Pelle Petterson

{{Infobox sailor

| name=Pelle Petterson

| image=Pelle P June2010.jpg

| imagesize=

| caption =Pelle Petterson in June 2010

| fullname = Pelle Helmer Petterson

| nicknames =

| classes = Star, Soling, 6 Metre, 12 Metre

| club = Kattegattflottiljen

| collegeteam =

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1932|07|31|df=y}}

| birth_place = Stockholm, Sweden

| death_date =

| death_place =

| height =

| weight =

| retired =

| medaltemplates=

{{MedalCountry | {{SWE}}}}

}}

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{{cite web | url=https://sok.se/idrottare/idrottare/p/pelle-petterson.html |title=Pelle Petterson | work=Swedish Olympic Committee }} 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.

=Design career=

File:Maxi 77 front.jpg, designed by Petterson]]

File:A wednesday evening race with 606 boats is about to begin at ÅSS, Mariehamn, Åland. (28051030183).jpgs, designed by Petterson]]

File:Volvop18395va1961front.jpg, designed by Petterson]]

Petterson studied at the Pratt Institute in New York from 1955 to 1957.{{cite web | url=https://norrahalland.se/familj/seglaren-pelle-petterson-fyller-90-aar/30722 | title=Seglaren Pelle Petterson fyller 90 år | newspaper=Norra Halland | first=Ronny | last=Karlsson}} He designed the 12 mR yacht Sverige, 17 6 mR yachts, and worked with Maxi, Nimbus and Monark Crescent.{{cite web | url=https://www.ne.se/uppslagsverk/encyklopedi/lång/pelle-petterson | title=Pelle Petterson |website=Nationalencyklopedin }} The Maxi series comprise about 30 designs, among them the Maxi 77.{{cite web | url=https://www.dn.se/nyheter/sverige/att-finna-sin-form/ | archive-url=http://web.archive.org/web/20161009115223/https://www.dn.se/nyheter/sverige/att-finna-sin-form/ | archive-date=9 October 2016 | title=Att finna sin form | work=Dagens Nyheter | date=29 July 2016 | first=Carin | last=Ståhlberg }} He has also designed the sailboats Monark 606 and C 55.{{cite web | url=https://www.svensksegling.se/svenskaseglarforbundet/utmarkelser/Halloffame/PellePettersson/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200814235312/https://www.svensksegling.se/svenskaseglarforbundet/utmarkelser/Halloffame/PellePettersson/ | archive-date=14 August 2020 | title=Pelle Pettersson |work=Swedish Sailing Federation | first=Elke | last=Cronenberg }} In 2003, he designed the Swedish Match 40 for match racing events.{{cite magazine | url=https://www.yachtingworld.com/news/new-petterson-design-for-swedish-match-42224 | title=New Petterson design for Swedish Match | date=3 July 2003 | magazine=Yachting World }}

He also designed Volvo's successful sports car, the P1800, while he was a student of Pietro Frua.{{cite news |first=Lasse |last=Swärd |title=Volvo ger upprättelse åt P1800:s skapare |trans-title=Volvo provide redress to the P1800's creator |url=http://www.alltommotor.se/artiklar/nyheter/volvo-ger-upprattelse-at-p1800s-skapare-1.17745 |work=Dagens Nyheter |date=8 November 2009 |access-date=8 November 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091109033814/http://www.alltommotor.se/artiklar/nyheter/volvo-ger-upprattelse-at-p1800s-skapare-1.17745 |archive-date=9 November 2009 }}

=Sailing career=

Competing in the Star class, Petterson won a bronze in 1964 together with Holger Sundström.{{cite web|url=https://www.olympedia.org/athletes/63292 |title=Pelle Petterson |work=Olympedia |access-date=9 June 2020}} 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.

In 1972, Petterson was back at the Olympics, again competing in the Star class, this time winning a silver medal. Petterson, along with Stellan Westerdahl, led the regatta after five races, but struggles in the sixth race made David Forbes of Australia winning the gold.

