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On board with Baltic Yachts owner Hans Georg Näder

Hans Georg Näder was so impressed with his 46 metre Baltic Pink Gin he bought the company. But for the German entrepreneur, super sailing yachts are only one part of his innovative empire, as David Edwards discovers...

Hans Georg Näder was cruising in Sardinia last summer on his 46 metre sloop Pink Gin, which is currently listed for sale . With him was Henry Hawkins, his long-time captain whom Näder appointed CEO of Baltic Yachts when he bought the Finnish yard in 2013. They spied a Tesla, prompting Hawkins to ask his boss whether he would ever buy one of the American electric cars. “I said, never. I’m branded, you know: Porsche, Porsche and Porsche,” recalls Näder, a proud German born 55 years ago in Duderstadt, Lower Saxony, who still lives there, as well as in Berlin and Munich, and, as CEO and president of prosthetics maker Ottobock, is one of Germany’s most successful entrepreneurs.

“Four weeks ago I ordered the Tesla SUV. We had the chance in Porto Cervo to test drive one. I’ve never experienced something like this. The head of Tesla Germany brought an SUV down and we went close to the Romazzino [hotel] and he said ‘stop’. And then full power. It was like on a Ducati. I’ve never seen something like this in a car.”

That, in a nutshell, encapsulates Näder. It would be easy for him to be stuck in his successful ways. He was 28 when he took over the family firm, founded in 1919 by his grandfather Otto Bock, who made wooden legs for WWI victims, and continued by his father Max Näder. Under Hans, turnover has risen from €100m to €1.2bn, staff numbers have increased from 1,000 to 8,000 and the company now does business in 56 countries. Ottobock was once again the official technical service at the Rio 2016 Paralympics, repairing and maintaining the prosthetics, orthotics and wheelchairs of all athletes for the 13th successive Games. The company has done extremely well. Professor Näder has done extremely well. There are Porsches, plural.

The company’s work and achievements are celebrated at the Ottobock Science Centre in Berlin, and it’s here that you begin to see how Näder likes to do things differently. Interactive displays explain how patients can now use prosthetic arms intuitively to grip and pick up things thanks to ground-breaking nerve and muscle surgery. Or how the latest prosthetic leg not only uses a microprocessor in the knee joint to better understand a patient’s gait but it is also waterproof, allowing a whole new range of activities for the amputee.

Standing confidently just off Potsdamer Platz and along from the Brandenburg Gate, the centre, built in 2009 and visited by more than one million people since, resembles the gleaming white superstructure of a modern yacht. That is no coincidence. Yachts have been in Näder’s blood from the minute, aged six, that he first set foot in an Optimist. He bought his first sailing boat at 23, an 11.3 metre called Pink Gin that was built by Sweden Yachts , and progressed steadily through four more Pink Gins towards the 54 metre Pink Gin VI that Baltic will launch for him in May next year.

But what is really in his blood is innovation. Each of his many boats has not just been bigger, they have been better. They use better materials, better technology, better design. Now he has his own yard, the scope for innovation is huge.

He arrives for our meeting, at the science centre, straight from another of his Berlin bases – the Open Innovation Space, housed in the grounds of a former brewery that Näder is converting. Under his arm is another arm, a carbon fibre model produced by 3D printer.

In his other hand is a very flesh-like silicon arm. He is clearly proud and excited by what’s going on at the Open Innovation Space. “I created a platform where young start-ups, mainly in digital transformation and production, can come,” he says. “We act like a fitness club so you sign in and you can use the machines and all you pay is the minutes or seconds you use the machines. You have to see it and then you understand.”

So we do. And it’s striking to see this casually dressed fifty-something billionaire strolling around chatting to the twenty-something tech types starting out on their innovative journey. Ottobock design engineers work here too, among other things developing an app with Adidas so that patients can follow a recuperative physiotherapy routine much more effectively. The open structure of the space encourages collaboration and Näder has a track record for bringing bright young minds into his company. The professor is in his element.

Ask him who he admires and the answers are telling. First, the patriot and businessman in him says Hasso Plattner, co-founder of software giant SAP – “the most successful start-up in Germany after WWII”. He then goes on… “I admire what the Silicon Valley guys are doing. They are changing the world in a radical and disruptive way.” This word keeps cropping up. “I like it. Not many people are able to think disruptive.” And this disruption is not just in the world of medical technology but in relation to yachts and Baltic in particular.

“Over the years at Ottobock we changed technical orthopaedics very often in an almost disruptive way, creating mechatronic upper extremity prosthetics when even the word mechatronic did not exist. I think it’s the same in shipbuilding. The heritage and character of craftsmanship and shipbuilding is a base for disruptive change. We just delivered one boat to a famous Italian sailor and we think it’s the most advanced sailing boat ever built.”

He’s referring to 39.6 metre racer-cruiser My Song , with its interchangeable mainsails and Baltic’s custom retractable propulsion system, but there’s so much more that can be done he thinks. “Yachting has a lot of potential because, if you look into boats, not all technologies are really state of the art. Some are quite old fashioned. If you look at the plumbing, this is not state of the art. Or hydraulics. Or engines. I’ve just ordered the SUV from Tesla and if this [electric engine] works in a car, why shouldn’t it work in a boat?

“It’s nice to have at Baltic a luxury brand where we can drive innovation. It’s also cool to have owners who are keen to be disruptive with big boats. So from my point of view what we do at the moment at Baltic is so much cooler than the first Wallys were.”

One such example is the Arrow460-Granturismo, a very disruptive Mercedes-Benz-styled 14 metre powerboat that Baltic is making components for and assembling at its Jakobstad yard in northern Finland as part of its collaboration with Silver Arrows Marine.

“I love the head of design of Mercedes [Gorden Wagener]. He’s giving this brand a new design language and it’s really successful. You see other automotive brands like Audi or Volkswagen, they are missing their next evolution of design, and turnover goes down.”

Näder and Hawkins have big plans for Baltic. They want to expand its refit operations, which already extend to facilities at STP in Mallorca. Among recent refits were 32 metre Wally Nariida – “when the owner came out to Finland he was so happy to get an even better than new Nariida back” – and Sunny Day , the 24.7 metre Alalunga motor yacht, launched in 1989, that was owned by Näder’s father and has just been given a complete overhaul by Baltic. “It’s amazing what kind of character we were able to keep and what kind of new DNA we injected into this boat.”

The yard known for its super sailing yachts is dipping a toe into own-brand motor yacht waters, too. It has a custom 23.8 metre, designed by Mani Frers, son of Germán, in build and the company is negotiating to buy an old Italian motor yacht marque. “If somebody shows up who brings technology and quality, and having young guys doing cool designs, I think there’s a market,” says Näder.

Large composite sailing yachts remain the bread and butter and Näder himself is awaiting possibly the best slice yet. His sixth Pink Gin will be the largest carbon-fibre sloop in the world and will feature an electrical “forced feedback” steering system, developed with the help of Swiss automotive engineer Peter Kägi – another of those state-of-the-art upgrades. “I think the new Pink Gin will be my mountain peak,” says Näder. “It’s like with a house. First you build a big house, then the children leave, then you don’t need the big house and you go to an apartment.”

Näder, whose two daughters are in their twenties and who is divorced from his second wife, is already planning his post Pink Gin “downsizing”. He is rather taken with the BlackCat 50 metre catamaran concept that Baltic is now involved with and which it presented at the Monaco Yacht Show . “We had five, six parties very interested,” says Näder. “For me, as I’m getting older, maybe _Pink Gin V_I for the next 10 years and then build such a catamaran?” It could be just what he’s looking for to bring a new, exciting audience into yachting. “The young guys from Silicon Valley, who are much more green and ecologically driven in their ideas, people like Musk, Zuckerberg and so on, these are candidates for disruptive sailing yacht concepts.”

