A love of the sea, islands and sailing has been in the Arcona family for generations. Torgny Jannson’s grandfather sailed a three-masted barque around the world and was also in great demand as a helmsman among the racing yachts at that time. The desire to unite the family’s main love of sailing with its livelihood was strong and in the late 60s Ingrid & Bengt Jansson dared to take the plunge and Boo Marin, now Arcona Yachts was born.
First came the Hydra Jet dinghy which was an excellent trailer-able sailing dinghy for young sailors and was one of the original boats drawn by Heinz-Jürgen Sass. Bengt Jansson immediately saw the possibilities so work with the legendary Fisksätra Boatyard began. Numerous Hydra were built for over 10 years.
The next milestone was the collaboration with Carl Beyer and Aphrodite boats. Beyer designed for Boo Marin, what for the time was, an ultramodern 25-foot ocean racer – The Aphrodite 25. The boats were in production between 1976 and 1982. During that period Boo Marin were also dealers on the Swedish East Coast for the larger Aphrodite boats.
The premises in Saltsjö-Boo no longer sufficed, and in 1981–82 the business was moved to its current location on Cat Island in Gustavsberg where new opportunities developed. Berthing rentals became a new line of business as well as motorboats sales as the general agent for Fjord boats. Countless new Fjord boats left the Gustavsberg yard with expectant new owners at the wheel. For a number of years, Boo Marin was Fjords largest retailer.
The Jansson families passion for sailing was stronger than ever and plans for its own strong sailing brand were drawn up. To build anything other than winning and beautiful sailing boats was not an option, so when the already very successful designer Stefan Qviberg (pictured) appeared, the foundation was set. The Arcona 32 was launched in 1982 and was immediately hailed a success. It quickly became a common sight in ports around the coasts of Sweden and at the top of the results lists. This model was further developed at the end of the ’80s and the 32 became the Arcona 321. A lead keel, high aspect rig and new interior were the biggest differences. The 32/321 is today considered a classic and trendsetter and is still highly sought after on the brokerage market. The last boat in the series was built in 1993. The design’s highly successful lines were further developed to become the Arcona 36, 38 and into the 90s, the Arcona 40 DS.
The Arcona 355 was a departure, she was originally designed by Tommy Steel and a number were built under the name Facil 355 XO. Arcona Yachts purchased the moulds and production rights in the early ’90s and, after many improvements, presented The Arcona 355. The manufacture of this beautiful and coveted classic continued until 2009.
The Arcona 400 was presented as “A new generation”. In all respects a fresh, extremely modern cruiser/racer which took the market by storm, paving the way in the growing 40-foot sector. The goal was to build a fast and well-behaved boat for fewer crew, featuring an exclusive interior and a high level of comfort with the potential to win regattas too. With more than 150 satisfied crews around Europe and numerous prominent race finishes we can agree that the Arcona 400 lives up to the original high expectations. She set the standard for a modern 40-footer. The Scandinavian Boat Show 2001 jury’s verdict when they named her “Sailboat of the Show” is still true: “The Arcona 400 optimises cruiser/racing and combines seemingly incompatible characteristics such as speed and feel with comfort and function. The boat’s layout is perfect well balanced harmony.”
Over 10 years later, Arcona can claim a substantial part of Swedish sailboat production;
Arcona 370 – 2003
Arcona 460 – 2004
Arcona 430 – 2008 (European Yacht of the Year 2009 – a milestone in our history)
Arcona 340 – 2009 (nominated for the European Yacht of the Year 2010)
Arcona 410 – 2011
Arcona 380 – 2014
Arcona 465 – 2015
Arcona 435 – 2019 (European Yacht of the Year 2019)
Arcona Yachts is headquartered in Gustavsberg, at the gateway to Stockholm’s archipelago, but only 20mins from downtown Stockholm. In March 2018, Arcona Yachts production of new yachts was acquired by the owner of Najad AB. The Arcona Service Yard and Harbour was then reformed into Gustavsbergs Marincenter. However, the two companies still work in the same facilities with the same staff and Torgny Jansson is still very involved in the business.
With almost 1000 Arcona boats built and an annual capacity of 50–70 boats Arcona see themselves as one of the largest and leading yacht yards in Sweden, however, they will continue to act as a small yard where service and consideration for each boat and its owner are paramount.