1.st owner.
Timeless, elegant, classic. OD61 was The Perfect match for famous, danish watchmaker Ole Mathiesen (1930-2016).
Ole Mathiesen was born in Hellerup in 1930 as the eldest son of master watchmaker Axel Mathiesen. In 1951, he followed in his family's footsteps as a skilled watchmaker.
After completing his apprenticeship, Ole traveled to Switzerland, and it was at the Swiss watch company Jaeger-LeCoultre that his talent became evident. He took over the management of the family business in 1958.
In 1962, Ole Mathiesen designed a collection of the finest timeless classic watches, which are still celebrated today for their contemporary design, becoming classics that are part of a beautiful and internationally admired Danish design tradition. Ole Mathiesen was a man marked by unwavering integrity and uprightness. Always reli-able and honest.
He was a great family man, always smiling and helpful, and very well-liked by his many friends. Throughout his life, he was a dedicated Dragon and Knarr sailor and participated in several world championships.
Ole Mathiesen lived a long and eventful life - in many ways, like his watches - characterized by elegance and discretion, signaling personality and quality.
Source: Berlingske Tidene
Ole Mathiesen website.
Current co-owner: Eva Richter Nissen, 2013
Our stewardship.
Ole Hendriksen, father to perhaps the best Dragon sailor of his time, Lars Hendriksen, bought OD61 to enjoy his retirement.
Shortly after, Ole Hendriksen passed away prematurely, and a family friend, Lars Gjeldberg, took over OD61, which he brought with him to Switzerland. For various reasons, it was not possible for Lars Gjeldberg to keep the boat in the condition he believed it deserved.
Lars Hendriksen, who is a cousin of my wife, Eva, asked us if we would consider buying DIVA. Lars believed that DIVA suited my way of caring for a boat and liked the idea that the last boat owned by his father would stay in the family.
For financial reasons, we had just sold our own sailboat and had not considered a new boat, but the thought of the fine wooden Knarr remaining in the family piqued our curiosity. When I saw the boat for the first time, it didn't take me 10 minutes to decide to buy it. A boat with that history - first owned by Ole Mathiesen and most recently by Lars Hendriksen's father, Ole, was more than we could resist. Plus, its beautiful exterior and the fact that it was a wooden boat were very much to my liking.
We raised the money, and DIVA was ours. My initial impression was that it was fundamentally in good condition. However, over time, it turned out that she needed more care than I had imagined.
I was acutely aware that such a boat is only on loan basis, and I certainly did not want it to deteriorate under our ownership. So, I rolled up my sleeves.
Today, DIVA is in excellent condition, and we intend to maintain this meticulous condition and continue to improve it where possible and where it makes sense.
When we eventually pass ownership of DIVA to the next owner, we will do so with pride and great joy in having had the privilege of owning such a great yacht. We have never used OD61 for racing, so an upgrade on rig and sails could be advantageous. Rumor has it that she is fast. And who knows, perhaps the next owner will be a watchmaker. Our youngest son happens to be a watchmaker, but he is still not a sailor. Time will tell who it will be.
Owners list.
OD61 year of construction: 1968
Built by Boerresens Baadebyggeri, Denmark
1st owner: Watchmaker Ole Mathiesen / Hørsholm. Boat name: Hjerter 3. Home-port: Rungsted
2nd owner: Carsten Braunstein / Rungsted. Purchased in 1978 Boat name: Same. Homeport: Rungsted
3rd owner: Per Mørch Jensen / Copenhagen. Purchased in 1984
4th owner: Anne-Marie Hertz / Vedbæk. Purchased in 1991 Homeport: Vedbæk
5th owner: Ted Gräslund / Rungsted. Purchased in 1999 Boat name: DIVA. Homeport: Rungsted
6th owner: Ole Hendriksen and Lars Gelbjerg / Rungsted/Omø. Purchased in 200? Boat name: DIVA. Homeport: Rungsted
Current owners: Marc & Eva Richter Nissen / Holte. Purchased in 2011 Boat name: DIVA. Homeport: Rungsted
Source: Knarr klubben.
Foto: Allan Simonsen. From arkiv.dk
The Legend Børge Børresen
The legendary Børge Børresen (1919-2007) built the first wooden Knarr boats for the Danish market in the mid-1950s and acquired the rights to build the Knarr in fiberglass in 1973.
Børge Børresen was widely recognized as both a boat builder and as a skilled sailor; Especially in the Dragon class. The first Dragon was built by Børge and Alfred Børresen in 1936.
Today, Børresen is led and managed by his sons, Anders and Ole.
Drawing: Knarr klubben
Knarr measurements
Length: 9.28 meters
Beam: 2.12 meters
Draft: 1.30 meters
Displacement: 2,277 kg
Mainsail area: 17.5 m²
Jib area: 9.1 m²
Total sail area: 26.6 m²
About the Knarr
A book about the Knarr, written in English, was published in 2018 and can be ordered from the Danish Knarr Club's website.
The Knarr was designed by Norwegian Erling L. Kristofersen in 1943. The name refers to a type of ship from the Viking Age, a trading vessel. The boat was originally built in wood over a mold (with the bottom facing up), a method that streamlined the construction process. More than 300 wooden Knarrs have been built since 1943. In 1948, the Knarr was approved as a one-design racing class by the Royal Norwegian Sailing Association. In 1954, the Knarr was approved in Denmark as a national one-design class. Currently, there are about 100 boats in Norway, around 40 boats in San Francisco, and 110 boats in Denmark.
There are also a smaller number of boats in Germany and France.
Source: Knarr klubben
We use OD61 for cruising only.
DIVA does not offer loads of space for modern crusing boatlife,
but she offers amazing sailing, easy handling, charm and romance. She is a statement of elegance and timeless beauty and honest boat building skills, turning heads wherever she goes.
All that comes with a touch of history.