There is always the next thing. This is what drives him. “It’s, how we say in German, neugierig. You’re curious to find out. I have this in my genome, having I think more than 1,000 patents worldwide and constantly meeting people who innovate. Innovation is not for the sole purpose of innovation. Innovation is the means to find solutions.”

Images courtesy of Getty; Alamy; Ottobock; Jeff Brown/Breed Media

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Boat of the Week: This Globetrotting Sailing Yacht Gets Power From 646 Square Feet of Solar Panels

The vessel has already put 6,000 miles under its hull, cruising around the world with the owners, their children and grandchildren., julia zaltzman, julia zaltzman's most recent stories.

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The owner of Baltic’s new 146, Path , had his sights set on global adventure, taking his children and grandkids along for the ride. He wanted a sustainable, comfortable family home that could travel the world. His original plans called for “exceptional living space above and below decks”—not something sailing yachts, often with narrow beams and massive rigs, are known for. That becomes even more challenging when these boats have to perform as powerful, ocean-going vessels.

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“He bought the second hull in our Baltic 112 range six years ago, with the concept of sailing around the world with his family,” Henry Hawkins, Baltic CEO, told Robb Report . “With that, he filled a little black book with all of his ideas and feedback. He liked the way his previous boat sailed, which was designed by Rolf Vrolijk, so when he was ready to build again he pulled Rolf in to work on Path .”

With 35 years of developing racing yachts for the America’s Cup and the TP 52 series, German-based judel/vrolijk & co took on the naval architecture, exterior styling and interior design. For its part, Baltic set about planning the build of the third-largest yacht by volume in its 48-year history.

The yacht was designed as a world cruiser, but can convert into a racing machine.  Courtesy Baltic Yachts

Part of that process involved building full-size mock-ups of the deck salon, covered cockpit and guest accommodations to replicate the boat heeling at 20-degree angles. This helped to get the right ergonomics and safety features, such as handholds and footrests, while guaranteeing plenty of space.

“There were 24 of us aboard for the recent sailing trials and we barely filled the covered cockpit area when we assembled,” said Hawkins.

The twin steering positions in the cockpit have their own protective Biminis. Just forward are positioned 646 square feet of solar panels capable of generating up to 8kW to boost the yacht’s lithium-ion battery bank. The 146-foot carbon composite boat is also Baltic’s first IMO Tier-III compliant yacht, while the owner’s choice of tender extends to an all-electric Torqeedo RIB. A second tender is stowed in a foredeck recess which converts to a swimming pool when at anchor.

The main salon is spacious, bright and designed for a large family.  Courtesy Baltic Yachts

Sailing yachts are not known for carrying large collections of water toys, but two Reverso Match sailing dinghies (which disassemble into four parts for easy stowage) are included, along with a lightweight titanium swing anchor arm and a submarine anchor system, hinting at the owner’s intention to explore below the water’s surface, too.

Path is designed to maintain average speeds under sail of between 11 and 16 knots, yet has already clocked speeds in the high 20s during 6,000 miles of shakedown sailing. Three fixed headstays and a detachable bow sprit change the boat from a family cruiser to a competitive racer. A hydraulically lifting keel, which minimizes draft, allows the boat to anchor close to shore.

Two racing helms in the foreground, with a social area aft.  Courtesy Baltic Yachts

Internal volume is large enough to accommodate 10 guests and eight crew, along with some nifty gadgets. The amidships owner’s suite features a glass divider combining a television and navigation screen, and a voice-controlled software system works the lights and blinds.

In the en suite is a full-size carbon-fiber bathtub. An 8.8-foot-long video wall in the upper salon plays a whimsical underwater scene. Magnets hidden under the surface of the coffee tables, dining areas and bedside cabinets make matching magnetic plates and glasses sea-safe when under sail.

Margo Vrolijk, who developed the interior décor, looked to the owner’s home for reference, blending teak furniture and woodwork with fabrics and light-colored panels and bulkheads. “The concept is inspired by the how the family lives ashore and we translated that into an easily controlled sailing yacht ,” she said.

The owner’s office.  Courtesy Baltic Yachts

“The owner’s achievement in getting the right team around him is a blueprint for how a project like this should be managed,” said Hawkins. “The emphasis with Path is on blue-water performance cruising. Having a powerful sail plan forward means you can step up and down the gears depending on how much breeze there is. The boat’s versatility is testament to the owner’s clear vision from the outset.”

Here are more images of the super sailing yacht.

Courtesy Baltic Yachts

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By SuperyachtNews 12 Feb 2024

Baltic Yachts appoints new chief executive officer

Composite yacht builder baltic yachts has announced the appointment of tom von bonsdorff as its new ceo….

Baltic Yachts has welcomed its new CEO, Tom von Bonsdorff, who officially took the helm of the Finnish shipyard on February 5, 2024. With prior experience in executive roles at Volvo and Kesko, where he spearheaded the deployment of Finland's premier electric vehicle charging infrastructure, Von Bonsdorff brings a wealth of management expertise to his new position. Tasked with steering Baltic Yachts into a new era of growth, he will oversee operations at the company's newly expanded manufacturing facility in Jakobstad.

 “Following our highly successful 50th anniversary year and the launch of a number of yachts in 2023, including the revolutionary 34m foil assisted superyacht Raven , we are delighted Tom is joining Baltic Yachts to steer us through our next wave of innovation as the company continues to lead the world in advanced composite superyacht design and construction,” says Executive Vice President Henry Hawkins.

Von Bonsdorff’s appointment coincides with the opening of the new extension of Baltic Yachts’ Jakobstad facility, which brings the entire yacht-building operation under one roof.

Tom von Bonsdorff says: “Baltic has an enviable worldwide reputation for innovation and success in one of the most demanding sectors of the marine industry and I am delighted to be able to bring my experience in global sales, service and manufacturing to strengthen the company’s efforts in everything they do.”   Baltic Yachts’ owner Professor Hans Georg Näder, says: “Having someone of Tom’s calibre and worldwide industry knowledge will bring many benefits to Baltic which continues to innovate to bring the ground-breaking visions of our clients to fruition.”

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• Service & Refit
• Baltic Yachts Rendezvous

HALF A CENTURY OF WORLD CLASS YACHT BUILDING

28 june 2023.

In just five decades Baltic Yachts has evolved from respected series production boat builder to the world’s best composite custom yacht manufacturer, the go-to yard for innovation, performance and a hand-crafted finish second to none.

Baltic Yachts has become firmly established as one of the best superyacht builders in the world, renowned for its comprehensive knowledge of advanced composite building materials and its skilled workers’ ability to innovate with the latest materials and technology.

The company has achieved this in just 50 years and celebrations are now underway to mark its foundation and recognise its success through the 566 boats it has built.

In the modern era, names like Visione, Nilaya, Hetairos, Pink Gin, Nikata, WinWin, Perseverance and Canova dominate the world’s regatta podiums and awards ceremonies and with the company’s latest launches, including the Baltic 110 Zemi and the ground-breaking, Baltic 111 Custom, it maintains its dominance at the leading edge of superyacht sailing technology.

