If you´ve never been to Sweden yourself and experienced this lush, open and overwhelmingly friendly society, this must sound like a utopian story to you. But it´s true: Having visited almost all European countries and certainly our baltic neighbors in Sweden many times, I can confirm that there are seldom similarily open and friendly folks as the Swedish. Here´s another little story that proves it: It happend while I was visiting Linjett Yachts. After Sales Manager Matti Wikholm had shown me the shipyard in all its details, he introduced me to the guys in the office: Sales, After Sales, Development and so forth. In front of one of the screens, a young man smiled at me. After a shy „Hi“, he again concentrated back on his computer.
„This is Nils Gustafsson“, Matti explained. Linjett´s fourth generation. This brand, their yachts and the company itself is one of the last few remaining family owned and family operated shipyards in the boating business. Linjett Yachts was founded by Mats Gustafsson back in 1970 with their first boats delivered in 1973. Rosättra shipyard itself was started operations in 1886. Currently the company is run by the three Gustafsson-brothers Daniel, Markus and Kristoffer, making third generation of Linjett. And here he was, already working in the shipyard, passing through all of the departments of the company: From hands-on boatbuilding to office work and, as he did right now when we met, designing parts for a new boat at his computer.
Open door policy at Linjett
A little later, just coming back from a quick WC-pause, I erroneously enter through the wrong door: Instead of rejoining Matti to resume our tour, I took a wrong turn and crashed right into a top-level meeting. Markus Gustafsson, head of design and development, was just in the midst of a tech-conversation with Stefan Gylleby, design and R&D at Linjett yachts. Well, apparently, the door to their room had been invitingly open, I wrongly thought I could enter. And just as I apologized for my surpise intrusion, both said: “You know what, take a seat if you like. If you want, you can join …“ Well, of course I couldn´t skip this once-in-a-lifetime invitation, because usually, meetings of that kind are strictly confidential.
Matti joins as well. On the big screen a CAD model of the new upcoming Linjett 36 sailboat is on display. Apparently, the two were discussing some details. It´s a lush, friendly atmosphere – even jokes are made. No pressure, no rush. Markus says that Linjett boats have always been designed by the family. It´s something that´s in their veins, maybe. His mom used to be working in handicraft with a strong emphasis on design and beauty. His father, of course, was a design-engineer. They do not delegate the design process for their yachts to external designers here at Linjett. It´s mainly a family affair – although the internal design team and R&D making this „family“ is happy to work with selected external specialists. „Our experience grew in the seventies manifold“, Markus explains: „My father for example was very active in competitive sailing and sailboat racing.“ That way, he says, the sportive character of their yachts is still part of their DNA.
But there have also always been clients, customers. The satisfaction of the needs of a boat owner is the prime goal: „Our most important thing is to make yachts for owners. We use computers, modern CFD and CAD programs, of course, but our yachts aren´t made to fit the digital world – we build boats for real world conditions and the needs of real humans.“ I like that approach. Linjett outsources only if tasks can be solved by specialists. There is no need to being super cool, hyped-up or „loud“. The Linjett way is a more humble, modest approach: With the sailor in the center. I´ve talked to many, many naval architects and met a lot of people in shipyards. All too often, especially with the big brands putting out large numbers of units, bare numbers or anonymous projections define how a boat should look like or behave. That´s not the case here in Sweden.
Real world sailing experience meets craftsmanship
„Right now we are deciding on the last details for our newest boat“, Stefan Gylleby explains: „The new Linjett 36. The 3D-graphics you can see are only the last steps of the development.“ At Linjett, Stefan says, they first and foremost listen to their clients. Out of the 900 units that have been built here in total, they only know of four units not sailing anymore. The Linjett owner´s club comprises 600 active members on 450 boats: „We keep a close contact and try to get to know them. We listen to their stories. How they use our boats. What they like, what they wish for.“ Markus agrees: Focus groups or the Linjett tradition of extensive phone calls with owners after the summer sailing season to collect feedback, makes for a huge, very valuable database. „Much better than computerized predictions.“
There are two models on the meeting table. Two design iterations of the new Linjett 36 hull shapes. 3D-printed inhouse and caringly sanded. Turning my head, a whole fleet of such models is on display in a shelf unit behind me. Beautiful models: I´ve never seen such an intense use of this classic method (worth mentioning: these models were CNC-milled according to digital 3d-models). But Markus explains that you have to see, touch and feel a boat´s lines. Computers do amazing things, he says, but nothing compares to the physical approach. Their hull shapes evolve rather carefully, he reveals. „Our yacht´s sailing capabilities are just wonderful. There is simply no need to always rush and re-invent the wheel time and again for each new boat.“ What often matters much more, Stefan adds, are improvements on the inside.
