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 Why Not Take a Scandinavian Home with You?
By John Colver
The San Francisco Bay Knarr Association is one of the oldest (since 1959) one-design classes on the Bay; one of the largest (43 boats on the register); and one of the most active (25 or more boats on the starting line). It is also the largest one-design class in our Club, even though we are down to only six boats - for the time being.
Every year an International Knarr Championship takes place, rotating between Norway, Denmark and San Francisco and this year will see the Thirty-third “IKC” being hosted by San Francisco Yacht Club from Friday August 31 through Saturday September 8. In 1986, it was agreed that when the IKC came to San Francisco, it would rotate between, SFYC, St.FYC and Corinthian. Corinthian was the host Club in 1986 and 1995 - and the Knarr Fleet hopes it will be invited back in 2004.
The IKC is a full week of racing and social events. Each country conducts its own qualifying series (eighteen qualifying races for our fleet) with twelve berths awarded to the host country and six to each of the visiting countries. The reigning International Champion gets a “bye”. Racing takes place every day (except the Wednesday “Lay Day”) among the twenty-five competitors in borrowed boats, which are switched each day on a lottery basis and followed by an enthusiastic spectator fleet. Upwards of 200 people attend the social events which take place most evenings during Regatta Week and this year Corinthian will host the Mid Week Party. Corinthian will also host the San Francisco Bay Fleet’s Fundraising Dinner/Auction on Thursday May 10, to which all CYC members are invited (watch for a flyer).
In connection with the IKC, we have to find housing for approximately 90 skippers, crew and their spouses, from Norway and Denmark. Over the years, many long lasting friendships have developed between the hosts and their guests on both sides of the Atlantic. If you are willing to “take a Scandinavian home” during IKC week, please contact Rosalind Colver at 415-435-4024 (or email: rjcyc@aol.com) for further details. You will find our guests are typically outgoing, polite, invariably successful in their jobs or business; and with a strong sense of family values. They are good sailors and good company and although there are always a number of younger sailors and their wives, many of them have been racing their same boat for twenty years and more.
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