The significance of Queen Anne

As Baltic Yachts prepares to celebrate its foundation in Bosund in 1973, with a party for 500 including our workers, local partners and international guests at its Jakobstad headquarters, it’s appropriate that the very first yacht it built, the C&C-designed Baltic 46 Diva, now Queen Anne, will also be in attendance along with her owner and the owners and friends of the recently launched Baltic 110 Zemi. Queen Anne underwent a refit in Bosund, the place of her birth, and with a new engine, freshly painted topsides, new hatches, a refurbished teak deck and updated instrumentation, is almost as good as new.

Baltic 46 Queen Anne (originally named Diva) – the first ever Baltic yacht

Her presence is doubly significant because she not only demonstrates the sustainability of yachts Baltic built 50 years ago, using what was then the latest boat building technology like balsa sandwich construction, unidirectional glass fibre and tank tested design, but she also illustrates the story of Baltic’s foundation.

In the beginning…

In 1973, superyachting, the genre with which we are familiar today, was non-existent, but series production boat building was really getting into its stride. One of its leading proponents, Nautor Swan, based in Jakobstad, was successfully building yachts for a growing global market and had established an enviable reputation.

Despite this, a small group of the company’s young boat builders had devised ways of building boats lighter and stiffer to improve performance. They tried to convince their managers at Nautor it was the way ahead, but their ideas fell on deaf ears.

Convinced their theories would work, five young men, Per-Göran ‘PG’ Johansson, Tor Hinders, Nils Luoma, Ingmar Sundelin and Jan-Erik Nyfelt struck out on their own, setting up Baltic Yachts in the small village of Bosund just north of Jakobstad.

The first shed in the pine forest outside the village of Bosund

Generations of skilled workers

Why Bosund? It is no coincidence that modern yacht building of the highest standard continues to thrive in the area of Finland known as Ostrobothnia. Generations of skilled wood-workers built warships and trading vessels as long ago as the 16 th Century, supporting Finland and Sweden’s vast fleets of ships which travelled the world. Seafaring was part of the local population’s DNA and plentiful local timber made the area a natural choice for ship building.

In many ways those traditions are still very much in evidence and in 1973 the most important resource for the fledgling Baltic Yachts was a skilled local workforce. The Baltic Yachts Family came into being and now aged 50 is very much alive and well!

It was a tough winter start, snow falling relentlessly as the new company built its first boatshed. But their first model, the ambitious 46-footer Diva already described, reflected everything Baltic’s founders stood for – she was comparatively light, stiff and fast and was selected for the Canadian Admiral’s Cup team in 1975.

Boom time at the Hamburg Boat Show

The Hamburg Boat Show was a key outlet for Baltic in the early days with 15 sales in 1975 followed by 26 the following year. Although series production was the business model which underpinned Baltic’s early success, there were already signs of customisation and in Thomas Friese’s C&C-designed Baltic 42 Tina I-Punkt it was all-embracing. She was an out and out racing yacht designed to the IOR (International Offshore Rule) to fit the so-called Two Ton rating band (I.O.R. Rating under 32ft) which was particularly popular and successful at the time in the USA and in Europe. This heavily customised yacht was a sign of things to come.

But even PG and his team couldn’t have foreseen the phenomenal success of the Baltic 39 which sold out at its premiere in Hamburg in 1977 and went on to become the company’s most successful design in terms of numbers, with 74 sold. Her designers, Cuthbertson and Cassian (C&C) and their chief naval architect, the late Rob Ball, had impressed PG Johansson because of their use of VPP (velocity prediction program) computer calculations and other advanced design techniques which mirrored PG’s own belief in improving yachts with modern methods.

Baltic 39 – our first major commercial success

The International Offshore Rule resulted in yachts which, like the Baltic 39, were particularly fast upwind, but like many racing yachts of this era, were fully fitted out and made excellent family cruising yachts too. Combined with the quality of build these were very effective selling points.

The Hollming era

In the late 1970s the new company was dealt a body blow by the global oil crisis and sought a new owner. The giant ship builder Hollming Oy believed in Baltic’s approach and provided the resources to support its rapid growth, fund the development of new models and build a sales organisation. Baltic Yachts would remain part of Hollming for 12 years and during this period was famously asked by its owner to assist in the development of a secret Russian submarine by providing input for its composite shell structure. Despite some political controversy over the project, it was a productive exercise, the vacuum-infused, epoxy resin technology directly benefitting the build of the Baltic 43 Bully.

Expansion, masts and Midnight Sun

A combination of factors in the late 70s and early 80s saw Baltic advance dramatically as carbon fibre was first used. The new Baltic 51 showcased many of the technical developments the company had evolved using computer aided design and engineering. And in Bosund a new building hall was opened, vastly increasing production capacity and enabling much larger yachts to be built.  All sorts of innovation was in evidence, including pneumatically-powered cradles which would allow yachts to be moved effortlessly across the super-smooth floors of the new facility.

Baltic’s policy of drilling down into design and developing its own specification and checks for construction was not only beneficial for the quality of its yachts, but also impressed clients who were increasingly keen to get involved to learn how their yachts were built. They were actively encouraged to visit the yard to see their yacht under construction, something some other builders discouraged.

Baltic’s approach to design enabled the company to start building its own masts around 1980, their black anodised finish becoming a hallmark. The ability to build on site and on time greatly assisted production.

Baltic Yachts mast production (first picture) and Baltic 80 Midnight Sun (second picture), one of the first large, fully composite racing yachts in the world

By the 1980s there were clear signs that clients were looking at bigger and faster yachts with the associated need for complete customisation. The Baltic 80 Midnight Sun was the first fully composite racing yacht in the world, built as an IOR maxi for a Swedish owner who wanted to move on from successful Admiral’s Cup campaigns. Built using a super-light end grain balsa core in her hull she was quick upwind and enjoyed success on the maxi circuit before being converted into a luxury cruising yacht.

Lisbeth Staffans takes the helm

A need to return to their core business forced the Hollming Group to dispose of Baltic Yachts in 1990 which led to a management and employee buyout which saw 34 managers and workers including PG Johansson and Jan Erik Nyfelt immediately becoming owners of the business. The existing marketing manager Lisbeth Staffans (picture below) became managing director.

Her style of management, driven by straightforward communication, honesty and transparency across the business, plus strict financial controls, returned the yard to profitability. Lisbeth Staffans led the company for 18 years during which time Baltic Yachts went from strength to strength and took it to the cusp of the game changing era of modern superyachting.

One of the first genuine multi-role supersailing yachts which took part in the increasingly popular superyacht regattas springing up in the Mediterranean and Caribbean, was Anny, an 87ft all-carbon yacht from the board of judel/vrolijk. The German naval architect had already designed numerous Baltic production models prefacing a future in which they would become key, especially in larger superyachts.

With her lifting keel, extensive hydraulic systems and tender garage, Anny could be regularly seen at the front of superyacht racing fleets, particularly in Palma de Mallorca. She remained successful for many years.

Demand for the dual-role superyacht

The burgeoning superyacht regatta scene, many of the new ones trying to emulate the success of the St Barths Bucket in the Caribbean, offered a new dimension to ownership with many demanding a genuine dual-role yacht, one equally at home on the race course as crossing oceans and visiting the world’s remotest cruising grounds. This provided a great opportunity for builders of large sailing yachts, one which Baltic grasped with enthusiasm.

Anny was followed in the later 1990s by the Bill Dixon designed Vittfarne and the Baltic 70 Loftari, the former a classic looking yacht above the waterline with a high-performance underwater shape and the latter with an entirely pre-preg carbon and Nomex interior which demonstrated how large amounts of weight could be saved by building ultra-lightweight interiors.

