Pelle Petterson

• Name — Pelle Petterson • Full Name — Pelle Helmer Petterson • Classes — Star, Soling, 6 Metre, 12 Metre • Club — Kattegattflottiljen • Born — 31 July 1932 • Birthplace — Stockholm, Sweden • Medal Templates — Sailing Olympic Games World Championships

Pelle Petterson was born in Stockholm, Sweden on 31 July 1932 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.

• Illustration — A Maxi 77, designed by Petterson • Illustration — Monark 606s, designed by Petterson • Illustration — A Volvo P1800, designed by Petterson Petterson studied at the Pratt Institute in New York from 1955 to 1957. He designed the 12 mR yacht Sverige, 17 6 mR yachts, and worked with Maxi, Nimbus and Monark Crescent. The Maxi series comprise about 30 designs, among them the Maxi 77. He has also designed the sailboats Monark 606 and C 55. In 2003, he designed the Swedish Match 40 for match racing events. He also designed Volvo's successful sports car, the P1800, while he was a student of Pietro Frua.

Competing in the Star class, Petterson won a bronze in 1964 together with Holger Sundström. 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.

• Illustration — Petterson in the 1960s 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.

• 1964 — Olympic Games — Enoshima, Japan — 3rd — Star class • 1966 — Star World Championship — Kiel, West Germany — 7th — Star class • 1967 — Star World Championship — Copenhagen, Denmark — 5th — Star class • 1969 — Star World Championship — San Diego, USA — 1st — Star class • Soling World Championship — Copenhagen, DEN — 2nd — Soling • 1970 — Star World Championship — Marstrand, Sweden — 13th — Star class • 1971 — Star World Championship — Puget Sound, USA — 7th — Star class • 1972 — Star World Championship — Caracas, Venezuela — 4th — Star class • Olympic Games — Kiel, West Germany — 2nd — Star class • 1973 — Star World Championship — San Diego Bay, USA — 8th — Star class • 1974 — Star World Championship — Laredo, Spain — 2nd — Star class • 1976 — Star World Championship — Nassau, Bahamas — 8th — Star class • 1977 — 6 Metre World Cup — Marstrand, Sweden — 1st — 6 Metre class • 1978 — Star World Championship — San Francisco, USA — 17th — Star class • 1979 — Star World Championship — Marstrand, Sweden — 6th — Star class • 6 Metre World Cup — Seattle, USA — 1st — 6 Metre class • 1983 — 6 Metre World Cup — Newport, USA — 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