stormvogel yacht owner

• Buy a Classic Boat
• Print Subscription
• Digital Subscription
• Single Issues

Your special offer

Stormvogel: the first of the Maxis

Sixty years on from a sensational Fastnet line honours win, she took on the race again in 2021. And what a 60 years it’s been. We trace the story of Stormvogel. Words: Rob Peake

Day one of the August 2021 Rolex Fastnet Race – brutal. The fleet banged its way up the Solent into 30-knot headwinds and as the tide turned off the Needles, a wind-over-tide situation developed that none of the sailors there will forget. By mid-afternoon, the winner of the Vendée Globe had turned for home, a 70ft round-the-world multihull limped in with an exploded winch drum, a 60ft racing catamaran dismasted, a glut of the latest, out-and-out race yachts turned tail and headed for the nearest port. Thirty boats had retired by nightfall and many more were to follow suit.

One of the oldest boats in the fleet, meanwhile, ploughed on.

At the helm was the man who has owned her for four decades. By his side was the boat’s skipper, pleased to see the refit he’d overseen was standing the old girl in good stead. Her international crew, a collection of first-class, amateur sailors, worked her hard, despite the conditions.

She was Stormvogel , on a mission to mark the 60th anniversary of her winning Fastnet line honours in 1961, when she was navigated by Chichester.

“We weren’t throttling back and trying to nurse the boat at all. We were pushing her all the way,” says skipper Graeme Henry. “We had two reefs and the number 4, but we still had plenty of power. Stormvogel has a great hull form that punches through a sea wave nicely. The trick is to keep the boatspeed up. Off Hurst Castle the waves got steeper and you had to be careful, but we had the power and she pushed her way through. A lot of boats retired, but here you’ve got a 60-year-old boat and we were still racing.”

Design triumvirate

Stormvogel , though, is much more than just a great boat in heavy weather. She’s a step forward in yacht design history, as radical in the early 1960s as the latest foiling Vendée Globe yachts are today. She was the brainchild of her owner, a Dutch construction timber manufacturer called Cornelius Bruynzeel, and she was the product of not one but three great naval architects – Eric van de Stadt, Laurent Giles and John Illingworth. If a collaboration between such talents seems doomed to failure, on this occasion the three cooks did not spoil the broth, but Stormvogel ’s build and her subsequent maiden year afloat, when she stunned the yachting world, were achieved against the odds. Perhaps like the petrel she is named after, Stormvogel revels in living life the hard way.

Certainly there would have been easier places to build a state-of-the-art yacht than rural Stellenbosch, South Africa, in 1960. Cees Bruynzeel had moved there after WW2, having left his Dutch family business making plywood kitchens. He replicated the plywood factory at Stellenbosch, where his wife Titia, a Dutch Reformed Calvinist, loved the Huguenot vineyards.

Bruynzeel was a keen sailor and had won the Fastnet Race in 1937 on corrected time in Zeearend , a Sparkman & Stephens heavy displacement yawl. He subsequently did further Fastnets in small, light displacement boats designed by Van de Stadt, namely the 12.5m Zeevalk and 9m Zeeslang in 1956. Both yachts were hard chine construction, built of Bruynzeel plywood, had a spade rudder and attached fin keel. Bruynzeel became convinced that light displacement was the key if you wanted to be first boat home. But in an offshore race like the Fastnet that would almost certainly see heavy weather, was a small, light displacement boat the answer?

No, Bruynzeel reasoned. His answer was light displacement – but big.

This would be a radical, ‘planing’ yacht, capable of surfing downwind at high speed in strong winds. A ketch or yawl was favoured under the rating rules used by the Royal Ocean Racing Club and the Cruising Club of America, but either way, Bruynzeel wanted a boat with the longest waterline length allowed, 70ft (23m).

“He was not an engineer or even a talented sailor, but he had evolved a conceptual idea, for what we would now call a Maxi, through four Fastnet Race experiences,” says Michael Trimming, who became an integral part of Stormvoge l’s build and first summer afloat. “Cees had an iron will and indomitable determination. He was a loner, inflexible at times and non-communicative. He was abrasive, but fair, and capable of silently conceding when he realised others had a different but valid proposal.”

At the time Trimming was a 19-year-old naval cadet, the South African Naval Academy’s Seaman of the Year, but with no boatbuilding experience, when he found himself on the build site in Stellenbosch, one of three people who would oversee the realisation Bruynzeel’s dream.

He recalls: “I was engaged on 1 July, 1960, and at that time only the hull lines had been lofted onto a scrieveboard. A big khaya log was being rotary veneer peeled for the hull planking. Only the afrormosia keel was in place. Not much progress. Launch date was scheduled for February, 1961, with departure mid-February with the last of the strong SE winds, before the adverse NW arrived in April.”

They had eight months to construct the most advanced ocean racing yacht ever built.

In their favour was the fact that Bruynzeel’s factory was adept at manufacturing industrial wooden laminated beams and plywood, and it employed many experienced woodworkers. Similarly, timber-sourcing was not a problem. The factory’s trusted timber agent selected prime logs: khaya mahogany came from Nigeria for the hull planking; sapele from the Ivory Coast for the interior veneer panels; American White Oak came from the Appalachian mountains in Virginia for the laminated and steam-bent frames; afrormosia from Cameroon for the keel; spruce from northern Finland for the longitudinal stringers; sipo from Nigeria for the plywood bulkheads, longitudinal girders and hull ceilings; and Kiaat, a rare South African wood, for the elegant toerail cap and wheel.

But as Trimming remembers, the undertaking was far from straightforward: “Deliveries of equipment from USA and Europe were slow and it was a nerve-wracking experience. Very little could be sent by air. Most came on mail ships, which had varied schedules and sailing times of two weeks from Europe.”

But for those same reasons it was not feasible for Cees to build and oversee the yacht in Europe. International travel was long and tedious. “He bravely, or naively, decided to attempt to build Stormvogel at Stellenbosch,” says Trimming.

Bruynzeel had initially asked Van de Stadt to design the boat and make all the construction plans. However, Van de Stadt’s Zaandam drawing office was busy at the end of 1959, so Bruynzeel turned to Olin Stephens. He, however, was not interested in the light displacement, planing idea. He proposed a variation of Bolero, a 72ft heavy displacement yawl.

Bruynzeel declined and went instead to the English designer Laurent Giles, who did have experience of building large, lightweight wooden hulls. While Giles was still working on a preliminary design, Bruynzeel by chance met Captain John Illingworth, a man who loved to experiment, and Bruynzeel could not deny him the opportunity to put his vision down on paper.

Bruynzeel ended up with two very different designs, from Giles and Illingworth. He asked Van de Stadt for his preference, but the Dutchman appeared not to be enthusiastic about either, so over the following weekend laid down his own basic lines, giving Bruynzeel a third option.

Bruynzeel had models of each tested in the Sanders-Roe towing tank, at the University of Southampton. The tests showed the Van de Stadt round bilge design to have by far the best characteristics, but still the Van de Stadt office had no time to develop the idea.

