VMG YACHTBUILDERS IN CLASSIC BOAT MAGAZINE
We’re proud to share that VMG Yachtbuilders is featured in Classic Boat magazine. The article delves into our rich history, from our roots as Zeeman Jachtbouw to our evolution into VMG Yachtbuilders in Enkhuizen. It highlights our dedication to both new builds and the restoration and refitting of exceptional yachts.
An example of our expertise in new yacht construction is the Spirit of Venice, a 73ft ketch designed by Olivier van Meer and delivered in 2018.
The article also provides insight into our extensive refit and restoration projects, including the elegant 62ft classic motor yacht Misha and the stunning 72ft S&S yawl Baruna.
See the full text of the article below the image!
VMG YACHTBUILDERS
VELOCITY MADE GOOD
As the name implies, the Dutch yard based in Enkhuizen is moving efficiently into the wind to achieve its goals.
Words Ron Valent Photos Ron Valent and VMG
With a name that is the abbreviation of the words Velocity Made Good it isn’t a surprise that the Enkhuizen based shipyard VMG Yachtbuilders is moving ahead at a very steady pace. VMG Yachtbuilders in itself is a relatively new name in yachting circles as the company was rebranded in 2015. The yard is a continuation of the decades old Zeeman Jachtbouw that was originally situated in Harlingen but moved to its present location in Enkhuizen in 2000. So there was a lot of accumulated experience already here and that has only grown since then.
As director Tim van Daal explained: “The VMG Group is basically an umbrella name for a number of companies under the same ownership that each specialise in a distinct section of the yachting market. The name was originally a bit of a joke. We felt the old name wasn’t internationally appealing and didn’t have the right connection to what our plans were and that was to move as quickly as possible against the wind to our goal.” As experienced sailors participating in top level offshore racing, a yachting term soon came to mind. Hence VMG.
Together with his co-owners Hilde de Bruijn as technical director and financial director and brother Matthijs van Daal, they have certainly achieved these goals. The quality and diversity of the companies involved is a testament to this.
VMG Yachting is a dealership for top-quality Swedish-built yachts such as Delta, Pado and Arcona.
A few years ago, VMG acquired the brand name Holland Jachtbouw and construction will soon begin in a large hall on the Enkhuizen waterfront where yachts between 35 and 55 metres can be built. Holland Jachtbouw was a superyacht yard based in Zaandam that had built a solid reputation with yachts like the classic 152ft schooner Windrose of Amsterdam, the Hoek-Designed 203ft Athos and the J-Class yachts Topaz and Rainbow. VMG plans to continue this tradition of excellence in the booming superyacht market. Van Daal: “Building superyachts is a different league to our present work and demands a completely different organisation and location.”
Super Duplex Hulls specialises in hull construction in a wide range of materials but also makes custom hardware. The welders at Super Duplex are true artisan magicians creating amazingly detailed deck fittings in stainless steel, aluminium and aluminum bronze that look like they have been cast. All the hardware for the 72ft S&S yawl Baruna that was restored at VMG have been made in this way.
And finally, there is VMG Yachtbuilders itself that has quickly built a reputation with a number of striking projects over the past few years. The refit of 62ft classic motor yacht Misha designed by Olivier van Meer is a good example of this. A stylish and exquisitely finished, seagoing, gentlemen’s yacht that immediately exudes all the style and grace of a true classic combined with all the mods and cons of a newly-built yacht. Then there is the award-winning Spirit of Venice, a 73ft ketch also designed by Olivier van Meer and delivered in 2018. One of their latest projects was Baruna, a project that grew from a request to prefab an interior to be installed elsewhere, to a huge project over several years where the restored, empty hull as it arrived from Robbe & Berking in Flensburg was transformed into the beautiful classic that is now gracing the Med regatta scene.
Besides these custom projects, VMG also produces a series of semi-custom series yachts: Puffin, Paza and Agile. Agile Yachts are full-carbon, high-performance cruisers while the Puffin and Paza range are classic yachts. Tim van Daal explains, “My definition of classic is not defined by age, but by whether a yacht has a timeless feeling to it and isn’t susceptible to the fickle moods of fashion. In my eyes the Puffin and Paza range certainly fit that picture.”
At the moment the yard is busy with the total refurbishment of the classic salon yacht Sally; the steel Taeke Hadewych, once owned by the well-known Dutch yachting author and adventure sailor Eerde Beulakker, which is receiving a completely new interior; an American-styled sport fisher and a full-carbon 55ft ‘mini-superyacht.’