Baltic 70 Loftfari was the first yacht with a fully fitted interior built entirely in prepreg carbon and Nomex

Baltic Yachts has built a number of motor yachts and while it cannot be regarded as a regular part of its portfolio a lot of information was gained about sound deadening which transferred to sailing yachts to great effect. The Raymond Hunt-designed M48 Far Niente and her slightly larger sistership Ben Nevis were powerful seagoing motor yachts delivered in the late 90s. Baltic later built the Mani Frers-designed M78 Bill and Me, a stylish offshore motor yacht.

Baltic at the leading edge of technology

By the turn of the century advances in technology were gaining even greater pace, exemplified by the Baltic 78 Super Baltic 5 which sported a canting rather than lifting keel, an additional benefit of which was virtually no loss of internal space, as the hydraulic canting mechanism was contained almost entirely beneath the cabin sole.

High-tech cruiser-racer Baltic 78 Super Baltic 5

At the yard the company installed a 5m X 3m lamination press which meant they could custom build composite parts like bulkheads and interior components to its own specification ensuring that weight savings could be made without compromising strength or durability.

Iconic Visione

And then, in 2002, an iconic commission was secured to build the extraordinary and technically advanced Baltic 147 Visione. With naval architecture by Reichel Pugh and all the design and engineering capacity at Baltic Yachts coming to the fore, Visione became a marker by which many subsequent performance superyachts were judged. Even today, 22 years after her launch, she is still capable of winning.

To say Visione was ahead of her time is an understatement. She remains a development project to this day, and has been updated and used as a testbed for a multitude of new ideas and technological breakthroughs. In a way she fired the starting gun for the race to build new superyachts, a plethora of which followed from Baltic driven by technology which made them easier to sail, faster, more competitive and more fun!

Baltic 147 Visione (first picture) and Baltic 141 Canica (second picture)

The first genuine supercruiser was the 141ft Canica, a complex yacht using all the advanced composite building experience accumulated by Baltic’s design engineers resulting in a yacht displacing half that of a typical 140-footer – and there was no compromise on comfort. She was the first yacht with a Siemens PLC computer control system and to reduce vibration and noise levels her entire accommodation was set on shock absorbers so that, in effect, it ‘floated’ within the hull shell.

A waterside home in Jakobstad

Ten years into the new century Baltic Yachts realised its dream of its own waterside premises. The Jakobstad yard was a state-of-the-art building which enabled larger yachts to be built and reduced the complex and expensive trucking operation from Bosund 23km away. It also provided deep water access for yachts returning to Finland for a refit.

Baltic Yachts waterfront facility in Jakobstad

This development went hand in hand with the yard becoming the first of its type in the world to achieve ISO standards in quality, environment and occupational health and safety. Baltic Yachts was also awarded full DNV GL certification giving customers peace of mind over the performance of all aspects of the building operation.

2010 saw the launch of the highly successful Reichel/Pugh designed Baltic 112 Nilaya, which epitomised the superyacht racer/cruiser genre many owners sought. The yacht won almost every regatta she entered benefitting from grand prix pedigree design combined with Baltic’s exacting engineering and build standards designed to save weight. In short, Nilaya was an all-round winner.

The Professor provides stability and vision

Shortly into the new decade, new owners for the company were sought as the shareholding staff began to retire. In March 2013 Professor Hans Georg Näder, a keen yachtsman and a Baltic customer acquired an 80 per cent stake in the company through his family-owned prosthetics company Ottobock.

Professor Hans Georg Näder and PG during the christening of Baltic 175 Pink Gin

Professor Näder’s enthusiasm and vision was a shot in the arm for the company and he eventually increased his stake to become sole owner ensuring Baltic Yachts’ financial independence and solvency. He also appointed Henry Hawkins as Executive Vice President, a former yacht captain who brought a wealth of sailing knowledge and industry contacts to Baltic.

A presence in Palma – superyachting’s service capital

Not long afterwards, the first moves to establish a Service and Refit base in Palma de Mallorca got underway. Service and the need to look after everyone in what had now become a large Baltic Family became high on the company’s agenda. Today, the Palma operation is a vital part of Baltic Yachts providing refit, modifications and almost any service requirement in the heart of the western Mediterranean’s superyacht action.

For the next 12 years a succession of remarkable yachts was launched, many of which became award winners while others dominated the superyacht race courses of the world. Hetairos remains one of the most spectacular modern sailing yachts ever launched, her neo-classic styling hiding a phenomenal performance made possible by full carbon composite construction and a massive ketch rig with a mizzen sailplan almost as powerful as the main. An enormous lifting keel and a cassette style lifting rudder were examples of the advanced engineering required to make this yacht a success.

The Baltic 115 Nikata was a highly successful, stylish multi-role superyacht taking part in the RORC’s iconic Fastnet and Caribbean 600 races and the Middle Sea Race while providing a superb platform in cruising mode. At 130ft My Song was a study in exterior and interior design and as much at home on the race course as crossing oceans, while the Javier Jaudennes designed WinWin accumulated almost as much silverware as Nilaya.

A mix of Pink Gins

A string of Pink Gins built by Baltic saw the latest iteration, Pink Gin VI, launch in 2017. She is still the largest carbon fibre sloop in the world and notable for some advanced structural engineering which enables two large fold-down platforms to be set into her topsides, the forward one providing the owner’s cabin with a magnificent private balcony and swimming platform.

Baltic 175 Pink Gin – the largest full carbon sloop in the world

By 2018, technical advances in sailing were moving at such a pace that design features normally seen on much more performance-orientated yachts were now being considered at superyacht scale. Baltic Yachts’ ability to meet the challenges these design innovations set made it a natural choice for customers looking for something special.

First foil-assisted superyacht

In the Baltic 142 Canova, the world saw the first foil-assisted superyacht using a Dynamic Stability System (DSS) sliding foil set athwartships in a cassette beneath the owner’s cabin. When deployed to leeward the 9m long foil provided lift to reduce heel and also dampen pitching motion.

Baltic 142 Canova – the first ocean cruising superyacht with a DSS foil

  The yacht was also one of the first to be fitted with an electric propulsion motor, large banks of lithium-ion batteries and the ability to charge them using her free-wheeling propeller while sailing. This reduced the use of internal combustion engines for propulsion and charging, cut emissions and took a large step towards improving the ‘green’ credentials of superyachts.

The move to power yachts with electric motors, big battery banks and the propeller-driven hydrogeneration developed by Baltic Yachts and its partners, has rapidly gained pace in recent years although in 2020 the company launched the Baltic 146 Path which opted for a conventional drive train. This yacht’s construction was complicated by the devastating COVID pandemic but she was launched to schedule and kept the company going over a difficult two-year period.

Apart from her sheer size – the third largest yacht by volume built by Baltic – Path had a remarkable combined deck saloon and covered cockpit the hardtop ‘bimni’ for which was also a landing for the largest array of solar panels ever seen on a sailing yacht.

Testbed for technology

Two smaller semi-production yachts were also gaining in popularity at this time. The Baltic 68 Café Racer was conceived as a testbed for sustainable build materials and rig technology designed to make a high-performance yacht easier to sail for a short-handed crew. Naturally grown flax instead of carbon was used as a reinforcement in 50per cent of the hull and deck mouldings, a swept spreader Marstrom rig and Doyle Sails’ Structured Luff technology were used to improve performance and simplify sailing, while cork decks and twin electric motors all combined to provide a glimpse of what, in the future, might be the norm.