So it was that Bruynzeel decreed that Van de Stadt would design the hull, the keel and the rudder, Illingworth would work out the rig plan, and Giles would take care of the construction plans and the overall co-ordination.

“This proved to be a flawed decision,” Trimming says, “which left all three designers perplexed and caused some considerable interface problems and delays. They formally collaborated, but it soon became apparent during the build process that there should have been just one lead designer.”

The young Trimming dealt personally with the three big names, at times having to work out the right way forwards through conflicting technical information – and hampered all the time by slow international communications. Meanwhile he was busy sketching dorade vents, hatches, winch seatings and more for the local craftsmen to construct.

The build team was led by Bruynzeel, with Ray Hartman joining him and Trimming on site.

Key components came in from Cape Town and from all over the world, not least the keel, rudder, standing rigging and Sparcraft masts, a total of 17 sails from Ratsey & Lapthorn and the Merriman coffee-grinder pedestal winch, all of which arrived less than a fortnight before departure from Cape Town.

“It was,” Trimming recalls drily, “a major assembly challenge.”

It is credit to the build team and skilled Cape Malay craftsmen that the project was completed at all. In fact, it was completed in exemplary fashion. In 1993, Stormvogel was surveyed by Seabird Consultants of Singapore, who issued a General Condition Survey Report and Valuation. The report concluded: “There is no doubt that this yacht was built to the highest standards by craftsmen one does not often find these days.”

Date with destiny

And so launch day loomed. The boat’s maiden voyage would be from Cape Town to Europe. Skipper Gordon Webb and wife Jenifer had arrived in January, 1961, with their four-month-old baby Linda, having sailed from the UK on their 38ft gaff cutter Jenny Wren. Stormvogel was launched on 25 April, 1961. There was one three-hour sea trial to test one set of sails (“and primarily to do a photo shoot for the press”, adds Trimming), before the crew of 15 departed Cape Town on 3 May.

“Most of the fare-paying crew were young, with no sailing experience,” says Trimming, who was also on board for the trip north. “Cees was desperately anxious to sail, because he was already convinced that we would arrive too late to participate in the Cowes Week regatta and prepare the boat for the Fastnet Race. Cees reminded us that Stormvogel ’s 1961 Fastnet Race would be the fulfilment of his life’s dream, and that we must not waste the money, time and effort by arriving late for our ‘date with destiny’.”

Gordon Webb ran a tight ship, the dual aim of the voyage being to train up the eight race crew for the Fastnet.

Trimming recalls: “Life on board in 1961, without the modern equipment and luxuries of 2021, was still reasonably comfortable. Food was well-organised by Jenifer and we relied on an alcohol stove, which was an evil smelling beast, but functioned okay.

“Food was mostly divided into tinned cans, which had been dipped in varnish to avoid rust and stowed in the bilges. Jenifer had devised a long-lasting bread formula with a Cape Town baker, but it was foul-tasting and most went mouldy. Salami hung in the crew quarters. Regular breakfasts were the flying fish which landed in the mainsail during the night.

“The biggest difference to sailing in those days was the absence of GPS or satellite communications. We only had one magnetic compass (not swung or compensated due to our hasty departure), a towed Walker log which would pick up weed, and Gordon’s sextant. The new HF-SSB radio had been hurriedly installed the day before departure and did not function. We were meticulous with noon sights for accurate latitude and assumed GHA longitude.”

One of the crew, Matt, fell overboard eight days out from Cape Town in relatively calm seas and 25-knot trade winds. Trimming says: “He was retrieved after 20 minutes, shivering violently, but soon recovered. Lifejackets were bulky Board of Trade cork and kapok, terribly uncomfortable, so were stowed away and not readily accessible, and never worn.”

Baby Linda, then seven months old, was usually kept safe in her hammock cot, strung in the aft cabin or corridor, or in the cockpit in calm weather.

Stormvogel ’s first landfall was Jamestown, St Helena, after 10 days at sea, and she arrived at Ascension Island a week later.

“There was a contentious debate between the skipper and Cees on whether to leave the Cape Verde Islands to port or to starboard,” says Trimming.

Bruynzeel was keen to save time by cutting the corner and sailing east of the islands, a course that Trimming pointed out was “in conflict with the pilot book and recommendations of the experienced captains of the China Tea / Australian Wool Clippers, which advised standing off 300nm from the west African coast…This is not what Cees wanted to hear”.

At 2340hrs on 28 May, Stormvogel was hit by a violent line squall to the west of Sierra Leone, which laid her down on her beam-ends with the head of the mainmast underwater “for an interminable time”.

“Seawater poured in down below through the main companionway (fortunately this is offset to starboard, which attenuated the flow for a few vital minutes). The sea gushed violently through the open portlights and open skylight hatch, the open forward bow hatch for the sails, and the companionway to the aft cabin.”

For 20 minutes, Trimming estimates, during the squall’s peak violence, Stormvogel was taking on significant water fast and was in danger of sinking. There were two hand-operated Edson diaphragm bilge pumps. “Not operative when you are at 90 degrees of heel,” he says.

The rig held and nobody was injured, despite several crew being thrown across the boat from their bunks. Baby Linda remained unflustered in her hammock.

Trimming reflects: “Without a functional radio, we had no means of sending an eventual Mayday and seeking assistance in the event that Stormvogel sank. For a critical few minutes Stormvogel was in real danger of sinking. There was nearly no tale to tell.”

After a maiden voyage of over 7,000 nm and 60 days, the new boat and all crew arrived at Zaandam in Holland safe, healthy, in excellent spirits and well-trained for the Fastnet Race that lay ahead.

Chichester comes aboard

Francis Chichester was already famous in the sailing world after winning the 1960 OSTAR. Regarded by many as the supreme ocean navigator, he was the obvious choice for Bruynzeel to assist in Stormvogel ’s ‘date with destiny’. Bruynzeel himself was race skipper, with Webb the sailing master, Chichester the navigator and Frans Hin as weather guru. Trimming, now a relatively experienced ocean sailor himself, was to assist Chichester with the more mundane navigational tasks – dead reckoning, taking fixes, or plotting the track of a depression.

The 1961 Fastnet Race started in similar fashion to the 2021 edition, with steep wind-against-tide seas off the Needles. Stormvogel had sailed up the Solent ahead of the fleet of 91 starters, but now took one heavy pounding which resulted in a broken wire main halyard. The crew was obliged to anchor in the lee of Old Harry Rocks, to reeve a new main halyard. Four hours later they rejoined the race, at the back of the fleet.

They made up ground, but after passing the Longships Lighthouse, Bruynzeel decided to follow the big boats north into the Irish Sea. Trimming takes up the tale: “Chichester and Frans Hin had been tracking a deep depression forming down in Biscay. The BBC Shipping Forecast had the depression passing south of the Longships Lighthouse, but Frans Hin predicted a more northerly track. Chichester advised Cees to tack out west. After some animated discussions, Stormvogel tacked onto Chichester’s course.”

It proved to be a race-winning move. “Unknown to us at the time, Stormvogel passed all the other leading competitors during the night in Force 7-8 with violent squalls and gusts. We never saw another boat after passing Longships.”

