Figaro III 12 N 1

Built 1918 – Converted from Scandinavian “S” Rule to International 12 Metre Second Rule

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION

Figaro III was built in 1918 by Anker & Jensen at Christiania (Oslo), Norway, originally to the Scandinavian “S” Rule, a regional measurement formula preceding the adoption of the International Metre Rule in Scandinavia. Designed by Johan Anker, one of Norway’s foremost yacht designers, she was later converted and remeasured to the International Second Rule as 12 N 1, bringing her into line with the international 12 Metre class.

Constructed of wood with Anker & Jensen’s trademark craftsmanship and fine joinery, Figaro III carried a traditional gaff cutter rig when launched. Her first owner was Fred Olsen, a prominent Norwegian yachtsman and shipowner, who campaigned her from Christiania and the Oslofjord sailing grounds in the years immediately following World War I.

OWNERSHIP AND MODIFICATIONS

In 1925, Figaro III was sold to Knut T. Strøm of Oslo and renamed Elektra. Her rig was modernized from gaff to Bermudian sloop, reflecting the broader movement among Scandinavian yachts toward higher-aspect rigs and simplified handling.
By 1926, ownership had passed to Georg von Erpecom of Bergen, who renamed her Irina III. She continued to race in local and regional events along the Norwegian west coast under her new name and remained in the Bergen yacht community through the late 1920s.

LATER YEARS AND DISPOSITION

In 1931, Irina III was sold to an American owner and shipped to Southern California, where she was registered for a brief period before disappearing from the Lloyd’s Register of Yachts in 1932. She was reportedly renamed Marjana, according to Norwegian Sailing Federation sail lists. No records survive of her activities in the United States, and her ultimate fate is unknown.

LEGACY

Figaro III represents an important link between the Scandinavian “S” Rule yachts and the International 12 Metre Class, illustrating how designers such as Johan Anker adapted regional rating systems into the emerging international standard. Her history—from Olsen’s ownership in Oslo to her transformation under Strøm and von Erpecom—captures the early cross-pollination between Norwegian yacht design and the growing global metre-class movement.

Although her later years remain a mystery, Figaro III remains significant as a Norwegian-built 12 Metre that bridged two rating traditions and ultimately carried her heritage across the Atlantic to the United States.