Baltic 68 Café Racer Pink Gin Verde – hull number one in our latest semi-custom series

The third Baltic 67PC, Freedom, was launched last year, a different take on a series production hull designed to speed up build time and control costs. The 67 also provides an opportunity for highly efficient shorthanded, long-distance sailing and offers a multitude of interior layouts and finishes.

Modern classics are occasionally commissioned, their looks often belying the use of the very latest in superyachting technology. The Baltic 117 Perseverance is no exception, her elegant lines, straight stem, long counter and deep bulwarks giving the impression of a vessel from another era. But she has electric propulsion, hydro-generation, optimised pump technology and her superlight hull and easy to manage rig make her a very potent sailing yacht.

Luxury world class cruiser – Baltic 110 Zemi

Epitome of the modern superyacht

Just launched and available for viewing at Baltic Yachts’ Anniversary party is the stunning looking Baltic 110 Zemi, the second yacht built by the company to a Malcolm McKeon design. Her metallic bronze hull is complemented by a stunning teak deck and superstructure while her systems represent the very latest in superyacht design and engineering. She is the epitome of a fast, luxurious world class cruiser with serious racing potential.

Baltic 111 Custom – in a class of her own

It is perhaps entirely appropriate that Baltic Yachts’ 50 th Anniversary Party coincides with the near completion of the most extreme yacht the company has ever built.

Her, aesthetics, control systems, rig, generating and propulsion systems use the most advanced engineering, building and design techniques available in yachting.

Baltic Yachts was chosen to build this ultra-lightweight yacht because her owner believed it has the track record, design and engineering ability and, above all, highly skilled workforce to meet the immense challenges Baltic 111 Custom sets.

What a birthday present!

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Behind the Scenes of 34m foil-assisted Baltic 111 Raven

When her owner commissioned this Baltic 111 Custom foil-assisted superyacht, weight control was paramount. Baltic Yachts was selected for its forensic approach to lightweight advanced composite construction and unique ability to combine it with an unmatched custom finish. Baltic Yachts has successfully moved the Baltic 111 Raven from her building facility at the company’s waterside premises in Jakobstad, Finland to reveal one of the most extreme yachts it has ever built.

Broadly described as a 111ft foil-assisted, ultra-lightweight superyacht, she will be used primarily for day sailing, but also undertake high-speed, long-distance passages. Not easy to categorise, this extraordinary yacht can be placed firmly in a class of her own.

Baltic Yachts was chosen to meet this challenge because of its unmatched reputation for building advanced composite superyachts to the very highest standards, including its forensic examination of systems and components throughout the build process. Add to that the company’s ability to finish yachts to a level of luxury second to none and the decision to build in Jakobstad was straightforward.

Baltic 111 Raven’s experienced owner’s project manager, Garth Brewer of A2B Marine Projects, said: “ Raven doesn’t fall easily into a category, but if I had to place her, I’d say she’s the equivalent of a high-end Super-car. The boat is primarily for pure enjoyment and the owner likes the challenge of doing something that hasn’t been done before. ”

“ He really understands the technical elements and this will be a development project which will require a measured approach,” added Brewer, who emphasised the need for incremental steps in Raven’s trials, building confidence and understanding over time as the boat reaches her peak performance .

Raven does, however, possess some distinctive features which provide more than a hint of how she might perform. They include two large T-shaped hydrofoils mounted on hydraulically controlled side-arms capable of supporting some of the boat’s displacement.

At her transom, Raven will be equipped with vertical Interceptor trim tabs to adjust fore and aft trim at speed and there is movable water ballast, carried in built-in tanks in the aft quarters to boost the righting moment required while sailing.

Designed to sail partly on her leeward chine, Baltic 111 Raven will derive her stability and lift, while sailing, from her foils, leaving her 9.3-ton fixed keel bulb and precision-engineered 5m long fin to provide basic stability. It’s also the location for a fully submerged intake for cooling water and is designed with a sacrificial zone to absorb impact in the event of a collision.

Ultra-lightweight interior of Baltic 111 Raven

Not only is Raven’s foil-assisted ability likely to deliver a phenomenal sailing performance, she is also the subject of a highly unusual study in ultra-lightweight interior design, combining the yacht’s complex all carbon construction with styling which pays homage to Baltic Yachts’ rigorous program of weight saving. Target displacement is 55 tons – just as a comparison, the recently launched, Baltic 110 Zemi displaces 95 tons.

Jarkko Jämsén, the Finnish concept designer who developed Raven with her owner and is responsible for the yacht’s styling, explained that they were keen to combine the need for weight saving with the opportunity to expose the remarkable carbon structure of the yacht to create a unique interior design aesthetic.

A key part of Baltic’s effort in the Raven project has been directed at weight saving and control. Apart from using the lightest possible carbon/Nomex combinations in the yacht’s main structures, every item, down to the last pipe clip, nut and bolt, has been assessed. The naval architects and structural engineers behind her are Botin Partners and PURE Design respectively, both at the leading edge of America’s Cup design.

“ This project undoubtedly represents one of the biggest challenges Baltic Yachts has ever embraced, ” said Baltic Yachts Executive Vice President, Henry Hawkins. “ But that is what we do – we have a long history of bringing leading edge innovation to the fore. We are surrounded and supported by a dedicated team who are led by Garth Brewer, who oversaw Visione’s construction here at Baltic 21 years ago and still keeps her on the pace. ”

Baltic 111 Raven: Experience to take on the challenge

Jarkko Jämsén emphasised the importance of choosing Baltic Yachts to build Raven. “ The company was selected because we believe it has the courage, experience and track record to take on the challenge. Calculating weight and Baltic’s well-known ability to hit displacement targets were critical. ”

For Sam Evans, project manager, and Mattias Svenlin, project co-ordinator for Raven, the challenge was to construct a superyacht much lighter than anything previously built by Baltic – yachts that were already considered light in the sphere of Superyachting. “ Mattias’ experience, creativity and flexibility, supported by a dedicated production team combined with Sam’s communication skills, have been key factors in the overall success of the build, ” added Garth Brewer.

“ This is another level entirely in terms of weight saving, ” said Mattias. To ensure as fair a hull finish as possible, a carbon mould was preferred to reduce excessive heat differences and thus distortion in the curing process. “ We re-assessed the hull coating schedule to reduce weight using light primers and filler instead of Ultra-Build to reach the acceptable industry standards – in effect coatings do the job of filler,” he said. Using this technique in a superyacht is unprecedented .”

Hull and deck construction use carbon IM fibre pre-preg, employing the highest quality fibres on the market, and a Kevlar honeycomb sandwich throughout.  The owner has accepted that sailing Baltic 111 Raven at speed will be noisy so the elimination of any attempt to sound deaden represents a huge weight saving. “ But we have created an interior finish with special surfaces affecting the acoustics to ‘soften’ the noise a little, ” said Mattias.  He pointed out, however, that all the adhesives suitable for bonding this material to bulkheads were compared for weight, the final choice resulting in a saving of 6kg. In terms of the Raven project that’s a big number.

100 grams off every bracket

Baltic Yachts has revisited all weight saving opportunities shaving 100 grams off every carbon pipe bracket, making carbon cable trays even lighter and switching out steel hydraulic pipework for lighter hosing which has saved 160kg. “ We’ve even reduced the weight of the shower door from 13.5kg per m² to just 2.3kg m², ” said Mattias.

Even as Raven neared completion, the Baltic build team were continuing to identify weight-saving opportunities including replacing the metal clips holding the lightweight carbon tubular accommodation framework in place. “Östen Sundelin, one of the team, reckoned we could 3D print them in a far lighter material so we went ahead and made that saving,” said Mattias. In-house 3D printing is increasingly used at Baltic to fashion custom items to save weight and optimize design, the complex titanium head of the yacht’s retractable propulsion system (RPS) mechanism being a case in point.

