Carl Schumacher originally designed a boat for a handful of people to go MORC racing. The Capo 30 had around 7 hulls built. They were made in the Newport Beach area and were a little lighter than the successor, the Pacific Boats Olson 911S. They had a larger sail plan and rate around 111 phrf. The combings have an integral winch base molded in. George Olson then bought the molds and modified the cabin house, cockpit, and where the mast steps. Pacific Boats built somewhere around 22 to 25 hulls that were balsa core, vacuum bag construction. The interior had a little more cruising capability. The Olson 911S rig came with an option for rod rigging but most opted for it from what I can gather. They had he MORC compliant check stay system. There was a short T track just aft of the shrouds and outside of the blade track. There is a car on the track and the check stay was attached near the lower spreader. The control was a 1 to 1 line that you pulled and cleated on a cam cleat on the cabin house. The Satana 30/30 has a similar check stay arrangement. The back stay system is a hydraulic back stay adjuster.
Pacific Boats started building the boats approximately in 1986. I think they started with hull number 8. Mine is hull number 13. I saw my boat at the 1986 Newport, R.I. Fall Boat Show as its debut. As a side bar, a former competitor of mine had bought it and part of his deal from the broker for free electronics was to show the boat at the boat show. I had just come back to R.I. earlier in the summer from Utah and Newport Beach, Ca. after being out there for three years. I crewed on my boat the following summer in 1987. I obviously fell in love with the boat.
Pacific Boats built the Olson 911S for a little more than two years and went out of business. There are many similar details in the boat to the Express 37 if you ever have a chance to see one. The boat builders in Santa Cruz must be a tight bunch. Even the Santa Cruz 50 (I believe that is the last new one) has some similar details like the wood slats on the hull interior.
Ericson bought the Olson 911S and Olson 34 molds from Pacific Boats and started building in either 1988 or 1989. They started with hull number 100 I think and build around fifty boats. They made the hull and deck solid fiberglass, changed mast makers and used wire rigging. They didn't come with check stays or hydraulic backstays as the base. I believe they were options. The interior was fitted out with a headliner and as a previous poster note were 1,000 to 1,800 pounds heavier. I believe the sail plan is similar to the Pacific Boats version. The Ericson rates around six seconds a mile slower than the Pacific Boats version. Ericson, I believe started making the Olson 911S as a Cruiser/Racer. They came out later with the Olson 911SE. It was more cruising oriented than the Olson 911S. I don't know the differences between the two. I have only seen one Ericson model and don't remember whether it was an S or SE. Perhaps some of the Ericson owners or former owners could chime in. I think Wilt Wong's former boat was on of the first Ericson built boats.
The Olson 34 is a stretched out version of the Olson 911S. It is bigger down below and more cockpit. There are several here in R.I. and their rating is not very good. They are around 111 and don't sail to their rating.
This is pretty much what I know and may be a little off on some details. If anyone has any clarifications please chime in.
Rich Canning Received on Fri Jul 12 07:45:06 2002