Misc Article ...by Björn Von Hofsten
Get a glimpse of model boating in Scandinavia...
Some say that the Nordic boats and drivers are competitive due to the long winters as building periods and the rough and choppy fresh water lakes that demand for a skilled driver.
Maybe it is true, but let’s have a look at today’s status in the Nordic!
What boats do we run?
Which classes are predominant?
Which classes are the fastest growing?
Sweden has about 120 active licensed drivers, with an age span from 15 to 74. The Offshore part of that is about 2/3.
The Swedish Offshore Series runs over 6 races on Oval- and M- course from Sundsvall in the north to Norrköping in the south 800km apart.
The classes run in Sweden are 3,5cc / 7,5cc / 15cc / 26cc / 26cc tuned - 50cc
In the 3,5cc two V shaped hulls are predominant, the Tonka and the Faluga.
In 7,5cc and 15cc classes, a boat type called
Spader has been ruling for the past 15 years. The boat designed and built by the
famous model boat builder Arne Karlsson. The latest international trophy took
the boat with the driver Stefan Jansson at the world Championship in 15cc in
Belchatow, Poland 2002. A number of boats have been made over the years close
but not a copy of the Spader type just to challenge this outstanding boat type.
I am thinking of the Tonka boat designed and built by Anthony Lovqvist. The
Tonka boats come in sizes from 3,5cc to 35cc hulls. 
The 26cc Zenoah standard class that started last year seams to be outgrowing the 15cc this year with over 20 boats built this winter if listening to the rumours.
New hulls in this class is Delta Force 90 / AC Lazer / Laker 45 (RCMK) / LYNX 53” (Gasoline Racing) / Faluga120 (Faluga Racing) / Super Cat (Aeromarine).
Since the
millennium a number of 35cc capable hulls, internationally designed has been
tested but not with very good results due to the rough water conditions on our
lakes. They where all found to short for our high and choppy waves.
Two new boat hulls came out as winners during this shake out and that was the Faluga 155 and the LYNX 65” catamaran, together with the old and proven Karlsson hulls (w/r+green above). The Faluga is built and developed by Mikael Kolm from an old redesigned Karlsson boat that was famous in the late 80’s. The LYNX is built and developed by Björn von Hofsten from a redesigned German Catamaran.
The newcomer late last year was the Norwegian built NODD 180 hull that showed extreme abilities on the oval due to the length and a new SG 35cc engine.
Looking at Norway the classes raced there is
3,5cc / 7,5cc / 15cc / 23cc / 35cc
In Finland I know that there are a lot of projects going on with both Delta Force 45 and Tonka with 15cc.
Photos by
Owe Holmstedt
Stefan Sundberg
Björn von Hofsten
No fighting. 