With money from the Maxi 77 design, and sponsored by SCA, Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken and Volvo, Petterson challenged for the America's Cup two times. With the yacht Sverige, Pettersons team competed in the 1977 Herbert Pell Cup and 1980 Herbert Pell Cup, advancing to the final in the 1977 edition.

In Sweden, Pettersson represented Kattegatflottiljen in Gothenburg.

Personal life

File:Pelle Petterson.jpg

Pelle Petterson married Irene and has three children. One of them, Cecilia, designs a sailing clothing and sports wear bearing the name Petterson, under the brand name Pelle P.. His other daughter, Ulrika "Icka", lives in the U.S. and is married to Paul Cayard, an American yachtsman and professional sailor.

Since 1975, Pelle Petterson and Irene are residing in Kullavik.{{cite web | url=https://www.kungsbackaposten.se/nyheter/designlegendaren-pelle-pettersson-fyller-90-kanner-mig-som-40-ar-.bc0b6063-eef3-4085-901d-f14d90eb885d | title=Designlegendaren fyller 90: "Känner mig som 40" | date=30 July 2022 | first=Josefine | last=Johansson }}

Awards

Petterson was the first person to be inducted into the Swedish Sailing Hall of Fame. On 14 May 2004 he received the Swedish Business Award for Outstanding Achievements of the first grade from the West Swedish Chamber of Commerce and Industry. Among previous recipients are Arvid Carlsson Nobel laureate, Ingvar Kamprad founder of Ikea and Pehr G. Gyllenhammar former CEO of Volvo.

On 19 November 2004 he received the KTH's Stora Pris from the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm.{{citation |title=KTHs Stora pris – Samtliga vinnare (KTH's Grand Prize – All the winners) |url=http://www.kth.se/om/fame/kths-stora-pris/1.3972 |work=KTH |date=29 September 2009 |access-date=8 November 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091206122004/http://www.kth.se/om/fame/kths-stora-pris/1.3972 |archive-date=6 December 2009 }}

On 8 June 2010 Petterson received from Carl XVI Gustaf of Sweden the King's Medal (12th size bright-blue ribbon{{citation | title=HM King Carl XVI Gustaf Medals|url=http://www.royalcourt.se/royalcourt/mediacentre/pressreleases/pressreleases/medalpresentations.5.130af452128eff9afdd80002267.html|date=8 June 2010|access-date=8 June 2010 }}) for outstanding contributions as a yachtsman and boat designer.

Achievements

{{updated|27 September 2015|{{Cite web|url=https://members.sailing.org/sailors/biog.php?memberid=117175|title=Sailor Biography |work=members.sailing.org}}}}

{{AchievementTable\|Event=yes\|NotesOff=y}}
1964	Olympic Games	Enoshima, Japan	style="background:#c96;"\| 3rd	Star class
1966	Star World Championship	Kiel, West Germany	7th	Star class
1967	Star World Championship	Copenhagen, Denmark	5th	Star class
rowspan=2\| 1969	Star World Championship	San Diego, USA	style="background:gold"\| 1st	Star class
Soling World Championship	Copenhagen, DEN	style="background:silver"\| 2nd	Soling
1970	Star World Championship	Marstrand, Sweden	13th	Star class
1971	Star World Championship	Puget Sound, USA	7th	Star class
rowspan=2\| 1972	Star World Championship	Caracas, Venezuela	4th	Star class
Olympic Games	Kiel, West Germany	style="background:silver"\| 2nd	Star class
1973	Star World Championship	San Diego Bay, USA	8th	Star class
1974	Star World Championship	Laredo, Spain	style="background:silver"\| 2nd	Star class
1976	Star World Championship	Nassau, Bahamas	8th	Star class
1977	6 Metre World Cup	Marstrand, Sweden	style="background:gold"\| 1st	6 Metre class
1978	Star World Championship	San Francisco, USA	17th	Star class
rowspan=2\| 1979	Star World Championship	Marstrand, Sweden	6th	Star class
6 Metre World Cup	Seattle, USA	style="background:gold"\| 1st	6 Metre class
1983	6 Metre World Cup	Newport, USA	style="background:gold"\| 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