Lightweight interior design

Raven’s interior, conceptualized by Jarkko Jämsén, is unusually comprehensive for a high-performance superyacht of this type, but the use of ultra-lightweight rattan deck-heads and bulkhead finishes, exposed carbon and a lack of coatings help keep weight down along with Nomex cores in structural bulkheads. All the frameworks for the furniture, for example, are made from hollow carbon piping, its lightweight combining with a modern take on style guaranteed to turn heads.

The focal point of the accommodation is centered around the glazed sides of the large cockpit, dubbed the ‘bird’s nest’, which forms a type of inverted observation ‘dome’ allowing occupants to view the carbon-dominated accommodation. The glazing is in fact Perspex, which is considerably lighter than toughened glass, representing an overall saving of 250kg. It is reinforced with a criss-cross pattern of carbon mullions which gave it its bird’s nest description. Further weight saving is achieved by minimizing the amount of caulking between each pane and replacing some of it with a foam fillet.

On deck, attention is immediately drawn to the cockpit because, apart from its aforementioned aesthetics, it also converts to a semi-covered, hardtop-protected seating area. The forward section of the cockpit hinges up and aft in ‘clam-shell’ style to affect this unique conversion.

Perspex is also used in numerous deck prisms which still use a centuries-old design to efficiently illuminate the accommodation with natural light, but are vastly lighter by replacing bronze and glass with carbon and Perspex.

Spacious saloons are located fore and aft of the bird’s nest, the forward one laid out with a galley and dining areas and the aft space dedicated to the owner’s sleeping accommodation, with a large double centreline berth folding up against an interior bulkhead when the yacht is in performance mode. There’s also a passage berth or sea cabin to starboard.

It is not often one can describe a head and shower compartment as a work of art, but in the Baltic 111 Raven’s case numerous hydraulic rams mounted inside some of the complex carbon reinforcement, including the A frame taking the load of the deck stepped mast, have been exposed by inserting Perspex inspection covers. So, you can take a shower while watching the upper and lower deflector rams in action or the downhaul ram for the 7m long reaching strut, which is used to optimise headsail sheet leads!

Further weight saving has been achieved by modifying a custom bamboo seat in one of the shower/head compartments with carbon tubing made to look like bamboo, complete with its characteristic rings and a remarkably realistic painted finish.

The aft section of the yacht is largely empty, but forward there’s accommodation for four guests in two cabins and extensive crew accommodation including a captain’s cabin.

For propulsion and generating, the design team settled on a diesel-electric hybrid system for lower emissions and efficient weight distribution. It’s a solution Baltic Yachts has been perfecting for a number of years. A Swiss 130kW Phi-Power AG electric propulsion motor is located just aft of amidships and twin 80kW Yanmar generators, optimized to save weight, are located further aft. These charge two battery banks which power the main propulsion motor, hydraulic pumps and accommodation services. The drive train is completed by a retractable propeller designed with carbon blades and a titanium hub.

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Yachting World

• Digital Edition

On board My Song: Inside the Baltic 130 Custom superyacht

• Robert Melotti
• April 29, 2017

The 40m Baltic sailing superyacht My Song is as individual as the piece of music she was named after, writes Rob Melotti

All photos courtesy of Carlo Borlenghi Credit: photos courtesy of Carlo Borlenghi

The first thing you see on descending into the saloon from the deck of the 40m sloop My Song is a series of eight half models arranged vertically on the aft panel of the keel box. It is a history of the owner’s vessels going back 40 years, starting with an Italian trapeze dinghy at the bottom rising up through the Yngling, Mini Tonner and Mumm 30 and finishing with four luxury cruiser-racers – all named after one of jazz pianist and composer Keith Jarrett’s most famous recordings.

It’s an individual touch, a record of a lifetime in performance sailing, but My Song sitting at the top of the tree also represents progression and evolution in the art and science of designing multi-purpose sailing superyachts.

Every demand for compromise on weight, style or performance was met with a counter-offer to customise – a third way – producing a cruiser-racer on which all assumptions have been challenged, and every avenue explored to satisfaction.

My Song can be easily reset from all-out racer to relaxing luxury cruiser

Work began in 2014 on the largest sailing yacht to date for Nauta Design and the company’s fourth cooperation with Baltic Yachts. California design firm Reichel/Pugh did the naval architecture and structural engineering.

But what is really interesting on this yacht, according to Luca Pedol of Nauta Design, one of the busiest yacht and powerboat design offices in the world and a long-time collaborator with this owner, is the construction method. My Song ’s hull was built in two halves split down the centreline using a technique more commonly found in the building of racing yacht hulls.

“Basically it allows you to build the hull in the lightest way possible. It gives you easier access and lets you laminate the sides and the bottom of the hull at the same time, which is more accurate and saves time,” Pedol says.

“All of the foredeck and the sidedecks were included in the two longitudinal hull laminates,” adds Sören Jansson, project engineer at Baltic Yachts, who was on board My Song for the yacht’s first and only press event in early May. “Then we put in partial bulkheads, beams and then joined the halves and started installing all the systems. The coachroof and the cockpit was a separate piece to go on top.”

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Think weight

The project mantra was ‘think weight’ and every detail down to the last screw and bolt was examined to save weight while keeping stiffness and resistance in the construction. Naturally, My Song has a variety of weighty cruising features built in, each of which is customised to the hilt.

None more so than the 36-tonne lifting keel, which reduces draught by over 2m from a performance-enhancing 7m to a more versatile 4.8m. Yet the fin, which is made of high-grade Weldox and weighs 7.5 tonnes on its own, is tapered and designed to be as slim as possible. This reduces weight and drag, but presents a further structural engineering challenge to the designers.

Normal lifting keel fins are straight so that if the yacht grounds with the keel in the raised position, the entire keel edge that is in contact with the keel box can absorb the load. With a tapered keel fin, it’s the keel head that has to take all the load, which requires significant extra structural engineering.

My Song is scheduled to take part in two superyacht regattas this summer before sailing transatlantic

There is also 15m 2 of special toughened glass in the topside portholes and deck hatches, but on the coachroof, the thickness of the expanse of tinted glass is optimised: thicker glass where there is no other structural support; thinner elsewhere. This follows exactly the same process as the lamination of the hull, facilitated by the split mode construction method, which saves hundreds of kilograms throughout.

Hidden engineering

Perhaps the most distinctive design feature from the outside is the 40cm thick bulwark extending the topsides 30cm above deck level. A practical cruising feature, it offers protection for guests and crew while providing a comfortable seat or backrest around the entire deck. Aesthetically, the bulwark also conceals the bulge of the coachroof, creating the impression of a yacht with a completely flush deck.

It also creates usable space, or deck volume, as Luca Pedol explains: “One functional aspect of the bulwark is it can store many line runs and hydraulic rams. This is quite important because on such a low freeboard yacht you have not much interior volume inside to store everything. So they use the deck volume instead.”

Of course, as with the tapered keel, there is a miracle of engineering hidden in the bulwark – a 4m long opening amidships, known as a freeing port. This opening works as a scupper for draining any water flowing aft down the deck and is also positioned adjacent to the saloon windows, enhancing the natural light down below and improving the view out.

Its location coincides with one of My Song ’s most vital locations for longitudinal stiffness. “The bulwark and particularly the 4m opening amidships is very spectacular in terms of engineering,” adds Sören Jansson. “[We used] slightly more than 200 layers of carbon on top of this opening section, then it tapers out. There are two pillars – both structural. One of them is for a padeye, the other is for symmetry.”

