Pelle Petterson

Pelle Helmer Petterson (born 31 July 1932) is a Swedish sailor and yacht designer. Petterson has won two Olympic medals, four world championship titles, challenged for the America's Cup and designed several sailboats, including Maxi 77.

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.

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.