Nordic Folkboat: World’s coolest yachts

Yachting World has been asking top sailors and marine industry gurus to choose the coolest and most innovative yachts of our times, and wooden boatbuilder Leo Goolden nominated the Nordic Folkboat. Here’s the report:

“The humble Nordic Folkboat is, in my opinion, the ‘world’s coolest yacht’, because it is so simple, so beautiful, and so versatile,” says Goolden.

“It can be taken for a leisurely picnic sail, quickly transform into a finely-tuned class racer, or even set up for ocean voyaging – and will excel at all three, with minimal expense. What could possibly be cooler than that? As long as you don’t mind low headroom and minimal amenities, a Nordic Folkboat will do whatever you ask it to.”

Designed as a clinker sloop in 1942, more than 4,000 Folkboats have since been built and they can be bought cheaply in various states of repair.

“My own experience was very formative,” says Goolden. “Lorema (1947) was a beautiful boat, but had rot in the planks and lost a chainplate (and very shortly after, the mast) in the first blow.

“I rebuilt her and, after a trip down the European coast, felt confident enough in Lorema to do a single-handed transatlantic voyage. I’ve now moved on to bigger boats, but still miss the simplicity of the Nordic Folkboat, and one day I might just go back.”

Nordic Folkboat stats rating
Top speed: 6 knots
LOA: 7.68m/25ft 3in
Launched: 1942
Berths: 2-4
Price: £5,000-£25,000
Adrenalin factor: 50%

For Yachting World’s list of cool boats, click here.