Elsewhere on deck, the owner’s racing crew was given a free hand to make suggestions and alterations during the design process. The mainsheet trimming position was altered for the benefit of the trimmer, who is left-handed. The headsail trimmers demanded transverse jib car controls – pumps for which had to be located in between the keel box and the mast foot.

The enormous headsails – the 1,300m 2 A1 alone weighs over 400kg – are all on furlers, but instead of stowage on deck when not in use, these 50m long tubes of sail are wound around a drum fitted in the cavernous bow locker located forward of the owner’s master suite.

The master cabin forward of the mast. All interior furniture is carbon composite

For cruising, the bowsprit can be removed and a new configuration at the masthead can be installed to remove the twin running backstays. This is done using a detachable mast crane developed by Southern Spars for Baltic’s 2016 launch, Nikata . The crane can be hoisted to the top of the rig to provide an attachment point for a standing backstay, enabling the square top main and twin backstay rig to be swapped for a pinhead main with single backstay in a matter of hours.

The rain finally cleared in La Spezia as we left the dock and motored out past the Riva yard, catching sight of the Perini Navi yard in the distance on our way out through the breakwater.

In ten knots with cruising main and J3, My Song easily exceeded wind speed at 45° off the breeze. The wheel felt light and responsive and in the shifty conditions I quickly found a groove using a mix of distant headsail telltales (good eyesight needed) and the digital wind angle readout on the mast.

From astern, the bulwarks are clearly visible, concealing control lines and hydraulics while enhancing aesthetics

Needless to say, with racing sails and 30 crew on the rail, this performance would improve. The optimum heel angle upwind, according to racing crew manager Giorgio Benussi, is 34°; there are ramps built in to the deck beneath the helming positions.

Turning downwind with the A3 unfurled, the breeze dropped but the speed still improved. In seven knots of true wind, My Song hummed along at 12 knots in the flat sea off beautiful Porto Venere.

Benussi and the yacht captain, Paolo Sandrin, who has been with the owner since the 1980s, both wield tablet computers at various points during our brief sail, displaying a matrix of rolling numbers and acronyms in different colours and sizes.

Luxurious touches on deck include pop-up speakers from the glass panels atop the coachroof and electric seating integrated into the flush decks that is specifically designed to be comfortable and usable at up to 20° of heel.

The anchor is housed in a fully retractable arm, all of which stows neatly below deck in a dedicated bow locker. Once at anchor, an array of deck lounging areas can be configured with biminis and a stern platform opens up the tender garage.

Built to accommodate six crew and eight guests, My Song features two full-width spaces below deck: the main saloon directly abaft the keelbox is located just ahead of the point of maximum beam, while the master suite, forward of the mast is slightly narrower.

Headroom in the saloon is 2m and there are plenty of handholds in the ceiling at an easy height for most. Some of the taller guests on board had to watch their heads. There is no excess headroom built into this yacht. The owner wanted a sleek, low-profile coachroof partially hidden by a raised bulwark. And with a central saloon sited atop the engine room, this is a space you could cross safely while at heel.

Access to the forward cabin is via a wide-open corridor to port of the keel box – “quite a big hole to have in the structure so close to the keel box” according to engineer Sören Jansson. To starboard of the mast foot is an owner’s studio area that can be transformed into a guest double cabin with its own heads.

Lightweight design and construction continues in the bathrooms – no stone tiles or marble baths!

Peering inside the mast box, the forward end of the keel box features bulges of laminated carbon strips where reinforcement for side loads and grounding loads are built in. The mast foot is built with slotted holes in the heel allowing its position to be altered depending on the wind strength.

However, this is not an ‘on the fly’ setting. It requires a pair of bolts to be loosened and the Cunningham cylinder to be stropped to the mast foot slider.

Interior style

The two main guest cabins are abaft the central hatch – both with en-suite heads. The passageway leads to the galley, which has an eating area built in, then through another door to the navstation, which sits below the aft hatch located between the steering wheels. The three crew cabins with bunk beds and en-suite heads are all accessed from the navstation.

Linen is used in the production of the floorboards, the ceiling panels and the upholstery. Note also the bulkhead featuring the owner’s half-hull models

“All the interior furniture is carbon composite – just a veneer of carbon on the exterior surfaces so the weight is very much reduced,” says Luca Pedol. Indeed, the locker doors were so light it hardly seemed possible they were built to last.

“Just 105 tonnes for almost 40m LOA with so many functions and comforts on board is a very good result,” he continued. Baltic even went so far as to replace the stainless steel cable trays as specified with carbon ones to save weight.

Fabric – linen in particular – plays a big part in the design and decoration of the interior. The soft furnishing in the saloon is upholstered in treated linen from the specialist yacht interior range at Loro Piana, the exclusive Italian fashion house. But it goes even further aboard My Song .

Taken to extremes

“The owner asked us to panel the interior with many different surfaces, so many of the counter tops in the galley as well as ceilings and floorboards are made of linen coated in resin,” explains Luca Pedol. “The percentage of linen to resin depends on the texture and colour required and as well as the area to be covered.

“The owner worked all his life in fashion and clothing industries so he has a very high sensitivity for materials, textures. We tried dozens of different attempts for laminating the right percentage of linen and resin to obtain what he really wanted. The final result is really good.”

Sören Jansson was also heavily involved in perfecting this technique over the 22-month build period, describing the resin-linen floorboards as “decorative and durable”.

“The interior design by Nauta was quite a challenge – to get everything to match with their vision,” he continued. “We did quite some work to save weight on this boat.”

Jansson highlighted the tongue-and-groove effects on the wall panels, all of which are made of Nomex foam with painted carbon veneers. “Of course this looks easy and if you do it in plywood you just make a groove, but since this is laminated it takes special tooling to make these grooves. It’s a lot of effort behind every single detail to save weight to the maximum.”

Baltic Yachts offers owners the chance to visit the yard in Finland and view the interior before work starts by making life-size mock-ups, typically of half, or one aspect of a room. It is a service offered to all custom yacht owners.

“This one was taken to extremes, though,” commented Henry Hawkins, Baltic Yachts CEO. “Normally a mock-up is visited once and the owner likes or doesn’t like… for My Song , the owner was back and forth four times.”

“We set up half the saloon and half the master cabin in one of the workshops in Finland,” explains Nauta’s project manager Martino Majno. “It was a huge effort – we started with a mock-up based on the initial drawings, then there was a chance for the owner to come and change this or that.

“We had different visits to the mock-up – maybe three or four iterations. For instance, the library, the book shelves all the detail, the chamfer, how the shelves are suspended, how high they should be. All the details of this part were changed a couple of times. Baltic Yachts made possible for the owner to see for real with the final surface finishing exactly how it would look.”

“This was also part of the linen technique,” adds Sören Janssen. “We tried a lot of colours, different grain effects, how much would the grain be visible, how smooth… lacquer, matt or high gloss.”

Keeping it quiet

Another interior feature of My Song is the level of soundproofing that is built in (and weighed) at design level. “On this boat it has been a very high priority from the beginning to keep the noise levels down,” explains Sören Janssen. “[There is] slightly more than 5 tonnes of sound insulation built in. That’s why we need to keep everything light so that we can afford to install so much sound insulation.

“The floorboards in the saloon are lightweight, but also we have used cork material and rubber in the composite to keep the noise from the engine room below at bay. Also in furniture panels between cabins there are special noise-dampening materials for added privacy.”