The vigorous depression of 992 millibars which hit the 1961 Fastnet Race fleet had a registered peak of Force 10 for three hours on the morning of Tuesday 8 August, between 0200 and 0500hrs, ‘with gusts approaching hurricane force’. Zwerver , which eventually won on corrected time, lay hove-to for four hours. Stormvogel was well ahead, in lesser winds of Force 8, and in her element. The maiden voyage crew, too, were unphased by the conditions, which they imagined were “par for the course”.

At the Rock, Chichester Morse-flashed the sail number H 700 to the lighthouse-keeper, who signaled back, confirming Stormvogel was first to round.

The crew saw no other boats until the finish, running under spinnaker and mizzen in Force 8 winds, and stronger gusts, for 7 hours 40 minutes averaging 16 knots VMG, until the wind faded and then died 30 miles from Bishop Rock. She arrived in Plymouth to take line honours in 3 days, 20 hrs, 58 mins, 13 secs. If it hadn’t been for the broken main halyard, she would have probably set a new course record.

“Cees was smiling and content,” recalls Trimming, “and elated on the podium”.

Looking on, Chichester commented to Trimming that “ Stormvogel has set the tone for a new era of light-displacement Maxi offshore racing boats, and most significantly has revealed the techniques and validity of sailing fast in heavy weather conditions”.

Film star role

Stormvogel could not defend her Fastnet crown. She was second in the next edition in 1963, beaten by less than an hour over the line by the S&S Capricia .

Bruynzeel may have been disappointed at the time, but over the next few years he claimed many more line honours victories in races all over the world – the Middle Sea Race, the Bermuda Race, China Sea Race, Sydney-Hobart, the Transpac and more.

To make a modernday comparison, Stormvogel was the Rambler, Comanche, Wild Oats or Skorpios of her era, adding a lustre to the international yacht races that she attended and being very much the boat to beat. In between, she sailed around Cape Horn, survived a collision with a whale and did numerous ocean passages, covering 159,000 nautical miles in her first seven years afloat, an incredible 22,700 miles every year. Bruynzeel, indeed, was a keen yachtsman and he was ably assisted by first-class skippers. After Webb came John Goodwin, then John Miles, Peter Lindeberg and Malcolm Horsley (father of classic yacht broker Mike Horsley).

Bruynzeel had built Stormvogel to help mark his 60th birthday. He passed the yacht on at the age of 75 to its second owner, Werner Mattman.

By then, Stormvogel was becoming outclassed on the racecourse and she enjoyed a somewhat quieter life in the Mediterranean and Caribbean, subsequently owned by Adriano Goldschmit, until in 1982 she was bought by the man who owns her still. Stormvogel has had only four owners.

She is lucky, too, to have come under the care of New Zealand boatbuilder Graeme Henry, a man who has been associated with the boat as skipper, on and off, since 1986.

“What keeps drawing me back? You can really feel her pedigree,” he says. “Early on she was the first big boat that I had sailed on and she was doing some very interesting cruising programmes, exploring southeast Asia and some very remote areas. On top of that, Stormvogel ‘s got that history and an energy that you don’t get with many boats.”

Henry helped prepare the boat when she took a central role in the movie Dead Calm , starring Nicole Kidman, Sam Neill and Billy Zane, shot in the Whitsunday Islands in 1987.

As the owner became more interested in racing Stormvogel , Henry and his team brought out more of the boat’s old performance characteristics. “She has a lovely hull form, reasonably narrow and nicely balanced,” he says. “Very powerful to windward with the breeze and even in the lighter airs, there’s still a real sensitivity to the helm. You can get into the groove and keep the boat going. The beautiful thing is when the breeze does get up, especially when you ease sheets, she’s just so easily driven and fast. And once you’re getting downwind with a decent sea state, you can pick up the waves. In the early days, we pushed the boat up to 15 knots. Since this rebuild and the modern configuration, we’ve had 22 knots. For a 60-year-old wooden yacht, that’s impressive.”

During the boat’s build, the three designers had clashed over the rig configuration. Henry says: “Bruynzeel didn’t want too tall a main mast. He wanted to be able to keep the sail area low down, which is great for when the wind is stronger. But Stormvogel really could have done with a taller main mast. That would have made quite a difference in light airs performance.”

A well-used boat needs upkeep. Stormvogel has had several major refits, the first overseen by Henry at the Keppel Shipyard in Singapore in 1993. He recalls of the time: “When you dig deep into these projects, you you think ‘where do we stop?’ The question that I raised at the time was ‘is it worth saving?’

“The owner was adamant and said: ‘I will not let this boat die in my hands’. He has been prepared to put the money into the boat to keep it alive. There was another refit in Phuket in 2005 and again during the last rebuild, in Turkey, both times there was significant budget required to do that work, but the owner has always been prepared to go the full hog on each project.

“The result is that we’ve now got a boat that is in very good condition. We were able to push Stormvogel as hard as we wanted in the Fastnet.”

Stormvogel did the Panerai circuit in 2007/08, where her authenticity stood her in good stead under the CIM rating. When the most recent tranche of work started in Finike, Turkey, in 2014, keeping the boat true to her original form remained a key tenet.

Long-time skipper Ian Hulleman, originally a Kiwi boatbuilder like Henry, began with repairs to the mainmast bulkhead. Two back-breaking years later, with Hulleman having done a signifcant amount of the work himself, the decision was taken in February 2016 to go through the whole boat. Henry, who was back on board by this time, says: “Suddenly we had a major job on our hands.”

The stripped-out Stormvogel was motored 200 miles down the coast to Metur Yacht in Bodrum, builder of the Hoek-designed Performance Classic range, and work began in earnest. Two further years of engineering, deck work, interior joinery, spray-painting, stainless steel work, a new mast and systems upgrades and she was ready for relaunch.

Then the pandemic struck and Stormvogel sat idle in lockdown for 2020, before making her way west towards Cowes in the spring of 2021, where she took a star turn at British Classic Week in July, using the regatta as a Fastnet warm-up and a moment to reflect on the boat’s remarkable six decades afloat.

“She came with her sisters and uncle and it was very emotional,” says Henry. “There were a lot of connections coming together in Cowes, a real pulling together of people from the boat’s past. We had a couple of who were married on Stormvogel in Phuket. We had two previous skippers, Chris and Graeme Lawrence.”

On board for the Rolex Fastnet Race, the first edition that would finish in Cherbourg, not Plymouth, was the owner, Henry and Hulleman, with the 16 crew including prominent Solent sailors Richard Acland, Lincoln Redding and Richard Beardsall, Italian Figaro sailor Alberto Bona on tactics, US bowman Michael Champion and Thomas Ripard, of the great Maltese sailing family. Ripard is the grand nephew of Paul Ripard, who sailed on Stormvogel for the inaugural Middle Sea Race in 1968.

After a tremendous start – one that didn’t require her crew to reeve in a new main halyard –  Stormvogel suffered in the lighter airs of the Irish Sea. In the overall standings they were still 12 th around the Rock, but again the crew found themselves wishing for more breeze as they headed towards Cherbourg.

