socket
- Stainless steel backstay chainplate
- Bronze Herreshoff style mooring cleats port and starboard

COCKPIT
- Well type with all round laid teak seating at deck level
- Varnished teak margins
- Varnished raised teak capped coamings
- Lockers under seats aft, port and starboard
- Aft part of cockpit separated for mainsheet trimmer
- Ash mainsheet purchase blocks
- Mainsheet winch to starboard
- Tiller steering from forward part of cockpit
- Engine throttle control
- Portlights port and starboard to aft accommodation

SIDE DECKS
- Bronze stanchion bases
- Vintage Lewmar headsail tracks
- Bronze spring line Panama fairleads port and starboard

DOGHOUSE AND CABIN TRUNK
- Sliding companionway hatch
- Portable B&G repeater panel
- Bronze opening ports to port and starboard

MAST POSITION

FORWARD HOUSE
- Bronze ports to port and starboard
- Semi-flush forehatch

FOREDECK
- Samson post
- Inner forestay position
- Bronze Panama fairleads in knightsheads port and starboard

GROUND TACKLE
- 9.5 kg Fortress FX-37 anchor
- 5 m of Chain
- 40 m of Nylon rode

SUMMARY
- Berths for 5 in saloon and aft cabin
- White painted bulkheads, house sides and deckhead
- Varnished mahogany carpentry
- Teak and holly sole

DOWN 6 x STEPS FROM COMPANIONWAY HATCH

AFT TO QUARTER BERTHS PORT AND STARBOARD

GALLEY TO PORT
- Stainless steel sink and surround
- Bronze mixer tap
- Lockers under and over outboard; shelf outboard
- Richmond Shipmate 3 x burner gimballed cooker with oven
- Lockers over
- WAECO Danfoss Series 55 - 100 L Refrigerator (2021)
- Lockers over
- Work surface over engine box

CHART TABLE TO STARBOARD
- Full size
- Drawers and lockers under
- Electrical navigation and communications panel over outboard
- Ship's clock and barometer
- Hanging locker forward

SALOON
- Settee berths to port and starboard
- Port berth extends by sliding inboard
- Pilot berth outboard to port; lockers under
- Lockers and bookshelves to starboard

FOREPEAK
- Open - dedicated to sail stowage
- Raised house and forehatch in deckhead
- Ventilator in deckhead

WC COMPARTMENT TO PORT
- Jabsco electric toilet
- Inset wash basin in varnished surface
- Bronze fresh water hand pump
- Lockers outboard and under
- Ventilator in deckhead

RIG
- Fractional bermudan sloop rig
- Spruce mast with 2 x sets of spreaders
- Standing rigging new in 2018
- 4 x Enkes halyard winches
- Spruce boom

SAILS
North Dacron cross-cut :
3 x Mainsails (delivery, regatta, and regatta new May 2023)
3 x Genoa 1 (newest 2023)
2 x Genoa 2
3 x Genoa 3
North downwind :
3 x Spinnaker (newest 2023)
2 x Heavy asymmetric 1 (newest 2022)
2 x Medium asymmetric 2 (newest 2023)
2 x Light asymmetric 3 (newest 2022)

CANVASWORK
- Full canvas cover for the entire boat
- Awning over boom
- Hatch covers

MECHANICAL
- Yanmar 3YM30EA 3 Cyl 29 hp diesel (2018)
- 2-Bladed fixed propeller

ELECTRICAL
- Victron Phoenix battery charger 12 V 50 A (2022)
- Engine battery: Red Top (2018)
- 2 x Victron 12 V 165 Ah AGM domestic batteries
- Inverter

TANKAGE
Polypropylene tanks (2019)
- Diesel 115 L / 26 Gal
- Water tank 65 L / 14 Gal

NAVIGATION
- Wilfred O. White & Sons Inc. steering compass at bridge deck
- B&G H5000 Display
- 4 x B&G Triton displays
- Raymarine AIS 650 Transceiver
- Raymarine Plotter A95
- Raymarine Autopilot Evolution EV-100

COMMUNICATIONS
- ICOM VHF DSC Radio

- 12 x Lifevests Plastimo (last serviced March 2022)
- 3 x Extintor 2kg fire extinguishers (2022)
- EPIRB - ADCD0226E144801
- Full set of flares (expire 2025)
- Fog horn
- Heavy duty wire cutter
- Circular life saver

- 6 x fenders with covers
- 8 x mooring lines
- Complete tool kit