Johan Birgersson

Nationality: Swedish
Age: 23
Family: Mother, father and brother in Stockholm area
Hobbies: Meeting friends, playing badminton, fishing

Johan Birgersson’s background has nothing to do with sailing, but he was drawn to the creativity and craftsmanship involved in boat building after a short stint as an engineering student.

“Engineering wasn’t for me. I like to work with my hands,” says Birgersson.

He is diligent with details and enjoys the rigidity of accuracy as much as the challenge of creating shapes that are non-linear. To grant this interview, he put down a laminating task. “It’s a covering for the ventilation in the deck. It’s nothing structural, but it’s going to be clear, so you want the fibers to look nice,” he explains.

Crafting is the thrill

Birgersson’s past is without sailing and he figures his future is as well. Rather, he hopes to transfer the skills to a career perhaps as an interior architect. He says: “It’s the craftsmanship – it’s fun, it’s a bit of a challenge – instead of just 90 degrees, walls – boats are harder to make, with strange shapes and stuff like that.

I think in ten years I’d like to design the interiors of houses or something – but now, this is a good way of learning how to make stuff you don’t usually make.”

Of all the builders in the Ericsson Racing Team boatyard, Birgersson has the shortest trip home: a mere 30 kilometers south to the Stockholm suburb of Huddinge. He worked on build projects on Sweden’s west coast before coming closer to home and Ericsson Racing Team. “I’m lucky because I have all my friends and family nearby,” he admits, but time is still limited for recreation.