baltic yachts 50 years

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Baltic Yachts celebrates 50 years of determination, innovation, and quality

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Baltic Yachts

www.balticyachts.fi

Business sector: Custom-made yachts, service and refits

Turnover 2022: 32 MEUR

Employees: 210

Export: 100%

Major markets: Europe and Northern America

One of the few luxury brands in Finland, Baltic Yachts, celebrates 50 years in business in 2023. The story of this sailing yacht builder began with five young men in Bosund, Ostrobothnia, who were determined to build lighter, stiffer and faster yachts. Early on, the company started tailor-making its boats to the requirements of demanding clients, and today, it is the world leader in custom-made, advanced composite yachts.

“Our boats are fantastic pieces of craftmanship and high technology. With their design, quality and comfort, these lightweight performance yachts are equally at home cruising the oceans as they are on the race course, Head of Marketing Elisabet Holm describes.

Today, Baltic Yachts caters to some of the wealthiest in the world, but the values of the company remain stable:

“Here at Baltic Yachts, an Ostrobothnian company, we are trustworthy, humble and proud of our work. We are innovative and solution-oriented and we work together, everyone is treated as equal.” 

Baltic Yachts walks the talk also in its sustainability work. Together with its conscious customers and personnel, the company is pushing for greener solutions in sailing, such as hydrogeneration, hybrid propulsion, battery technology and sustainable materials. The yacht builder also maintains and repairs its customers’ yachts, extending their lifecycles by decades.

Today, Baltic Yachts builds custom-made luxury yachts of up to 200 feet, but the company’s story began by challenging the prevailing trends in boat building in the 1970’s.

One part of Baltic Yachts 50 th anniversary celebration is, in fact, a refit of the first ever Baltic, a 46-footer from 1973. Queen Anne will be the centrepiece of the company’s anniversary celebrations, which will culminate in a regatta, arranged for boat owners in September 2023 in Porto Rotondo, Sardinia. 

“I feel honoured to be part of the celebrations of this pioneering company and the people who helped build it. In our region, we have a long heritage of boat building, and for centuries, we have sailed the world in search of adventure and new innovations. This entrepreneurial spirit can still be felt here today.”

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Shipyard from Finland : Baltic Yachts celebrates its 50th birthday

Sören Gehlhaus

 ·  28.11.2023

The winter of 1973 was heralded by incessant snowfall in Bosund. At a distance of 400 kilometres north of Helsinki, the frost still sets in at the end of September, and the ice cover only disappears from the Baltic Sea a good three months after boot Düsseldorf. It was precisely here that the venture that would later become known as Baltic Yachts took its course with the construction of a round-arched hall, surrounded by pine forests and in what an older shipyard publication calls "marvellous seclusion".

In addition to the island-rich coastline, the Ostrobothnia region, which belonged to Sweden for centuries, is known for its excellent boat builders. These include the Baltic founders Per-Göran "PG" Johansson, Tor Hinders, Nils Luoma, Ingmar Sundelin and Jan-Erik Nyfelt. They all gave up their jobs at Nautor's Swan because they did not want to follow their new lightweight construction path.

A portrait of Baltic ships:

• Baltic 111: "Raven" achieves 29 knots with foils at the first attempt
• 33-metre Baltic "Zemi": World cruiser with cockpit as a teak sculpture
• Baltic-Superyacht: "Perseverance" - Cutter of modern times
• "Pink Gin Verde": It couldn't be greener - but lighter
• "Pink Gin VI": Longest carbon single master

The Baltic founders wanted to build lightweight yachts

German Baltic dealer Walter Meier-Kothe remembers: "PG was project manager for the Swan 65 'Sayula', which he wanted to build as light as possible. But Nautor insisted on the GRP standard version." Nautor saw the victory of "Sayula" in the first Whitbread Race in 1973/74 as confirmation, but at the same time the pressure on Johansson and his colleagues grew. They wanted to establish the sandwich construction method with a balsa wood core and, also a novelty, unidirectional fibreglass layers. But the five of them needed a plan and parts lists, i.e. an exact overview of all the components. No shipyard or design office would simply hand this over.

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At the time, the Canadians at C&C were looking to grow in Europe. As Sparkman & Stephens had already enjoyed success on the old continent with Nautor, they wanted to set up agencies to have their own designs built by different shipyards. The expansion-minded Canadians and the experimental Finns came together and, after tank tests, realised the C&C 46 "Diva" for the Canadian Admiral's Cup team. At 12.1 tonnes, it was comparatively light, stiff and fast.

