Pelle Petterson

Pelle Helmer Petterson (born 31 July 1932) is a Swedish sailor and yacht designer. Petterson has won two Olympic medals, four world championship titles, challenged for the America's Cup and designed several sailboats, including Maxi 77.

Biography Early life Pelle Petterson was born in Stockholm, Sweden on 31 July 1932 to Helmer Petterson and Norwegian-born Borgny Petterson (born Holm). His father was also a designer who developed wood gas aggregates and Volvo PV444, strongly influencing his son to go in his footsteps. In his youth, Petterson built gravity racers and sailed in the Stjärnbåt class. He designed the 12 mR yacht Sverige, 17 6 mR yachts, and worked with Maxi, Nimbus and Monark Crescent. The Maxi series comprise about 30 designs, among them the Maxi 77. He has also designed the sailboats Monark 606 and C 55. In 2003, he designed the Swedish Match 40 for match racing events.

He also designed Volvo's successful sports car, the P1800, while he was a student of Pietro Frua.

Sailing career Competing in the Star class, Petterson won a bronze in 1964 together with Holger Sundström. He held the world title in this event in 1969, when he won the 1969 Star World Championship in San Diego together with Ulf Schröder.

Awards Petterson was the first person to be inducted into the Swedish Sailing Hall of Fame.

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

Achievements

1964 Olympic Games Enoshima, Japan 3rd Star class 1966 Star World Championship Kiel, West Germany 7th Star class 1967 Star World Championship Copenhagen, Denmark 5th Star class 1969 Star World Championship San Diego, USA 1st Star class Soling World Championship Copenhagen, DEN 2nd Soling 1970 Star World Championship Marstrand, Sweden 13th Star class 1971 Star World Championship Puget Sound, USA 7th Star class 1972 Star World Championship Caracas, Venezuela 4th Star class Olympic Games Kiel, West Germany 2nd Star class 1973 Star World Championship San Diego Bay, USA 8th Star class 1974 Star World Championship Laredo, Spain 2nd Star class 1976 Star World Championship Nassau, Bahamas 8th Star class 1977 6 Metre World Cup Marstrand, Sweden 1st 6 Metre class 1978 Star World Championship San Francisco, USA 17th Star class 1979 Star World Championship Marstrand, Sweden 6th Star class 6 Metre World Cup Seattle, USA 1st 6 Metre class 1983 6 Metre World Cup Newport, USA 1st 6 Metre class 1995 Star World Championship Laredo, Spain 63rd Star class 1998 Star World Championship Portorož, Slovenia 89th Star class 2009 Star World Championship Varberg, Sweden 61st Star class