Not that it showed in the results. Stormvogel finished a remarkable seventh overall. She was sixth in class IRC1, crossing the line after three days 19 hours – an hour quicker than her time for the shorter course to Plymouth in 1961. “Very good for a 60-year-old boat,” remarks Henry. “The owner was very pleased.”

One person who couldn’t make the 2021 Fastnet was Michael Trimming, now aged 79, who has gone on to have a career as a successful naval architect. Trimming has enjoyed reunions with Stormvogel over the years. He reflects: “With her sensational line honours win and stunning heavy weather performance in the 1961 Fastnet Race, Stormvogel initiated a radical, high speed, conceptual change in the design and philosophy of offshore racing yachts – she was the first of the Maxis.”

http://stormvogel.net/

This article first appeared in the January 2021 issue of Classic Boat magazine

RELATED ARTICLES MORE FROM CLASSIC BOAT

Gifts for Sailors: Top 12 Boating Presents

2023 Fastnet Smallest & 2nd Oldest Boat: Little Aussie Maluka

The Survival of Wooden Boatbuilding: Adrian Morgan’s Column

Recently added to the directory.

Classic Boat is the magazine for the world’s most beautiful boats. Packed with stunning images, we have the inside stories of the great classic yachts and motorboats afloat today, as well as fascinating tales from yesteryear and the latest from the wooden boat building scene around the world.

• Awards 2017
• Telegraph.co.uk

ADVERTISING

© 2024 The Chelsea Magazine Company , part of the Telegraph Media Group . Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy

E. G. Van de Stadt, Laurent Giles and John Illingworth “Stormvogel”

Van de Stadt, Giles, Illingworth “Stormvogel” Specifications:

LOA: 74’6″ / 22.73m * LOD: 74’6″ / 22.73m * LWL: 59’04 / 18.10m * Beam: 16’00 / 4.87m * Draft: 9’06 / 2.92m * Ballast: 29,000 lbs * Displacement: 62,000 lbs * Sail Area: 2,460 sq ft * Design Number: 17 * Hull material: Bruynzeel Plywood * Rig: Yawl * Designer: Collaboration – Hull: Van de Stadt, Construction Plans: Giles, Sailplan: Illingworth * Built by: Lamtico yard, Stellenbosch SA * Year Built: 1961 * Restored By: * Current Name: Stormvogel * Original Owner: Kess Bruynzeel * Contract Cost: * Current Owner: * Sail Number:

Known Racing History:

1961 – Fastnet Race – Line Honours (Stormvogel Designer Ricus van de Stadt Crew) 1962 – Buenos Aries-Rio Race Winner 1964 – Bermuda Race – Line Honours 1964 – Trans-Pacific Race- Line Honours 1965 – Sidney-Hobart Race – Line Honours 1966 – China Sea Race – Line Honours

Known Restoration History:

Historical:

Feared by ocean racers throughout the world in the 1960s was a design collaboration between 3 designers. E. G. Van de Stadt drew the hull lines, John Illingworth, the Sailplan, with Laurent Giles, construction details and general oversight. The collaboration was formed because The Van de Stadt Zaandam office, had absolutely no time available to develop the construction plan in great detail.

The owner, Kess Bruynzeel, decided to have the yacht built by his own company, Lamtico, in Stellenbosch, South Africa, using his revolutionary new product Bruynzeel plywood (“Hechthout”). Stormvogel’s hull was comprised of four layers of mahogany (total thickness 1.125″) glued using the newly-developed water-resistant synthetic resin glue and nailed together over longitudinal stringers on bulkheads. The resulting product was the world’s first Ultra-Light and Maxi-Boat sailing yacht, winning numerous races worldwide.

Related posts:

• Curacao 5.5m World Championship (GER 79 wins top prize)
• L. Francis Herreshoff “Tioga II”
• America’s Cup Yacht “Reliance”
• William Fife “Mikado”

Leave a Comment Cancel

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Email Address:

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

• Allures yachting
• Garcia yachts
• Dufour yachts
• Fountaine Pajot Sailing Catamarans
• Outremer catamarans
• Catana catamarans
• Garcia Explocat
• Dufour catamarans
• Aventura catamarans
• NEEL Trimarans
• Allures Sailing Catamarans
• Fountaine Pajot Motor Yachts
• Garcia trawler
• Beneteau Motorboats
• Aventura Power Catamarans
• Yacht school

Stormvogel: the classic maxi yacht

Stormvogel is known as the "original" maxi yacht. The first large, light racing yacht of its type still in competition today.

There's still gunpowder in the Stormvogel powder flasks

Last year's Rolex Fastnet Race got off to a dramatic start. Winds of over 30 knots blew through a fleet of 330 yachts lined up on the shores of the Solent. Not all participants were able to withstand such a powerful start. 79 yachts retired in the first 24 hours. But one yacht was truly in its element, the 74-foot Stormvogel ketch. Despite its 60-year-old age, Stormvogel not only withstood almost stormy conditions. The boat took a very respectable 6th in the class and 7th overall in the IRC.

It was an impressive performance for a yacht often referred to as the first maxi yacht due to her radically lightweight design. The performance at the Rolex Fastnet Race marked the yacht's long-awaited homecoming. She returned to northern Europe after an absence of more than 30 years.

“At the start we had a good strong wind. But Stormvogel seemed to be at home,” said skipper Graham Henry. “We gave our all on 100%. It was a tough start, but Stormvogel and we took on the challenge. She can finish in the same row with modern boats. It says a lot."

Cornelis "Kis" Bruinzel, the first owner of the Stormvogel, conquered the Fastnet regatta even before buying a boat. In 1959, Keys decided it was time to build the perfect boat.

Stormvogel as a risky proposition

Keys decided to implement the project at all costs. Bruinzel turned to Olin Stevens. Alas, he did not want to risk his reputation in such an unusual project. Then the yachtsman turned to the designer, who was not afraid to take risks. They became Laurent Giles, who created the radical "Myth of Malham" for John Illingworth.

Giles readily took on the project. Somewhere in the end, Illingworth was persuaded to do the sketch too. But when Bruinzel showed the two designs to Erik van de Stadt (a Dutch yacht designer), he was unimpressed. Eric agreed to make preliminary sketches of his vision for the project.

Faced with three different approaches, Bruinzel made models of all three designs. Keys conducted their sea trials at the University of Southampton. Van de Stadt's design proved to be the best and was selected.

However, the method of construction using sandwich plating on the bow and stern stringers was similar to that pioneered by Myth of Malham. Therefore, Laurent Giles was brought in to draw up plans for the building. To complement the illustrious crew, Illingworth agreed to design the yacht's rigging. Construction will be carried out by Bruinsel's own company Lamtico in Stellenbosch. The company has extensive experience in wood lamination.

Stormvogel features

The new structure was built from four layers of mahogany. The inner and outer layers went along the bow and stern. The two middle layers are on opposite diagonals. The boards were glued together with resorcinol. At the time, resorcinol was the standard wood laminating adhesive.

Full length struts with lightweight frames and bulkheads completed the aircraft-like hull structure. The deck and coaming were made of plywood and foam. This was necessary to create a rigid, lightweight structure that was integral to the overall strength of the boat.

