Gunnar Stenbäck

Gunnar Stenbäck, son of a medical professor and of the daughter of an industrialist, graduated from high school in Helsinki in 1898. Registered as student of philosophy until 1904. In 1903, however, he completed his studies as a naval architect at the Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg. He then went to the United States working there as a draftsman for a large shipyard and practiced in Sweden, Germany and Scotland. Back in Finland he established a technical office specializing on the design and equipment of sailboats. 1906-16 he was a lecturer for shipbuilding at the Helsinki Maritime School. As managing director of his company, the Gunnar L. Stenbäck Ab, from 1915-28 he became known for designing boats according to the American measurement rule.

Many of his yachts were built on the Turku Boatyard including the 8 metres boat “Naja” which defended the Sinebrychoff Trophy with Stenbäck as helmsman in 1921. At the 1912 Olympic Games, he was a member of the 6-metres boat “Finn II” owned by Ernst Krogius. His greatest success as a designer came in 1931 with the Shark type initiated by the Helsingfors Segelsällskapet. Contrary to major yachts, the Shark was an affordable one-type boat built from domestic materials. It became a long-lived class, and several hundred boats were built.

Stenbäck was active in the Finnish Sailing Federation and the Scandinavian Sailing Federation and initiated to open the Gold Cup for international competitors. He himself was at the helm of two of his self-designed boats as challengers in this event. In 1948, the “Raili”, designed by him and sailed by Ernst Westerlund, represented Finland at the Olympic sailing in the 6 metres class.

Stenbäck was awarded NJK’s Golden Badge of Merit and the Finnish Sailing Federation’s Badge of Merit. He also designed the flag of the Nyländska Jaktklubben, which became a model for the flags of all Finnish yacht clubs.

He married Karin Maria (née Mellin) in 1905 in Boston, Massachusetts. The couple had four children.