Beginnings in the Admiral's Cup

In Germany, Michael Schmidt and Rolf Vrolijk represented C&C Yachts and presented the Finnish 46 at the Hanseboot in Hamburg in autumn 1974. Walter Meier-Kothe, who soon joined the business, was also part of their circle: "After work, I met Michael Schmidt in the sailing villa on the Elbchaussee. As a shipbroker, I was wearing a suit, so he had the idea that I could try to sell the expensive boats."

A C&C office was opened in Hamburg, and the customers came. Thomas Friese ordered a 42-foot IOR two-tonner, originally for the Admiral's Cup. However, 16 boats came to the qualifying races for the 75-boat edition after the German outsider victory, and "Tina i-Punkt" was not among the three boats that later competed on the Solent. Baltic used the hull mould for the C&C 42, which was then produced 21 times. The most successful series model measured 39 feet and was built 74 times in six years. There was even a 33-footer, but the hulls were still labelled C&C.

Baltic Yachts as a pioneer for new construction methods

With the appointment of US designer Doug Peterson, Baltic Yachts was launched as an independent brand. The DP models were the first to be designed entirely on the computer. By the end of the seventies, the company was already producing smaller parts from carbon fibre. Vacuum hardening in foils was also already being practised, initially for rudder shafts, skegs and to stiffen stressed fuselage areas. Baltics were fast, and Walter Meier-Kothe recognised the advertising effect of big-boat regattas: "From the very beginning, we spread ourselves across the boats we sold in order to achieve good results."

The shipyard constantly explored the limits of composite construction, using lighter cores made of foam and carbon fibres instead of balsa

Independence grew with Judel/Vrolijk designs. A total of 45 of the Baltic 35, first launched in 1984, left the Finnish Bosund. The Bremerhaven-based company designed the 63-foot racers "Saudade" and "SiSiSi", which were not allowed to compete in the maxi class due to an increase in the minimum length to 80 feet. Baltic now belonged to the Hollming Group. When the Finnish shipbuilders had to sell the satellite in 1990, 34 managers and employees, including PG Johansson and Jan-Erik Nyfelt, became direct shipyard owners.

Light, but not reckless

Baltic constantly explored the limits of composite construction, used lighter foam cores instead of balsa and laminated carbon and Kevlar mats with epoxy resin and under vacuum from the end of the 1980s. Five years later, the first supersailer was launched, the "Anny", managed by a German. With its deckhouse and targa bow, the 26-metre boat looked like a cruising boat, but took part in the emerging superyacht regattas. With the Baltic 67 "Aledoa 4", the first cruiser-racer was built almost entirely from prepreg carbon in 1996. Shortly afterwards, the pre-impregnated carbon fibres were also used on Nomex cores in the interior fittings for "Loftfari".

The same German owner, SAP co-founder Hasso Plattner, took delivery of the almost 45 metre long "Visione" in 2002. According to a construction anecdote, the tender was rejected because it was only a few kilograms heavier than specified by the supplier. Baltic always retained its fine sense of lightness, which never turned into frivolity. The canting keel was introduced on the Baltic 78 in 2000 with mechanical and hydraulic systems below the waterline.

The financial crisis does not stop at Baltic Yachts

After various expansions in Bosund, an additional waterfront location was established in Jakobstad, 20 kilometres to the north, in 2010, where the world's largest composite sailing yacht, the almost 60-metre "Hetairos", was launched a year later. However, the effects of the financial crisis did not spare Baltic Yachts. Despite a good order situation, there were no more bank guarantees.

Attempts were made to mobilise owners. "PG contacted Hans Georg Näder out of retirement," remembers Walter Meier-Kothe. The retailer had helped the orthopaedic technology entrepreneur acquire his first 30-metre Baltic in 1999, naturally named "Pink Gin". In March 2013, Näder acquired 80 per cent of the company shares via Ottobock Holding. At the time, he was sailing at 46 metres (2006). The 54-metre-long and recently sold "Pink Gin VI" caused a stir in 2017 with its shark keel bomb.

Baltic celebrated its 50th anniversary with a midsummer festival and a regatta off Sardinia, where the original Baltic "Diva" competed as the refitted "Queen Anne". Next year, the shipyard will be giving itself a belated present, which is somewhat melancholy. The then completed Capacity expansion in Jakobstad goes hand in hand with the closure of the founding location in Bosund.

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50 Years of Baltic Yachts: a Rendez Vous in style to celebrate half a century of success

• October 20, 2023
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Baltic Yachts: a Rendez Vous in style to celebrate half a century of success

50 Years of Baltic Yachts – The Rendez Vous and the Regatta

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Baltic Yachts’ innovation creates the most sustainable sailing vessels

It all starts with the fundamentals...the little things that bring down consumption, reducing the amount of power and number of batteries required….