The Stormvogel was built in just 10 months, an outstanding achievement for such an impromptu design. She was launched in April 1961. After short sea trials, she went to England. Gordon Webb became the ship's first skipper. He took the Stormvogel to the UK with a crew of 13 including Bruinzel. They traveled 7,660 miles through Saint Helena, Ascension and the Azores in 51 days at an average speed of 7.6 knots.

Fastnet Race 1961 or “What do you call a boat…”

Stormvogel's navigator for the 1961 Fastnet Race was none other than Francis Chichester. Then just Francis - he was just about to win the first OSTAR on the Gipsy Moth III and circumnavigate the world on the Gipsy Moth IV.

Stormvogel got off to a great start, leading the flotilla out of the Solent. Alas, she was thrown back when the head angle of the mainsail broke off. The boat was forced to go ashore to install a new one. Navigational disagreements between Bruinzel and Chichester ensued. In the end, Bruinzel got his way, but Chichester was right in the end. It cost them four hours of tack across the Irish Sea.

Despite this, Stormvogel caught up and overtook the rest of the fleet, rounded the Rock first and, a day or so later, was the first to cross the line in 3 days, 20 hours and 58 minutes.

Her accomplishments earned Bruinzel the Elizabeth McCaw Trophy (a first around Fastnet Rock) and the Erivale Cup. However, their final place was reduced to 6th in the handicap, as another Dutch yachtsman, Van der Vorm, won the overall standings in a traditional S&S longboat, the Zwerver II.

This first race set the tone for the first 10 years of Stormvogel's career. She crossed the finish line first in every race, only to be thrown back by the handicap. The same story was repeated in the 1962 Buenos Aires-Rio de Janeiro regatta, the 1963 Shaw regatta, the 1964 Newport-Bermuda regatta, the 1965 Sydney-Hobart regatta, the 1966 China Sea regatta, the 1967 Transpac regatta, the Middle seas of 1968 and 69 - to name but a few.

But, as Van de Stadt said, "Bruinzel didn't really care about handicaps, he just wanted to come first, and the final ranking didn't matter to him." 

Traveled path and parting

In terms of nautical miles, the distance traveled by a yacht in the first 10 years is extraordinary. Bruinzel never thought about going from Europe to Cape Town, Buenos Aires, then the Caribbean, to the US, and back to Europe in half a dozen ocean races in one year. He just took part.

In 1965/66 Stormvogel competed in the Transpac, then the Sydney Hobart and China Sea Race before returning to California to compete in the Big Boat series in San Francisco. In the first six years alone, the boat traveled 200,000 miles, the equivalent of sailing around the world once a year.

By 1968, Bruinzel had moved on and built himself a new toy: a 53-foot Van de Stadt-designed Stormy with an unusual clipper bow. In 1971, Stormy took 3rd overall in the first Cape to Rio Race, and in 1973, in the same regatta, she won both actual first place and overall race victory. In 1980, at the age of 80, Bruinzel died aboard the Stormy while on a Mediterranean cruise.

Meanwhile, Stormvogel went through two owners in the 1970s before being taken over by an Italian owner in 1982. These relationships continue to this day.

Stormvogel's new owner put the ship to the test shortly after purchase, sailing across the Atlantic to the Caribbean, then across the Pacific to Australia (where it starred in the classic thriller film Dead Calm) and Indonesia, before arriving in Thailand in 1987.

Over the next 20 years, Stormvogel barely left Southeast Asia, cruising and charter flights between Thailand, Malaysia, Bali and Singapore and participating in local races such as the King's Cup, the China Sea Race and the Raja Muda Regatta.

New Zealand shipbuilder Graham Henry operated the ship throughout the 1990s. He began the restoration process in 1991, replacing the mast step with a solid I-beam and getting rid of the aftermarket bowsprit. Further hull repairs were carried out, especially in the bow on the starboard side, where in the 1970s the yacht was hit by a whale. After restoration in 2007, Stormvogel returned to the Mediterranean.

She raced Panerai Classic Yachts for two seasons, winning the class in 2008 before sailing across the Atlantic to the Caribbean. Over the next few years, the yacht constantly moved to Europe and the Caribbean under the supervision of skipper Jan Hulleman. In 2013 Stormvogel won the class at the Antigua Classics.

Old age ... in joy?

It was almost a swan song by Stormvogel. When the yacht was taken out of the water in Finike on the southeast coast of Turkey in the fall of 2014, the full extent of its wear and tear became apparent. Water seeped through layers of cladding, rotting wood, and corroding fasteners, and the electro-galvanic reaction between various metals created its own toxic miasm.

Hulleman carried out most of the repair work alone for almost three years, after which the yacht was transported to Metur Yachts in Bodrum for final installation and retrofitting of systems. Special care has been taken to keep the yacht as original as possible, down to designing and 3D printing stainless steel replicas of the original cabinet latches.

By the spring of 2020, the work was completed, and the ship was launched - right in the midst of a pandemic. Another year passed before the yacht was moved to Valencia (Spain) and prepared for a return to ocean racing, and Graham Henry became the skipper of the Fastnet Race.

Returning to the Fastnet start line last August, Stormvogel could not repeat her initial winning run against much younger yachts - although she managed to save nearly two hours from her 1961 race time, finishing in 3 days, 19 hours and 2 minutes, despite the longer distance. Despite this, the yacht took pride of place among the younger participants in the regatta. 

Specifications Stormvogel

Don't forget to rate the content! You can find other interesting articles on the links below or in the "News" section!

News and articles

A new technological solution to improve safety when using lithium batteries – cases from iAqua. Interparus will tell you about the first details!

Modern software and online services for cruisers significantly increase the chances of avoiding unpleasant surprises from Mother Nature at sea.

Our favorite shipyard Fountaine-Pajot in La Rochelle has slowly but surely built an impressive range of stylish power catamarans. Now their new flagship, the Power 67, is taking it to a whole new level.

• Skip to content
• Advertising
• Special Projects
• Renew your subscription
• Reset your account password
• Destinations
• America’s Cup

One of the most significative expressions of modern yachting. Here are Stormvogel’s secrets, the main protagonist of the famous movie starring Nicole Kidman. 

Still to this day , when I see it moored at the wharf, immobile, secured to the mooring ropes, I keep staring, scrutinizing the secrets,  parts and details that the Stormvogel, class of 1961 is made of. Non-conformist, anarchist, innovative, daring, elegant, aggressive. These are the first adjectives that came to mind the first time I laid eyes on it, and when I stepped foot onboard. The Stormvogel remains one of the most emblematic icons of modern yachting.

