6mR – HAMBURG – Henry Rasmussen (1927)

Specification

General

Comments

The first German 6mR yacht, the “HAMBURG” designed by Henry Rasmussen, was launched by Abeking & Rasmussen in 1927.

The client at the time was Ferdinand Laeisz, a Hamburg cloth merchant and owner of the “Flying P-Liner” shipping company, which owned the PAMIR, the PASSAT and the PEKING, among others.

Laeisz and Rasmussen had the goal of bringing Germany back into the regatta world after the First World War and were of the opinion that a six-metre yacht would be well suited to this.

The HAMBURG showed what it was capable of, especially in light winds, and was sailed successfully by Laeisz and Rasmussen for a few years before it was sold and disappeared from the scene for decades.

Henry Rasmussen’s grandson found this piece of German and his own history in Poland and brought the HAMBURG back to Germany together with the current owner. It was in very poor condition and was extensively overhauled according to the original plans.

In 2007, on the 80th birthday and the 100th anniversary of Abeking & Rasmussen, the HAMBURG was finished and this was duly celebrated with the christening at the classic regattas in Laboe.

Unfortunately, the restoration was not as sustainable as desired, which is why the hull was given two layers of mahogany veneer, the frame was enlarged and the ribs were renewed.

At the last boat show in Hamburg (Hamburg Boat Show / formerly Hanseboot), the ship was exhibited as an example of modern boat building for classics.

The boat and sails have hardly been used since the restoration. So there is no backlog of renovations and the HAMBURG is easy to maintain.

Pictures of the individual restoration stages are available.

The layout and fittings are designed so that the boat can also be sailed single-handed without any problems.

Motor

An absolute highlight is an electric motor, which folds out onto a carbon frame in the boat’s color – not black, but aubergine. It is separated from the torque dome, control system and motor, with a carbon frame in between that matches the shape of the hull. The 2 batteries are on the floor amidships, are empty and need to be replaced.