The proliferation of hybrid-electric propulsion in the superyacht sector is evolving at a pace. The sailing superyacht sector has led the way with innovative designs for a generation. However, as Henry Hawkins, executive vice president at Baltic Yachts, outlines, truly innovative yacht designs need to stay grounded. And, try as the industry might, “You can’t change physics; the energy has to come from somewhere.” 

The pragmatic approach that Baltic Yachts has pioneered addresses the reality of each problem and solves each on its merits. The answer is not always glamorous and sometimes not what a conventional yard would suggest. Having a battery bank and electrical propulsion is great, but where does the power come from? And, crucially, how can the vessel be more efficient with its energy generation and usage? The Baltic Yachts philosophy, as with its overall approach to the sustainability of its construction and operations, is to make the necessary incremental changes.

It all starts with the fundamentals. “The hull shape is going to be drawn by the naval architect, which in our case will always be based around the sailing performance of the boat,” says Hawkins. From there, the team gets to work to make the yacht as energy-efficient and, by extension, as low emission and sustainable as possible.

“What runs all the time?” asks Hawkins. “Take the air conditioning/ventilation and the fridge freezers; this is what we must not take our eyes off when talking about low- to zero-emission vessels. At Baltic Yachts, we are always looking to make these systems as efficient as possible, for example taking the heat generated from the air conditioning compressors and reusing the heat to the fan coils or to dry the air. These are the small things that will be beneficial in reducing the energy needs of the yacht in the long run.”

Further expanding on the Baltic Yachts approach, Hawkins highlights another on-board innovation: “On our latest launch, the seawater cooling is run by a centralised system with one pump rather than by many individual pumps running 24/7, without a reason. So it’s all those little things that then bring down the overall consumption, reducing the amount of power and therefore the number of batteries required to sustain the yacht.” This central pump is temperature- controlled and runs on demand only.  

While at sea, power generation is an exciting development for the sailing-yacht sector. Hawkins and Kim Kolam, senior electrical engineer at Baltic Yachts, feel that the industry needs to stay grounded with apparent benefits. Most sailing yachts, even the most highly used, are at sea for only a fraction of the time they are on the water. Their capacity for power generation is therefore limited. Kolam explains that designing a shaft and propeller system that suits power generation can sacrifice its general efficiency and offset any potential net energy consumption savings. A more practical solution may be an entirely separate system for charging, leaving the propulsion system perfectly balanced for purpose.  

Hawkins and the team at Baltic Yachts have had almost 50 years of experience honing their designs, and see a pivotal area as holding the key to keeping the momentum for a decarbonised yachting future: “If you don’t get client buy-in, it won’t change. It’s not something that we can invest in as a company over and over again without having the clients coming with us.”

By addressing each of the individual energy-efficiency considerations by developing in-house and partner technological innovations, Baltic Yachts is creating the most streamlined and operationally sustainable sailing yachts on the market. As battery technology and electric drive trains evolve, Baltic Yachts will have the most efficient sailing yachts to ingenerate each in a custom project – matched to a discerning next generation of superyacht owners.

Main image caption: Baltic 68 Café Racer – with zero emissions from its two 15kW electric engines, hydrogeneration while sailing, solar panels and 30 per cent reduction in power consumption from AC.

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Half a century at the cutting edge

Fifty years ago in Finland five young men shared a controversial idea and an ambitious plan. They quit their jobs at Nautor and set out to create a new style of offshore cruiser racer – lighter, stiffer and faster than almost anything else on the market.

‘We just got together one day and the idea came up,’ says Per-Göran “PG” Johansson, one of the five founding fathers of Baltic Yachts back then and still one of its directors today. ‘We were not alone thinking “light is better” but most boatyards and naval architects favoured heavier designs. Some of our competitors published studies for marketing purposes arguing that heavy was better. One of their claims was “heavy does not stop in waves due to the inertia of the mass”. Another was “the client gets more kilos for his money”. We remained convinced and carried on with our lightweight, hi-tech way.’

History soon proved Johansson and his colleagues to be absolutely correct and the company they founded became a world leader in the production of large, high-performance sailing yachts.

Before any of it could happen, first they had to clear a patch of pine forest at Bosund near Jakobstad and build a shed in which to do it.

Still in use as a joinery workshop, that first shed is finally about to be decommissioned along with the whole facility that grew up around it. This year, Baltic Yachts is moving all operations to Jakobstad where a new state-of-the-art building will more than double the size of its existing waterfront location.