The stern cuts vertically down to the water, the bow tapered sharply, decisively, enormous winches in the mizzen cockpit. Its deck — which would, today, be called a flush deck — of a pastel blue, impertinently mocking fashion but clearly aimed at the substance of things. And so it is, because Stormvogel is sincere, a boat without frills, born to sail and do so as fast as possible. It is a splendid 23-meter Bermudian ketch,   created by someone who really sails the seas and designed by the most important, most innovative designers of the 1960s . The first owner, the one who commissioned the boat, was Cornelius Bruynzeel , inventor of marine-grade plywood. For his sixtieth birthday, he decided to give himself a yacht that truly looked outside the box, ideal for winning the most important offshore races in real time. His guidelines were simple and essential: it had to be fast, comfortable and innovative . He presented the idea to several designers, including Olin Stephens who, it is said, refused because he was afraid of stumbling with a colossal flop. Instead, E.G. Van de Stadt and Laurent Giles took on the ambitious project and thus, after approximately two years of work, in 1961, the Stormvogel first touched the water in Cape Town, South Africa, at the point where two oceans meet, symbolic proof of the Stormvogel’s natural environment.

Not even two months had gone by and “Storm” was already in the starting line-up for the Fastnet: at the helm Sir Chichester , the crew made up of the owner and many others who had participated in the project, including Micheal Trimming , a great sailor who recently returned aboard for a few regattas in the Mediterranean.

It goes without say, it won the Line of Honours. And this was just the beginning. Stormvogel went the full mile, winning the Buenos Aires to Rio in 1962 (setting the record; a record which, today, has only be bettered by approximately 20 hours), winning the Middle Sea Race (’68 – ’69) setting one of the longest-lasting records ever , and winning many other regattas in which it played a starring role. Stormvogel is a boat that makes its weight felt immediately, from the images published in books, with all the sails aloft, unheeding of the waves and strong winds, it immediately gives you a sense of the thousands of miles sailed in its 40-odd year lifespan. After 20 years of non-stop racing, Stormvogel found its second youth with a new owner, one who kept it like a gem so that he could race throughout the world and cruise the loveliest seas. In the 1980s it was in the Pacific, reaching the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia in Sidney after having sailed from Whitsunday Islands to the Great Barrier Reef along the East Coast of Australia.

At that time Kennedy Miller was wandering among the wharfs in the Sidney harbor. He was a young producer and, together with his crew, was looking for a large, particular boat that was, as he defined it, very British. It was to be the star of a film. When he saw the Stormvogel, he knew at once: she would be the one to host a young Nicole Kidman for the filming of “Dead Calm” . Stormvogel was perfect, the organization of the internal spaces and the area on deck ideal for shooting. Of the original boat, only a part of the dinette was reconstructed in the studios.

In fact, to facilitate filming, the course plotting table was recreated, which is actually located near the cockpit, at the entrance, under the small deckhouse. As the current captain and person who has lived this boat to the fullest,  Graeme Henry recalls that Stormvogel has remained practically unchanged since the days of the film. Only the harpoon has been eliminated because it was not part of the original Van der Stadt project and the cabin bulkheads were restored to their natural wood colors. Today the Stormvogel is still in the hands of the same owner as when the film was made. With her he has sailed throughout the world, on all seas, particularly in Thailand where for many years he had his base both for cruising and for racing in the Indian Ocean. Recently it returned to Italy to participate in the Panerai Circuit regattas, but it is already itching to leave for long ocean sailing.

You may also like

Ferretti Group opens the Riva completely refurbished La Spezia Shipyard

The second Mangusta Oceano 39 launched

Leave a comment cancel reply.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

I sailed on Stormvogel in the70’s when my husband was asked to bring her to Europe at the behest of her Swiss & German owners. We found her up on the slip in Singpore looking not too spruce after a rough trip from Bali. The skipper was anxious to leave so the handover was brief but we inherited an excellent & longstanding crew member and some useful contacts. We set off for Antibes via various then untouched places such as the Nicobars, the Amarantes, Aldabra. the Maldives etc. If anyone reads this was with us on part of that adventure I would live to be in touch.

Ferretti Group officially opened its Riva shipyard in La Spezia in a ceremony attended by…

In conversation with Marcello Persico

Next year the Persico Marine yard – the company is also a centre of excellence…

Sailing Magazine

“talking sailing” from my archives. stormvogel – an introduction to this famous ketch.

by Richard Crockett

‘Stormvogel’ is a name that many older South African sailors remember with some pride as she was locally built, competed successfully at the highest levels, was crewed by a healthy number of local crew, but was sailed under the Dutch flag!

For her preamble I unashamedly give you a brief taste of what she was about taken from the book “Yachting in Southern Africa” by Anthony Hocking.

This is how he described ‘Stormvogel’: “For all the glamour they suggest, cruising yachts can never hope to match the glory of the aristocrat of the deep sea, the out-and-out ocean racer. Recent years have seen the emergence of an elite band of devoted yachtsmen prepared to race their yachts around the globe, with expense apparently no object. One of the most famous yachts in this world, in her day very much a pioneer of this kind of racing, was built at a timber yard in Stellenbosch.

Cornelis Bruynzeel was responsible. He had left his native Holland in the years after the end of World War II, and settled in South Africa. Before the war he had already won himself a world-wide reputation as an ocean-racing skipper – with a win in the Bermuda classic, among other things-and he quickly established himself in South Africa.

After the initial successes of his Van der Stadt-designed ‘Zeeslang’ – he imported it to South Africa from Holland – CB decided it was time to opt for a more dramatic craft. He wanted a yacht which would take line honours in every race she entered, regardless of her place on handicap.

CB first consulted the South African marine designer Brian Lello, who roughed out the initial conception. Finally she emerged as the joint brainchild of Van der Stadt in Holland, and Laurent Giles and Captain John Illingworth in England. Her total cost, never disclosed, was in the region of £100 000. The new boat – ‘Stormvogel’ was a 73-footer, in keeping with the maximum then permitted on the ocean-racing circuit. But though Bruynzeel raced her under the Dutch flag, the successes that came to make Stormvogel one of the most famous yachts in the world reflected more on her country of origin.

As the owner’s business interests allowed him to join his yacht for only short periods of time, Stormvogel had a series of paid sailing masters to ferry her from race to race, and a crew drawn largely from South Africa. Bruynzeel would join his yacht a few days before a race started, skipper her to its conclusion, and then leave again while his crew cruised on to meet the yacht’s next commitment.

Stormvogel was soon in the news. Setting off for Europe with a South African crew under Gordon Webb, her first sailing master, she notched her first signal victory with the Fastnet classic, 608 miles from Cowes to the south of lreland and back to Plymouth. The ketch was first round the rock and first home.

Cornelis Bruynzeel gathered an experienced crew for the race. His navigator was a sexagenarian, one Francis Chichester, who had recently won the first Transatlantic solo. Chichester described his skipper as a ‘cunning old seadog’.”

That’s was ‘Stormvogel’ in an nutshell, yet the best is to come in this series, which commences now, and will run for several days to come.

Her earliest history goes back to 1960 when her build was announced in the pages of SA Yachting.

