History
In 1967 the Nordic Folkboat celebrated its 25th anniversary. Designed as an easily sailed and low-cost wooden boat, it was intended for touring and racing and became quickly quite popular especially in Scandinavia. However, during the early 1960s one-design boat classes still had to be built from wood with all the limitations of this construction material. Fiberglass was still seen as a not yet sufficiently researched construction material.
At that time, the yacht designer Hans Groop from Finland was one of the very few in his profession, who specialized early on fiberglass. He received an order by the yacht club Segelsällskrab to design a nice modern boat, a kind of modernized Folkboat, that did not suffer from the limitations of a wooden construction anymore and was capable of fast sailing, off course.
2000
The ISAF decrees a new advertising code
- Advertising on the fore sail is banned
- Advertising on the main sail is only permitted in stripe between boom and 1800 mm above
By decision of the IHA, the use of a digital compass is permitted at leader board races.
The IHA decides that the crew weight will be limited to 300 kg at world championships only.
1990
The most important Class-Rule ammendments for the H-Boat was introduced:
- footstraps for the crew hiking and safety were allowed,
- the advertising on the Boat was limited to the hull and the spinnaker only,
- all other ammendments made in the past years had the background of clarification of existing rules.
Within the following years the H-Boat grow in all countries, mainly in Europe.
Approximately 30 boats were sold to the US and some few to Japan also.
1982
The IHA issued the first Bulletin, 66 H-Boats started in Keel Week, 30 from Scandinavia.
1980
In Grömitz/Germany the first H-Boat World Campionship took place; Richard Hoj Jensen from Denmark became the first World Champion in the H-Boat Class.
In England the U.K. H-Boat Association was founded.
More than 200 H-Boats sailed in Germany.
1978
Frauscher in Austria started to build the H-Boat.
1977
The H-Boat Class became an "International Class" of the IYRU, London.
The Keel-Week had 43 starters in the H-Boat class; 25 of them from Scandinavia.
The first European Championship took place; Hendrik Söderlund from Denmark became the first Champion in the H-Boat Class.
The Austrians founded the Austrian H-Boat Association.
1976
The H-Boat participated in the Keel-Week for the first time.
1975
The Deutsche H-Boot Klassenvereinigung (DHK) was founded.
1974
The Swiss H-Boat Association was established; more than 30 H-Boats sailed in Switzerland.
1973
The International H-Boat Association (IHA) was founded; 500 H-Boats were built up to this date. Germany got its first H-Boat.
1972
National H-Boat Associations were founded in Denmark, Sweden and Norway, 28 boats participated to the first Nordic Championship in Marstrand/Sweden.
1971
The Finnish H-Boat Association was founded.
1970
The FYA arranged builders licenses to several yards such as Scan Boats, Botnia and Paul Elfström in Denmark. FYA accepted the boat as One-Design-Class officially and the designer Hans Groop transferred the copyright of the H-Boat to the FYA.
1968
The Finnish Yachting Association (FYA) granted the Class-status to the H-Boat and the Finnish builder ARTEKNO OY completed 40 boats in the same year.
1967
The first 15 Boats were built in Finland.