There’s a world of difference between the series-produced Baltics of the 1970s and the full-custom superyachts that have become the yard’s primary focus alongside its ongoing small-series, semi-custom production.

However, from the first Baltic 46 Diva (now Queen Anne) all the way to its current projects via some of the most advanced sailing yachts in each of the last three decades, the core DNA is arguably unchanged.

‘Baltic Yachts is still very much true to its original values,’ Johansson says. ‘We started as a series production yard but with more flexibility built in than most competitors, using hi-tech methods to achieve better sailing performance and handling characteristics. With time we moved over more and more to full custom projects, which required changes in our approach.

‘The projects became more individual in concept, in styling and in materials and methods used.

In that process you lose some of the things that originally earned your company its reputation. However, even our cruising projects have been very hi-tech and in that sense they’ve followed our original philosophy, “lighter is faster and better”. Some of the high-performance projects challenged us to take technology much further, increasing our know-how and potential.’

Eagerness to embrace technology prompted the founding of Baltic Yachts in the first place. Johansson was project manager of the Swan 65 when he tried and failed to convince his managers that it could be built lighter, stiffer and better using sandwich construction with unidirectional fibres instead of a single laminate with woven rovings.

The five who left Nautor – boatbuilders Jan-Erik Nyfelt and Nils Luoma, purchasing manager Ingmar Sundelin, designer Tor Hinders and Johansson – became the nucleus of Baltic Yachts.

Baltic Yachts – major milestone boats 1974-2022

1974 Baltic 46 Ahead of its time: tank tests, sandwich construction, unidirectional fibres, balanced spade rudder, epoxy bonded teak deck…

1977 Baltic 39 Most popular model, 74 in six years. From 1980, one of the first yachts to have computer-generated VPP

1979 Baltic 51 Notable for interior design innovations. First double-berth cabin under an aft cockpit, slanted bulkheads for optimal use of space

1982 Baltic 80 Midnight Sun Baltic Yachts’ first maxi racer and one of the first maxis with full glassfibre composite construction.

1985 Baltic 43 Bully The first offshore sailing yacht in the world built entirely with epoxy resin

1996 Baltic 67 Aledoa The first cruising yacht built entirely in pre-preg carbon

1996 Baltic 87 Anny First Baltic with a lifting keel, complex hydraulics and push-button sail controls

1997 Baltic 70 Vittfarne First Baltic yacht to combine classic appearance with hitech construction and modern hydrodynamics

1997 Baltic 70 Loftfari The first yacht with a fully fitted interior built entirely in pre-preg carbon and Nomex honeycomb, all invisible under the teak veneer finish

Baltic 78 Super Baltic 5 Canting keel with its entire mechanism under the cabin sole; 3.5kts faster than the same yacht with a fixed keel

2002 Baltic 147 Visione The first superyacht capable of planing at 30 knots. Packed with unique innovations, ultra-light displacement (105T) and almost literally no expense spared

2003 Baltic 141 Canica A very complex build and fitout with hi-tech materials, construction techniques and systems. The first Baltic ‘super cruiser’

2011 Baltic 197 Hetairos Largest carbon composite sailing yacht in the world at 221ft LOA. Classic look, superb finish. Hi-tech build and hydrodynamics

Baltic 175 Pink Gin The largest full carbon sloop in the world to date. Unique fold-down, through-hull platforms in the saloon and owner’s suite

2019 Baltic 142 Canova First DSS foil on an ocean cruising superyacht. First hybrid drive with full regeneration. Advanced composite engineering. A giant leap into the future

2022 Baltic 68 Pink Gin Verde First Baltic yacht built with 50% flax fibre. Advanced electric/hybrid propulsion, super efficient systems

‘They had a strong belief in themselves, courage to swim upstream and test new ideas,’ Baltic Yachts’ marketing manager Elisabet Holm explains. ‘They all had a passion for boats, a strong driving force to learn new things and research technology, and they were always ready to meet new challenges.’

The original Baltic 46 was far ahead of its time. At a time when nearly all new designs simply relied on the naval architect’s eye, experience and intuition, several different hull models were tank tested across a range of speeds, at various heel and leeway angles before the design of the 46 was finalised and only then was it built. It had a balanced spade rudder and solid rod rigging, which were then used only on hi-tech racing yachts and its teak deck was laid with epoxy resin. But the hull laminate itself was the key innovation.

‘In those days most yards building larger yachts used woven rovings with fibres bent, not straight, hence not structurally optimal and they also resulted in resin concentration,’ Johasson explains.