READ HER BUILD ANNOUNCEMENT HERE:  stormvogel – 1960 09-10 – SA Yachting – OCR

READ THE MIGHTY GLUE JOB HERE:  stormvogel – 1960 11-12 – SA Yachting – OCR

Related Articles

“Talking Sailing” for My Archives. Close – But No Cigar

May 21, 2024

“Talking Sailing” From My Archives. 2024 Vasco – A Fast Race So Far

May 20, 2024

“Talking Sailing” From My Archives. 1983 Vasco Da Gama Race

May 17, 2024

“Talking Sailing” From My Archives. 1982 Vasco Da Gama Race

By Richard Crockett Always known to be a tough race, this was one of the …

BoatNews.com

Stormvogel, the hero of the film White Calm

Stormvogel is a legendary boat. In addition to her great racing results, she was used to shoot the movie White Calm. Discover this avant-garde ketch.

Stormvogel ("Storm Bird") is the ketch used in the Australian movie White Calm. Before being a movie star, this yacht was the first very light maxi, inaugurating a new era. It was built in 1961 in South Africa.

This boat was commissioned by Cornelis Bruynzeel. This man is known for having invented marine plywood . For Stormvogel, he had three architects work according to their availability. Van de Stadt designed the hull and appendages, John Illingworth the sail plan and the deck layout, Laurent Giles the interior layout.

This yacht was a precursor with a very light displacement (barely 31 tons for more than 22 m) and above all a rudder separated from the keel (a first for the time which is now used on all modern yachts ). The hull is made of molded wood (4 layers of mahogany glued with the resin invented for the CP Marine) but the deck is made of plywood . Later on, this plan was used to produce production sailboats in polyester under the name Ocean 71.

Since its launch, the sailboat has won the major races in real time. The Fastnet in 1961, the Buenos Aires-Rio Race in 1962, the Bermuda Race and the Trans-Pacific in 1964, Sidney Hobart in 1965. Light, it is fast (especially downwind) and the facilities with a huge aft cabin are designed for the owner. The owner has a small aft cockpit with a private access to his cabin. Currently, despite its more than 60 years, the yacht is still sailing in impeccable condition. She is used for charter, often in Asia.

But it was not his racing successes that made him famous, but rather the use of the boat in the film White Calm shot in 1989, which was his finest hour. The difficulty in shooting a sea film is to find the same sea conditions between the different shots. With White Calm, which was shot on the open sea in the absence of wind, there was no problem with the connections. The big problem of the film was the interior scenes. Indeed, the boat is narrow (4.88 m) and it is difficult to fit the cameras inside. That's why it was decided to reconstruct the interior of the boat with the saloon and the cabin in a studio. That's why we only see one side of the saloon in the whole film . The other side was open to place the cameras.

If you haven't seen the movie, we're deliberately not telling the story. This film is a huis clos between a couple (Nicole Kidman and Sam Neill) who sails on Stormvogel to forget the death of their son and who takes in a castaway (Billy Zane) who will turn out to be an evil killer. The film is set aboard the Stormvogel and is full of suspense. It has left its mark on many generations and is still relevant today.

• Frank Magazine
• Denison History
• Virtual Tours
• Alaskan Yachts
• Azimut Yachts
• Back Cove Yachts
• Beneteau Yachts
• Benetti Superyachts
• Bertram Yachts
• Boston Whaler
• Broward Yachts
• Buddy Davis Sportfish
• Burger Yachts
• Cabo Yachts
• Carver Motoryachts
• Center Console
• Chris-Craft Yachts
• Cruisers Yachts
• DeFever Trawlers
• Dufour Sailboats
• Fairline Yachts
• Feadship Yachts
• Ferretti Yachts
• Formula Yachts
• Fountaine Pajot Cats
• Grady-White
• Grand Banks Trawlers
• Hargrave Yachts
• Hatteras Yachts
• Hinckley Picnic Boats
• Horizon Yachts
• Hydra-Sports
• Intrepid Boats
• Jarrett Bay Sportfish
• Jeanneau Yachts
• Kadey-Krogen Trawlers
• Lazzara Yachts
• Luhrs Sportfish
• Marlow Yachts
• Maritimo Yachts
• Marquis Yachts
• McKinna Motoryachts
• Meridian Yachts
• Midnight Express
• Mochi Craft
• Neptunus Motoryachts
• Nordhavn Trawlers
• Nordic Tugs
• Ocean Alexander Yachts
• Offshore Yachts
• Oyster Sailing Yachts
• Pacific Mariner Yachts
• Palmer Johnson Yachts
• Pershing Yachts
• Prestige Yachts
• Princess Yachts
• Pursuit Yachts
• Riva Yachts
• Riviera Yachts
• Sabre Downeast
• San Lorenzo Yachts
• Sea Ray Boats
• SeaVee Central Consoles
• Selene Trawlers
• Scout Yachts
• Sunseeker Yachts
• Tiara Yachts
• Trinity Superyachts
• Viking Yachts
• Westport Yachts

STORMVOGEL Yacht for Sale

61' wauquiez | 1994 | €495,000.

• Yachts for sale

Last updated Mar 4, 2024

Stormvogel Yacht | 61' Wauquiez 1994

This majestic Wauquiez PS 60 underwent a complete refit from masthead to keel bottom and from bow to transom. All repairs / refits were carried out to the highest possible level. No costs were spared. The refit started in March 2020 and was recently completed but there can be still room for wishes of the new owner to be carried out. Come and visit this iconic luxury yacht and convince yourself.

Denison Yachting is pleased to assist you in the purchase of this vessel. This boat is centrally listed by De Valk Portugal.

Denison Yacht Sales offers the details of this yacht in good faith but can’t guarantee the accuracy of this information nor warrant the condition of this boat for sale. This yacht for sale is offered subject to prior sale, price change, or withdrawal from that yacht market without notice. She is offered as a convenience by this yacht broker to its clients and is not intended to convey direct representation of a specific yacht for sale.

INQUIRE ABOUT STORMVOGEL

Have questions about this yacht? Fill out the form below and our team of experts will contact you soon.

Your privacy is important to us. Find out how we protect it. Privacy Policy

First-Time Yacht Buyer?

Read our guide to learn the process for buying STORMVOGEL

Stormvogel HIGHLIGHTS

• Yacht Details: 61' Wauquiez 1994
• Location: Portimao, Portugal
• Engines: Prima
• Last Updated: Mar 4, 2024
• Asking Price: €495,000
• Maximum Speed: 9.5 kn
• Max Draft: 8' 2''

Stormvogel additional information

• Cruising Speed: 8.5 kn
• Beam: 16' 9''
• Hull Material: Fiberglass
• Displacement: 61,729.43 lb
• Fuel Tank: 2 x 500|liter
• Fresh Water: 4 x 300|liter
• Max Passengers: 8
• Single Berths: 2
• Double Berths: 3

Schedule a Tour of STORMVOGEL

Contact our team to schedule a private showing.

SIMILAR YACHTS FOR SALE View All

71' couach 2007, st tropez, 83, france, 71' voilier 1964, hyeres, france, 70' santa cruz 1989, ventura, ca, us, 69' custom 2008, newport, ri, us, 69' custom 1990, fort lauderdale, fl, us, 67' nelson 1983, chioggia, italy, 66' goetz 2007, portsmouth, ri, us, other wauquiez yachts for sale view all, 43' wauquiez 2000, barra de navidad, mexico, 61' wauquiez 1994, portimao, portugal, 46' wauquiez 1992, honolulu, hi, us, 43' wauquiez 1998, san juan island, wa, us, 47' wauquiez 1990, 45' wauquiez 2003, roses, es-gi, spain, 47' wauquiez 2007, dodekanese, greece, price watch.

