Johan Anker

Olympic medalist
Medal record
Men's Sailing
Gold	1912 Stockholm	12 metre class
Gold	1928 Amsterdam	6 metre class

Johan August Anker (June 26, 1871 – October 2, 1940) was a Norwegian sailor and yacht designer who competed in the 1908 Summer Olympics, in the 1912 Summer Olympics, and in the 1928 Summer Olympics.

In 1908 he finished fourth as a crew member of the Norwegian boat Fram in the 8 metre class competition.

Four years later he was a crew member of the Norwegian boat Magda IX which won the gold medal in the 12 metre class.

He returned to the Olympics in 1928 to win his second gold medal. This time he was a crew member of the Norwegian boat Norna.

Johan Anker was born 1871 in Norway. He soon took to yacht design and building as his great interest in life. In 1905 he bought in to a small boat building yard named Jensens Yard. It now changed name and became the famous Anker & Jensen Yard. Most of the boat designing was done by Anker and the boat building was done mostly by Jensen.

Johan Anker became an internationally recognized yacht designer after entering the 1908 Olympics, held that year in Great Britain. The sailing took place in the Solent and Johan Anker raced his 8mR Fram. He managed to secure second place in both races. A few years later Anker returned to the Solent for the 1911 Coronation Regatta, this time with the yacht Rollo, an 12mR design. This time Johan Anker sailed home to Norway with the gold medal. With the International Rule yachts quickly increasing in popularity on the international yacht racing scene, John Anker had established him self as a first class designer.^{[citation needed]} With the long sleek and beautiful boats that Anker designed he soon became known as the “master of lines” not only in his home country but also in the rest of the world.^{[citation needed]} Johan Anker also had several other successes in yacht racing after this, including helming the 6mR Norna with King Olav to win Gold at the 1928 Olympics.

Except from designing several International Meter Rule yachts, the most noticeable design from John Anker is the Dragon from 1929. The Dragon became an Olympic class and is still today a fast growing keel boat class that is raced in several countries. In 1915 John Anker parted with Jensen and the yard was taken over entirely by Anker who keep the name Anker & Jensen for the business. Anker's 6mR, 8mR, 12mR designs excelled, but he also designed 15mRs Isabel-Alexandra (1913) and Neptune (1917), Q-Class Cotton Blossom II (1925), Figaro IV, Brand II and Noreine.

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