‘You could see the roving patterns on the surface, due to resin shrinking, so before applying the rovings they used several layers of chopped mat, which has very low structural value, especially on larger yachts, but added a lot of weight.

‘We used a very thin surface cloth and the rest of the laminate was unidirectional fibres, oriented in the direction of the stresses and perfectly straight, hence stronger and stiffer.

‘The fibres we used did not create resin concentration so there was less print-through on the hull surface. Unidirectional does not build up thickness like woven rovings so we used them with a core material in sandwich construction. This achieved much higher panel stiffness than a single laminate and gave us more flexibility for panel sizes.’

End grain balsa was the core for the 46 but Baltic soon switched to foam cores with a variety of densities and strengths. Carbon fibre was used from 1979, initially in rudder posts, beam tops and to reinforce high-stress areas of the hull where extra stiffness was needed. As stabilised foams for high-temperature cures and then Nomex for pre-preg carbon construction became available, Baltic pioneered the use of those materials.

Baltic Yachts’ early achievements belie the fact that it faced strong headwinds right from the start. 1973 was a bad year to launch a new brand of sailing yachts, with the global oil crisis looming.

The yachting industry as a whole was hit hard and by 1977 Baltic had to seek outside investment to stay in business. Ironically that same year saw their first major commercial success, selling 12 Baltic 39s at the Hamburg Boat Show, which was unheard of at the time.

Hollming, a Finnish shipbuilder, acquired Baltic. Two of the founders, Nils Luoma and Ingmar Sundelin, quit but the takeover turned out to be a positive move. Hollming provided stability and investment to help Baltic grow. A huge production hall was built, funds were provided for new model development and marketing.

An unusual aspect of Baltic Yachts that undoubtedly worked in its favour was the dual role of Johansson. It’s rare that the technical guru of a major boatbuilder is also its head of sales and marketing, yet he combined both jobs with great success for 40 years.

Even now, though officially retired, he still frequently offers a guiding hand in the development of new projects and the current EVP, Henry Hawkins, describes him as ‘an unbelievably useful sounding board and wise head’.

Baltic’s in-house designer Tor Hinders made his mark by changing the way boats are fitted out down below. His stand-out innovation, which was met with hostility when introduced in 1979 on the Baltic 51 but has since been copied by almost every sailing yacht builder in the world, was to put a double-berth cabin under an aft cockpit.

Another key factor in Baltic Yachts’ early success was its partnership with the Canadian naval architects C&C Design, whose chief engineer Rob Ball was among the first in the industry to start using computers. From 1980 he supplied VPP – polar curves and tables of numbers – for the Baltic 39, 51 and 37, with detailed instructions on how to use them. Despite being generated by 2D computing (as 3D models were not yet available), Johansson says those first VPP numbers were accurate and useful.

The yard was quick to develop its own computing expertise. ‘As soon as programmable calculators and then the Epson HX-20 computer became available we saw their potential and started to use them,’ Johansson says. ‘There was no software so we did our own coding.’ By the early 1980s they were already using these tools for displacement, flotation and trim calculations, laminate design and rating optimisation.

A huge quantity of data has been compiled since then and the initially simple programs have evolved into a sophisticated suite of software that enables the technical team to make extremely detailed weight and load calculations for the hull and rig of any new design, study engine power, prop pitch and range for electric and conventional propulsion systems, and much more. The yard has never had any ambition to design its own yachts, but is quite often asked by clients to do preliminary studies before a naval architect is appointed.

The 1980s were the peak of series production but Baltic Yachts but they also began pushing the boundaries of performance with custom builds with more scope for creative technical development.

‘A series production model is always to some degree a compromise,’ Johansson says. ‘On custom projects you can take things much further. For very knowledgeable clients looking for performance we have taken things to the edge.’

The 80ft Midnight Sun was one of the first maxis with full composite construction, launched in 1982. ‘The forward part was a large, empty sail store and we used specially designed longitudinal bulkheads and framework in the upper corner between hull and deck to create the required stiffness,’ Johansson recalls.

The Baltic 43 Bully was the first offshore yacht built entirely in epoxy resin, in 1985. In technical terms this was a spin-off from an earlier R&D project, developing ultra-strong vacuum-infused sandwich laminates for a Soviet deep-sea submarine, which ruffled diplomatic feathers when the Americans found out about it. ‘The main unit was solid steel; we built a streamlined cover around the equipment,’ he says. ‘If you send a normal laminate down to 6,000m it will not be the same afterwards. We learned a few things from that project.’