The battery bank – 100kW of lithium-ion cells – is positioned just forward of the mast box making use of its weight for additional righting moment in the centre of the yacht. There are two Panda generators including a small one for silent for use at night, though the battery bank is sufficient for eight or nine hours of silent running.

Underwater, My Song is fitted with Baltic Yachts’ latest Retractable Propulsion System (RPS), which not only leaves the hull entirely flush when the propeller is retracted, but also acts as a stern thruster as the highly efficient forward-facing, pull propeller unit can be turned through 90°, port or starboard.

“One of the biggest challenges for us was the RPS,” admits Soren Jansson. “When the yacht was delivered we put as many hours on the engine as we could because we knew we would then have time to make adjustments over the winter.”

The bronze propeller is 900mm in diameter producing a top speed of 14 knots. At cruising speed (9.5 knots), My Song ’s range is 2,000 miles. For manoeuvring, the rpm is fixed and the helmsman simply directs the thrust and feathers the prop, controlling the angle of attack of the blades to control power.

My Song made her racing debut at Les Voiles de St Tropez last year, racing against the likes of Rambler 88, Leopard and Spectre and two J Class yachts, Velsheda and Lionheart . Her launch earlier that summer was a family affair in Finland with invited guests including all the staff at Baltic. She then spent the winter in La Spezia being fine-tuned and is now ready to compete in earnest.

Specification

LOA: 39.62m (130ft) LWL: 36.78m (120ft 7in) Beam: 8.52m (27ft 11in) Draft (keel up): 4.80m (15ft 9in) Draft (keel down): 7.00m (22ft 11in) Displacement (lightship): 105 tonnes (231,485lb) Ballast (fin and bulb): 36.25 tonnes (79,917lb) Fuel capacity: 7,000lt (1,850 US gal) Water capacity: 2,400lt (634 US gal) Engine: Caterpillar C8.7 480kW/650hp Sail area (upwind): 910m 2 (9,795ft 2 ) Sail area (asymmetric): 1,300m 2 (13,993ft 2 ) Approx build cost: €22million

Putin taunts the West with 'first ever' visit to remote ice-covered 'frontier region' just 55 miles from the US - as Zelensky tries to drum up war support in Lithuania

• Chukotka is Russia's easternmost region, sharing a maritime border with Alaska

President Vladimir Putin  has arrived for his first-ever presidential visit to Chukotka in Russia 's Far East - just 55 miles from the US state of Alaska . 

Putin arrived in Anadyr, the local capital of the Chukotka region this morning after flying from Moscow some nine time zones away. 

Chukotka is the easternmost region of Russia, with a maritime border on the Bering Strait with Alaska.

The Russian president was met in Anadyr by a motorcade and was whisked away in a limousine amid frigid temperatures of -28C. 

It's the closest he has come to US soil since he met with President  Barack Obama in New York City in 2015.

Chukotka is so close to Alaska that Roman Abramovich - the ex-Chelsea FC owner - was reported to fly to Anchorage in Alaska for lunch when he was the governor of the region from 2001 - 2008.

Putin's visit comes at a time when US-Russian relations are at their lowest ebb in decades amid the war in Ukraine and a growing East-West divide. 

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky today landed in Lithuania as part of an unannounced trip to the Baltic states to drum up more support for the conflict. 

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The three Baltic states - all former Soviet republics which are now EU and NATO members - are among Ukraine's staunchest allies.

'Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are our reliable friends and principled partners. Today, I arrived in Vilnius before going to Tallinn and Riga,' Zelensky said on social media platform X, formerly Twitter.

'Security, EU and NATO integration, cooperation on electronic warfare and drones, and further coordination of European support are all on the agenda,' he said.

The Baltic tour marks Zelensky's first official trip abroad this year.

In Lithuania, a key donor to Ukraine, Zelensky said he will hold talks with the president, prime minister and the speaker of parliament, and meet with the Ukrainian community.

The visit comes as other Kyiv allies waver on fresh aid, nearly two years into Russia's invasion.

Ukraine has come under intense Russian shelling in recent weeks, retaliating with strikes on Russia's border city of Belgorod.

Zelensky has urged allies to keep military support flowing and held in-person talks with officials from the United States, Germany and Norway last month.

But an EU aid package worth 50 billion euros ($55 billion) has been stuck in Brussels following a veto by Hungary, while the US Congress remains divided on sending additional aid to Ukraine.

Following his trip to Chukotka, Putin is expected to visit several regions in the Russian Far East to boost his re-election campaign amid the war with Ukraine, which has seen more than 300,000 Russians killed or maimed.

He is due to stand in March, seeking another six years in the Kremlin.

The only Kremlin leader ever to travel to Chukotka previously was Dmitry Medvedev in 2008.

Putin's trip sees him escape a wave of ugly protests in western Russia over hundreds of thousands of people scraping by in freezing conditions due to breakdowns in communal heating supplies.

In Elektrostal, Moscow region, desperate residents say they have had no communal heating - which Russians routinely expect the state to supply usually through piped hot water - for the entire winter so far.

'We have been without heating since [9 October],' one resident said in a video circulating on Telegram.

'It is impossible to be in our homes… We are freezing! We are freezing! We are freezing!' they said. 

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Treasures of the Moscow Metro: Orange Line stations that honor the Arctic and Baltic

Medvdedkovo.

The interior decoration of Medvedkovo station is devoted to the severe and unforgiving nature of the Russian North. On the walls one sees eight metallic bas-reliefs with a polar bear on an ice floe, the hunt for snow gooses, reindeer sledding and more.

This is one of the most lavishly decorated stations on the Orange Line. The walls have 48 mosaics devoted to Russian cities that surround Moscow, including their coats of arms. Near each mosaic stands the name of the city.

There’s a large colorful mosaic of girls in traditional Russian dresses above the entrance to the platform. The image on the opposite side depicts medieval Russian horsemen and a chronicler. This image is devoted to the ancient epic Slavic poem,   The Tale of Igor's Campaign .

Botanichesky Sad

This station brings one to the largest botanical garden in Europe, and the station’s interior decoration is devoted to the topic of natural beauty. On the walls, one sees metallic bas-reliefs with simple images of flowers, apples and grapes.

Rizhskiy Railway Station is located at this metro stop. From here, trains travel to the Latvian capital. No surprise that the station, which was designed by the Soviet Latvian architects, was dedicated to that Baltic country and its capital, Riga.

The yellow and brown colors epitomize different kinds of amber that is plentiful in the Baltic Sea region. On the columns one sees images related to Latvia: Riga’s port, the Latvian Academy of Science, the Central Market (one of the largest in Europe), Old Riga and more.

Tretyakovskaya

This station leads to the famous State Tretyakov Gallery, the foremost repository of Russian fine art anywhere in the world. The station walls are decorated with the bronze bas-reliefs of Russian artists, sculptors and icon painters. Above the portal on the way to the escalators one sees a large image of the Tretyakov Gallery.

This station brings you to the famous Exhibition of Achievements of National Economy (VDNKH) – one of the world’s largest exhibition centers. During the Soviet period it represented the best industrial achievements of all Soviet Republics. Today, it offers visitors a wide range of activities, from shopping to shows and skating, and other sport activities.

Despite its name, the station is modestly decorated. At the exit one sees a huge modern (1997) ceramic image. Made according to traditions of the Old Russian style of Gzhel, the image depicts the 19 th   century market, as well as several Russian monasteries. 

Besides Moscow and St. Petersburg, several other Russian cities have metro systems, and most stations are masterpieces of art and architecture. Find out more about them.

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