Wooden Boat AtlasDesigners, builders & classes · v3.0

Atlas / Designers

died 1999, aged about 90 · Gothenburg, Sweden

Tord Sundén

Naval architect — Sweden

Hired to synthesise six unplaced competition entries into the Nordic Folkboat's final plans — and then to spend the rest of his life arguing that the design was his.

Competition
The Scandinavian Yacht Racing Union's 1941 contest drew 58 entries; no single winner was chosen
Role
Engaged to combine the best features of the finalists into buildable plans, published without designer credit
Dispute
Sundén later claimed sole authorship; the committee disputed it; the matter was never formally resolved
  • 1942Nordic Folkboat — first boat launched 23 April 1942 at Arendal, Gothenburg
Sourcing notes & unresolved questions
  • The authorship of the Folkboat is a genuine, unresolved dispute. This atlas records both positions and takes neither.

Wooden Boat Atlas v3.0 · built 30 July 2026 · a project of the Golden Gate Wooden Boat Foundation · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · open data · corrections