In 1990, Baltic regained its independence. Finland’s industrial sector was in recession and Hollming needed to focus on its core business. ‘They asked us to arrange a management takeover,’ Johansson explains. ‘The yard was an important workplace for the local community and to shut it would have been very destructive. We were 32 employees who got together, took over and continued the business.’

Marketing manager Lisbeth Staffans stepped up to be managing director and led Baltic Yachts for two decades from a challenging start. ‘With a bad order book and uncertain future there were sleepless nights at the beginning of this new era,’ Johansson says. ‘Lisbeth was a very good person for that job. We couldn’t afford to make any mistakes and she made sure we didn’t. But this period is the one I’m most proud of. We did a good job, moved up in the size of our projects and stayed profitable.’

Innovation continued apace with production manager Christer Lill running a remarkably tight operation as the yachts ramped up rapidly in sophistication and size. In 1996 they launched 67ft Aledoa, the world’s first pre-preg carbon cruiser, and 87ft Anny – their first with a lifting keel, twin rudders and complex hydraulics. She had full push-button sail controls and a tender could be driven straight into the automatic opening-andlowering garage in her stern.

The following year, the Baltic 70 Vittfarne heralded a new style of yacht combining classic appearance and fine traditional craftsmanship with hitech construction, light displacement and modern hydrodynamics. ‘Bill Dixon’s team did a fantastic job on the design and our carpenters performed magic in building it,’ Johansson says.

Another Baltic 70, also launched in 1997, took carbon composite sandwich construction to a new level. The fully fitted interior of Loftfari was built almost entirely in pre-preg carbon/ Nomex honeycomb as well as her hull and deck, saving a large amount of additional weight.

It looked traditional, though, with thin veneers and fillets of teak covering all of the composite surfaces. Most Baltic yachts are now fitted out in a similar way.

The 78ft Super Baltic 5, delivered in 2000, was a major feat of engineering with a canting keel whose entire mechanism was installed in the shallow bilge beneath the saloon sole. She was calculated to be at least 3.5kts faster than an identical yacht with a fixed keel.

At the turn of the millennium Loftfari’s owner came back to Baltic with an impossible design brief, ‘or so it seemed at first,’ Johansson says. ‘To build a yacht in excess of 140ft capable of planing at 30 knots or more.’

The project was an immense challenge, not least because their largest build up to then was a 97- footer. Two years of development work followed before the owner gave the green light for the build to proceed. Remarkably the yacht was delivered six months ahead of schedule and exceeded all expectations.

Packed with unique innovations and with almost literally no expense spared, the Baltic 147 Visione was far ahead of her time and despite being 20 years old she is still quite capable of taking line honours in superyacht regattas today.

In build at the same time, the 141ft Canica challenged the yard in different ways. Performance was key but a lot of equipment and systems were also required to ensure a very high level of comfort on board. ‘That was the first yacht we built with a full floating interior,’ Baltic sales director Kenneth Nyfelt, son of founder Jan- Erik, explains.

‘We installed a highly complex Siemens PLC monitoring and control system, and it was the first project where we used noise and vibration consultants.’ With half the displacement of a typical 140ft cruising yacht, the performance targets were achieved and Canica can now be regarded as the first in a gradually evolving style of high-performance Baltic ‘super cruisers’ that continues to this day. A similar and parallel evolution of successful cruiser-racers began with Nilaya in 2010.

A stand-out project delivered in 2011, at 221ft LOA the Baltic 197 Hetairos is largest carbon composite sailing yacht in the world. A true wolf in sheep’s clothing with an incredible sail area : displacement ratio and a regular winner in superyacht regattas, the 60-metre ketch is classic on deck but thoroughly modern below the waterline with a unique lifting rudder as well as a lifting keel.

Around this time, the people who had staged the 1990 management takeover began to retire so new owners were needed. Two local investors bought shares in 2010; three years later an 80 per cent stake in Baltic Yachts was acquired by the German family-owned company Otto Bock – led by Professor Hans Georg Näder, a longstanding client of Baltic Yachts – and its future was secured. Henry Hawkins, a yacht captain with vast practical experience including many thousands of ocean miles as skipper of Näder’s yachts, joined Baltic, taking on a large part of Johansson’s role.

Näder’s own 175ft Pink Gin VI is one of the most notable recent builds and currently the world’s largest carbon composite sloop with a rig 16m taller than a J Class. Her key features include fold-down platforms in her topsides just above the waterline that are large enough to walk through, one amidships in the main saloon and one forward in the owner’s suite.

While relatively easy to build on a large motor yacht, putting large apertures in highly stressed parts of a sailing yacht hull without reducing its stiffness was a major engineering challenge, solved by mechanically locking the platforms firmly in place to become structural parts of the hull.