I can see the point: What has been proven to be working just as fine, shouldn´t be changed all the time. I mean, I am building a classic Swedish design myself right now: It´s a hull shape from 1975. Linjetts of course have been adjusted to keep up with the times, but never disavow their heritage and character. There´s a beautiful hull shape section-model. Not made for showing off, for display or for acting as a nice accessory: It indeed is a tool, a real tool for the boatbuilders and people making the life-sized boat itself. Isn´t that amazing?
Every new boat is a team approach
„Family affairs“, this not just applies for the Gustafssons. „Family“ in their definition is the whole staff of the company. Some of those workers are here in second generation already. Their experience, their competence is welcome and valued, their input priceless. „We have production meetings every week“, Markus tells me: „For us in design this is very valuable as we can take the first-hand feedback from the workers who turn our ideas into reality to further improve on new designs.“ A similar open meeting every two weeks is held with the sales department and after-sales guys, to collect their impression of the market and client´s opinions. „This is important“, Markus explains: „We don´t like the Mark 2, 3 and 4-strategy. Our designs constantly improve. We never stop.“
This is why, for example, Linjett Yachts hasn´t got any binding contracts with third party-manufacturers. Onboard electronics for example: „We only build into our boats what we think suits best at that time. If we use a certain part, we do it because we want to use it, not because a contract obliges us to do so.“ Being free in their decisions, not having to take care of any constraints other than their strive to make a better boat, is what frees their creative minds and let them concentrate on their customer´s needs – not the need to sell a number of chart plotters or winches. „Customers usually doesn´t change too much.“, Markus tells me: „At least not as fast as trends come and go. Even Linjetts from the Eighties are still sailing – and they are still considered good looking, well performing.“ It´s a wonderfully fresh „old school“-approach – which doesn´t mean that they are refusing high-tech modern technology.
Matti shows pictures of the Linjett 36 hull plug being milled. „This is one of the outsourcing we do”, Markus confirms. In case of the new model´s plug, it´s been done by a partner company in Finland. Out of this plug, the mould for the new boat´s hull will be made later. „We have always tried to incorporate technology into our company – as long as it made sense.“ This is why back in the day the iconic Swede 41 yacht by Knud Reimers had been built at Rosättra shipyard: Being trusted to making that precious yacht (not unlike my Omega 42) was an honor. This even applies for the present, as the all-out performer Shogun 43 is also being built here at Linjett Yachts. But of course, their focus is on their own product.
Getting a feeling for the right balance
Innovation is nothing they put in large letters on their brochures here. For Markus, evolution is a matter of course, not a marketing-USP. „What is innovation? I mean, we´ve introduced under-deck rope channels on our Linjett 40 in 2001 already. Back at that time, practically nobody had it. In 2016 our Linjett 43 was sporting big hull windows, when these weren´t so common at all!“ And they never made a big fuzz about it. They are lucky here, Markus tells me. They can afford it to being modest, almost silent, in the back. „Our customers are very appreciative for quality and details“, Matti adds: This is why they don´t have to scream out loud.
It´s a slowly growing company, it always has been. I, for example, hadn´t known anything about Linjett even though I am working professionally in that business. Back where I live, in Germany, even as being a de-facto neighbor of Sweden, it took me years to finally get to know this brand. All three are smiling: „Well, yes, it´s that way: We are a kind of secret premium brand.“ A hidden gem, as it is called. Their humble approach underlines it: Matti tells me that they are currently building 15 new units per year and selling some 20 used Linjetts via brokerage for their clients. Their plan: Growing with one additional new unit per year until they´ve reached 20 boats of annual production. Being able to pay the salaries for their 200 employees says it all.
