The first Argentine generation of these magical designers descended from Huguenots (French Protestants). The grandfather Johan Gotthiff Hermann, a 21-year-old from Denmark, had arrived in 1843 and dedicated himself to agriculture and livestock. There was also a maritime branch: Patricio Lynch, of Irish origin, another grandfather who was the owner of the “Heroína” frigate and who in November 1820 took possession of the Malvinas Islands in the name of a country, Argentina, born four years earlier.

It was not until 1926 that German Frers III decided to leave the last subject of the engineering  career  giving up graduation, “so that they do not call me an engineer”, and dedicated himself to designing his own sailboat inspired by Colin Archer, the Norwegian of Scottish descent who gave birth to strong, graceful and reliable yachts.

German designed more than 600 sailboats, and had a shipyard together with his partner and his cousin Ernesto Guevara Lynch (Che Guevara’s father). He won the second Buenos Aires – Rio de Janeiro regatta in 1950. He was Commodore of the Argentine Yacht Club from 1979 to 1986, the year he died. He was known in South America as “Don Germán.” He had designed the Cabin Class, the Guanabara, his Fjord. . . and was worshiped.

Don Germán had five children: Germán (Mancho), José (Pepe), Roberto (Tincho), Maria Elina and Delfina. At age 10, Mancho learns to sail in Batitú, a pre-Optimist class that the San Isidro Nautical Club used in its sailing school. At the age of 15 he designs small sailboats and creates the 10m Mirage, the first fiberglass hull built in Argentina. In 1967, the mythical Rod Stephens, from the Sparkman & Stevens studio in New York and Olin’s brother, offered him to train as a yacht designer with them. After three years in New York, he returned to Buenos Aires and took over  Don German’s studio, while the old man was babbling: if the studio would make some money. .

In 1971 he designed the Matrero, which after winning the Admiral’s Cup that same year was known internationally as “the fastest 50 feet in the world.” And in 1972, one of the miracles in my life: Félix Duperrón, my navigation teacher at the Liceo Naval, offered me to go as a navigator on the Matrero to the Circuito Rio 72 regatta. I was in my first year of engineering and I decided to drop everything and travel by ship and bus the 2800 km Buenos Aires – Rio to be a crew member of the Matrero and run that regatta with Mancho at the helm. In the Brazilian team there was the Pluft, winner of the last BA-Rio, the WawaToo and the Saga of Erling Lorentzen, member of the Norwegian Royal family. For Argentina, the Atrevido, the Matrero and the Recluta II. In the USA, American Eagle with Ted Turner at the helm, Charisma with Dennis Conner and Sorcery. Without realizing, I was totally surrounded by yachting world’s monsters, present and future.

I had been introduced to German who accompanied the handshake with a grunt that I thought sounded like “how are you”. The Frers are known for and forgiven their paucity of words. There was very little wind and Mancho ordered us not to move, as it would affect the speed. He spent 13 hours at the helm, he didn’t say 20 words. One crew member moved to look for the sandwiches, Mancho snapped a “stop with it”. Mancho was not the skipper: he was part of the ship. We won, half numb, the race.

German “Mani” Frers, his son, a Southampton graduate and Milan resident, continues a tradition that has much more to do with genes, sea and a fresh breeze than with studies and diplomas.

By Oscar Siches