Another recent showcase of Baltic’s innovation is the 142ft Canova, which made headlines in 2019 as the world’s first superyacht with a DSS foil to reduce pitching and heeling, plus a host of other advanced features such as an immensely strong coachroof with a featherlight look and an electric drive system that provides enough regeneration capability under sail to cross the Atlantic without using any fossil fuel – with both sailing and hotel systems running.

After four years of cruising, a wide range of what used to be bleeding-edge technologies are now proven to work reliably.

To mark Baltic Yachts’ 50th anniversary, the first Baltic 46 Queen Anne returned to the yard last spring for a refit. Two of the men who built her – Johansson and Jan-Erik Nyfelt, whose grandchildren now work at Baltic – were delighted to find her in excellent condition, which a survey duly confirmed.

‘No structural works are needed, the hull appendages are sound, as is the mast,’ Hawkins says. ‘It’s also interesting that the original propulsion setup was still operational and in good order. The enjoyment at our end was the size of everything compared to today, from fibre technology to deck fittings. There are 18 winches on that boat; a modern 100-footer uses just seven or eight!’ She will be relaunched in June after a cosmetic refit, with a new engine.

What direction is Baltic Yachts likely to take in the future? The 68ft cruiser-racer Pink Gin Verde might hold a few clues with its 50 per cent flax fibre hull and micro-turbine hybrid propulsion system, but as Baltic’s CEO Anders Kurtén puts it, ‘That all depends on where our customers want to take us.’

‘We are fortunate and honoured to build some of the most exciting, groundbreaking custom sailing yachts in the world which means the next major milestone will forever be the next launch, summer 2023 being a perfect example,’ he says. ‘My best guess for the future is ever increasing sustainable practices and yachts with diminishing lifecycle emissions, as well as quantum leaps in terms of pure sailing performance.’

Click here for more information on Baltic Yachts

PERSEVERANCE

In 2021, Baltic Yachts unveiled this modern classic vessel, earning the prestigious title of Boat International's Sailing Yacht of the Year in 2022! Crafted by the renowned Dykstra Naval Architects, PERSEVERANCE seamlessly blends exceptional sailing prowess with a strong commitment to eco-conscious technology. This includes intelligent cabin systems, an eco-friendly electric propulsion system, and the remarkable capability to generate electricity while on the move.

The interior of PERSEVERANCE, meticulously designed by deVosdeVries, exudes an inviting and contemporary atmosphere. It showcases opulent stained oak, elegant dark maple flooring, and striking 'industrial chic hardware' for a distinctive touch. Accommodating up to 8 guests in supreme comfort, the yacht features 4 lavish ensuite cabins. The expansive master stateroom spans the full beam forward, offering a grand entrance foyer, a king-sized bed, a spacious bathroom with a lavish shower, and an abundance of natural illumination. Midship, you'll discover a luxurious VIP double cabin with a queen-sized bed, a twin cabin, and a cozy bunk bed cabin.

WHAT OUR GUESTS SAY:

Our time on Perseverance was amazing. The yacht sailed smoothly and we loved the eco-friendly touches like the electric system. Inside, it felt cozy with nice wood details. We explored beautiful spots, snorkeled, and enjoyed the many water activities available. The crew was great and made us feel right at home. Captain Pedro was exceptional and so was the rest of the crew actually. The food was delicious and very healthy. It was a fantastic experience and we can't wait to do it again.

Eco Friendly

Great Comfort

Great Design

Great Yacht

TOYS & TENDERS

1x TIWAL 3 SMALL SAILBOAT

1x 2-person Kayak

2x Jobe Yarra 10.6 Inflatable Paddle Board

1x JOBE Vanity Wakeboard 141

1x Jobe Mode Combo waterski 170cm

2x Sublue underwater scooters

2x Mares Dive Gear

1x Dive compressor

2x Tern D16 Eclipse  Bicycle (folding)

1 x Williams  505 Jet Tender

DESTINATION

Summer :

 Italian Riviera

Winter :

 Caribbean

  From 95,000 EUR/Week

SIMILAR CHARTERS

€ 72,500

24.40 M

8 GUEST

€ 7,700

12.80 M

6 GUEST

OCEAN PURE 2

€ 89,000

41.00 M

10 GUEST

$ 66,000

31.26 M

20 GUEST

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YACHT STORY is written in May 2021 in Antwerp, Belgium, encouraged by the need in the Benelux for a professional Partner for yacht charter services. The increasing demand of travelling and private escapes on a yacht organized from a to z by one contact person was an important stimulation to create this boutique charter company with a personal approach.