The Linjett 36´s prototype is now almost finished (this will be an upcoming article), but back then when I was present in the shipyard still under construction. Markus tells me that they also reject the „beta test“ mentality that is apparent in so many products nowadays. Think of cell phones or cars: Companies rushing to bring new products to the market even though they aren´t fully tested, some even fully designed. „The first Linjett 36 will be put to the water to be sailed by our professionals, by us, by people we trust, for a full season.“, he explains: „Before we dare to deliver a boat to a customer, we want to really test the yacht, sail her thoroughly, live on her, drop anchor, spend time. That´s the only way to find possible teething troubles and make sure that a client, who has paid a lot of money, receives a product that is safe, seaworthy and lives up to what we promise.“
Hands-on mentality: Heritage and evolution
As we have another cup of coffee and enjoy a bite of some tasty Scottish toffee: A little gift sent by a happy customer in the UK. Our conversation drifts a bit to the philosophical side. I more and more get the feeling that these guys, albeit producing a product that needs to be sold in order to make money to pay for all of this, aren´t driven in any case by the usual economical urge. It almost feels as if this was a club, not a company – serious of course, though open-minded.
The outcome of these efforts are among the most beautiful „modern classic“ boats Scandinavian style you can have. A Linjett bears the lines of the Golden Age of Swedish yachting á la Pelle Petterson or Peter Norlin, with a strong modern emphasis. The new Linjett 36 is no exemption: Large hull windows integrate just as nicely into the classy lines as a positive bow, something rarely seen in boats nowadays. But as much as the design team at Linjett is focused in preserving their timeless beauties, as much they do care about the practical implications.
This shipyard is one of the few remaining investing in life-sized mock-ups. It´s fascinating how much further they go here in Rosättra. I´ve was astonished to see such a wooden mock-up for example at Solaris Yachts in Italy, but it wasn´t nearly as detailed and sophisticated. I´ve also seen mock-ups at X-Yachts or Seascape, but those were merely very crude „working“ models which barely resembled the end product, more intended to check on dimensions, measurements and give a general impression of the later boat´s size. With Linjett, it´s a totally different story!
Down in the production, just in front of three new Linjetts, the mock-up of the new 36-footer has been set up. The level of detail is amazing! The carpenters have built a 1:1 mpodel of the new Linjett 36 showing the saloon, galley and forward cabin. At that moment they were busy adding the aft cabins and head as well. Made of plywood, they invested a lot of care to not just make a model for a general feeling, but a model that showed exactly how the later furniture would be rounded, shaped, cut. I´ve honestly never seen such a detailed life-sized interior model in my life!
In the galley, the position and size of every single drawer is at least marked with a pencil. Some opening doors are cut out already, possibly to test their swinging radius and how opening the door would affect people. All cabinets can be seen, even the stowage underneath the cushions in the salon sofas are precisely located. They even take the time to fit massive rounded scantlings to the parts. „Optimizing the interior has always had top priority in our work!“, Markus tells me: „Our boats are designed to feel natural. Like being „at home“. In a mock-up like this, we can really test how walking, sitting, cooking aboard feels like. We can even test-sit on a WC, imagine to take a shower and lay down in the berths. It´s so important! No 3D-rendering nor any VR-goggle can provide this level of immersion.“
„What makes a perfect day at sea?“
Stefan and Markus absolutely honestly love what they do. I am convinced about that. The way they speak, the way they behave – the level of openness here in the shipyard is so different from almost everything I´ve ever seen. Most companies try to „protect“ their „secrets“, like production methods. Almost no company ever had me take such a detailed look at brand new products, let alone soon-to-be-launched products! „You know, Lars: We just ask ourselves – what is a perfect day at sea?“, Markus tells me: „That´s the main question that drives us. Why suppress something? Why keep something secretive? Every Linjett is our answer to that question. And there is absolutely nothing secretive about the way we found that answer.“
This little side-story shows how unique Linjett indeed is. A hidden gem, in every sense of the word: A 1.5 hours drive from Stockholm, in the middle of a deep Nordic forest, the Gustafssons and their dedicated workers are putting out some of the finest sailboats. With the fourth generation already busy at learning how a boat is made, I am sure, that this brand will master any crisis, will surf on top of any freak wave and confidently outlive any hype or trend that may be popping up. Most fascinating!
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My complete adventure in Rosättra at Linjett
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