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BLACKCAT 50 for sale

This project is the result of many years of sailing, designing and building some of the most impressive & unique sailing yachts the world has ever seen. BLACKCAT 50 is the result. The impressive team has been involved with many projects at the cutting edge of design and construction of multihulls including America’s Cup skipper and Sailing manager. This wealth of experience and knowledge is now being funnelled into creating the world’s best high performance large cruising Cats. This design is aimed squarely at the person who is interested in pushing boundaries and achieving the ultimate.

Do not miss this opportunity.

Specifications

• Name: BLACKCAT 50
• Yacht Type: Sail Yacht
• Yacht Subtype: Multihull
• Builder: Baltic Yachts
• Naval Architect: Malcolm McKeon Yacht Design
• Exterior Designer: Malcolm McKeon Yacht Design
• Interior Designer: M2 Atelier , Malcolm McKeon Yacht Design
• Length Overall: 50.44 metres
• Beam: 18.5 metres
• Max Draught: 4.5 metres
• Displacement Tonnage: 193.5

Construction

• Hull Type: Catamaran
• Classification: DNV

Performance & Capacities

• Cruising Speed: 16 kn
• Fuel Capacity: 28000 litres
• Water Capacity: 8000 litres
• Engine Make: Caterpillar
• Total power: 1300hp
• Hull: Carbon
• Superstructure: Carbon

Accommodation

• Passenger Rooms: 5
• Master Rooms: 1
• Double Rooms: 2
• Twin Rooms: 1
• VIP Rooms: 1

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Iconic 'little blue boat' that calls Montrose Bay home up for sale after family makes tough decision

For almost 50 years a little blue boat has been moored on the River Derwent in Hobart's northern suburbs by the side of a busy highway.

It is known affectionately by many Tasmanians as "the little blue boat", and has floated alone next to the Brooker Highway at Montrose Bay over the decades.

Sea Breeze, its official name, was built by Robin Attrill in his Montrose backyard in the early 1970s.

His son Colin Attrill said the boat was launched at Macquarie Wharf in 1976.

"It's been on the mooring in Montrose Bay ever since, and that's why it's such an iconic little blue boat," he said.

Tasmanians curious about 'little blue boat'

The boat is an object of fascination for Brooker Highway motorists and foreshore walkers due to it seemingly never moving.

Colin Attrill said it was "absolutely amazing" the number of people who would stop and talk to him about the boat when he was launching the dinghy to go and check on it.

"The number of people that talk to me that are walking past and go 'that boat has been there forever' and 'it was there when I was going to school or every day when I've been driving to work'," he said.

"Some people say they've never seen it move. Well it used to move all the time.

"Of late it's slowed up, we're all busy and dad has slowed up. We lost mum and once that happened it impacted on family activities."

Tough decision to sell

Its owner is now 91 and the boat has not been sailed for about 10 years.

Colin Attrill said the family had recently made the tough decision to try to sell the boat.

"Dad isn't well and he's gotten old, which we all do, and the boat's got old," he said.

"Anyone who knows about a timber boat knows that they need maintenance."

Mr Attrill said the family used to put the boat on the slip at least once a year to clean and antifoul it, and do any repairs.

"But the past few years Dad has been unable to do anything, and the boat unfortunately has just sat on the mooring," he said.

He said the family decided it was time for the boat to have a new owner.

"Nobody is using it, it needs a new owner who will give it the time and get the enjoyment out of it that we had growing up," he said.

"It's a great boat, and there are many years left. Wooden boats just last."

'Next phase' for the boat

The Attrill family is full of passionate sailors and Robin's brother Peter represented Australia in sailing at the Helsinki Olympics in 1952 — Tasmania's fifth Olympian and the first to represent the state in sailing.

When Robin finished building the 25-foot river cruiser, known by the family as The Breeze, it was used for trips away around Hobart.

"We used to have family trips down the channel, down to Cygnet, down to Dover, and all places in between fishing and weekends away," he said.

"We also used to go to events in Hobart like the Hobart Regatta, the Sandy Bay Regatta. We'd be down the river at any chance, or up the river. She made it to New Norfolk a couple of times.

"The boat was all over the place, wherever we could."

Mr Attrill said it would be a sad day when the boat left Montrose Bay after almost 50 years.

"We will see where it goes and where it ends up and what's the next phase for the boat," he said.

Over the years its owner has been keeping a watchful eye on it just a matter of metres away, across the Brooker Highway from his Montrose home of more than 70 years.

"He's always been there. He'd open the blinds in the morning in the kitchen and look out the window and there's the boat," son Colin said.

"It's always been a part of his life."

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