Love this yacht? Get notified on price reductions and other related updates.

Our Newsletter

Stay informed on all things yachting, including notable sales, industry updates, events, and boating tips with our newsletters.

sailboats News

Read the latest sailboats news and stay up to date on related events.

RELATED SERVICES

LOGIN OR REGISTER

Hi, welcome back.

Login and pick up from where you left off.

Creating an account allows you to save and compare your favorite yachts.

By creating an account you agree to the terms of use and our privacy policy.

• Inshore Fishing
• Offshore Fishing

• Download ALL AT SEA
• Subscribe to All At Sea
• Advertising – All At Sea – Caribbean

You know you want it...

Mocka Jumbies and Rum...

Sixty-four years ago, in 1951, Bonairean boat builder Etche Craane built the wooden cargo sloop Stormvogel . Today, a group of dedicated enthusiasts have launched Project Stormvogel aimed at restoring the last sailing freighter of the ABC islands and keeping this treasured cultural heritage alive.

Stormvogel was commissioned by Captain Martin Felida who, at the time, had secured finances by way of a lucrative contract to ferry propane tanks between Curaçao and Bonaire. The wooden sloop was built beneath a tamarind tree close to the Felida family home on Kralendijk’s waterfront.

Though Stormvogel ’s role as an inter-island propane tank carrier didn’t last as long as Felida hoped, her cargo career was far from over. She was at the heart of sailing freight, carrying people, farm animals, and fish from one island to another.

The boat was at the center of the island’s cultural fabric, says Patrick Holian, secretary of the Stormvogel restoration project. “before commercial planes arrived on the island a boat like Stormvogel ensured connections between friends and family could survive. Most people on the island truly loved that boat.

“Felida was quite the pirate apparently. Buying cheap alcohol and cigarettes in Curaçao and running them to Venezuela. He even painted his hull black,” laughs Holian. “Goats, charcoal and salt, he’d ferry anything between the ABC islands.”

Bonaire was home to a handful of skilled boat builders and had a real panache for the trade. Three styles of boats were commonly built on Bonaire: large two-masted schooners, medium cargo boats and smaller fishing vessels. Stormvogel is the last of the sailing cargo sloops.

Holian explains: “I was contacted by Francois van der Hoeve in Curaçao who told me he had been pumping out an old Bonairean cargo ship for the past three years trying to save her. He is connected to the Curaçao Maritime Archeological Foundation and understood her historical worth like no other. He asked me if I could help him locate the Felida family to see if they’d give permission to restore her and transport her back ‘home’. Within five days I had written permission and the restoration project was launched.

“Right now, we have eleven volunteers stripping her down to her historical core in Curaçao and we are readying her for transportation. If all goes according to plan she should be here by the end of March. We’ll bring her to the local shipyard whose owner has graciously provided us with transport overland and a rent-free year at the yard. That is what we call Phase One.”

She will then be restored by local boat builders with the help and guidance of renowned wooden boat constructor Bruce Halabisky. This restoration process will see the start of a Junior Shipwright program with students from STINAPA’s Junior Rangers program as well as with students of Marine Ecology Research Station CIEE and the Bonairean secondary school SGB. These youth can enroll in a ten-hour program working side by side with old shipwrights and will be taught Stormvogel ’s history by Boi Antion, Bonaire’s cultural heritage guardian.

Holian says that in Phase Two they will also launch a ‘Bandera Arriba’ (Flag Up) promotion with a three-metre long flag signaling to the Bonairean public that the restoration is underway and inviting them to see the goings-on of the ship’s restoration.

Phase Three will see this wooden freighter become a Bonaire Maritime Heritage Centre with a seaside location. She’ll be a museum with tours above and below deck, including presentation of videos of her restoration and interviews with former sailors and boat builders as well as displaying various maritime artifacts.

In Phase Four Stormvogel will go back to sea as a floating museum. She’ll function as a training vessel and focus on teaching seamanship, navigation, boat safety and maintenance to teenagers. Goodwill heritage tours will take place within the ABC islands to promote the link to their maritime cultural heritage.

“ Stormvogel has a place in people’s hearts here on Bonaire,” says Holian. “We have had a tremendous outpouring of goodwill from the community since Project Stormvogel was launched. It’s heartwarming to see that everyone wants to help bring her back to her original glory.”

HOW YOU CAN HELP: You can help Project Stormvogel by purchasing one of their T-Shirts, bottle insulators or bumper stickers available at various stores, bars and restaurants on Bonaire. Donations to Project Stormvogel can be made through Maduro & Curiel’s Bank-Bonaire Account # 409347.

Sanny Ensing is a Bonaire-based writer and reporter with an MA in Cultural Heritage Studies and a passion for Caribbean Heritage Preservation Efforts.  

Don't Miss a Beat!

Stay in the loop with the Caribbean

• Project Stormvogel

LEAVE A REPLY Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Notify me of follow-up comments by email.

Notify me of new posts by email.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Double the Haul: St. Kitts Marine Works Strengthens Grip on Yacht Services in the Caribbean

Second wind for sails: yacht clubs breathe new life into donated boats, barbuda beckons: booyard yacht services welcomes superyachts to pristine paradise, so caribbean you can almost taste the rum....

Recent Posts

Beyond bourbon: exploring rum in the classic old-fashioned, culinary canvas: global flavors take center stage at antigua charter yacht show, st. thomas angler reels in top spot at virgin islands game fishing club’s dolphin derby, eleuthera island: a bahamas paradise beyond compare, recent comments, subscribe to all at sea.

Don't worry... We ain't getting hitched...

EDITOR PICKS

Talkative posts, the seven words you can’t put in a boat name, saying “no”, program for financing older boats – tips and suggestions, popular category.

• Cruise 1746
• St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands 516
• Tortola, British Virgin Islands 433
• Caribbean 426

Bestevaer 51 ‘Stormvogel’ ready for summer sailing!

Over the past winter and spring, we’ve had the privilege to refit the ‘Stormvogel’. The ’Stormvogel’ is a custom built Bestevaer 51, which was built in 2007 by her current owner. She has always been perfectly maintained and this year, she was ready to get her first major refit.

The ’Stormvogel’ has had a complete renovation, where exterior, interior, technical, engine and rigging have all had maintenance. Some adjustments were also made to make her suitable for shorthanded sailing.

The entire refit was mainly focused on checking every aspect of the boat and making her fresh, clean and ready to sail for years to come. All exterior varnishing has been renewed and the hatches have had service. The interior has had some small upgrades, but no major changes were made. The boat has been checked on all technical aspects. The engine, propeller shaft, generator and bow thruster have been serviced. Refrigerators have also had service or have been replaced. A new converter was installed, as well as a completely new B&G Navcom package including radar. On top of that, all tanks, grey, black and diesel, have been thoroughly inspected and cleaned.

To make the ‘Stormvogel’ more comfortable for shorthanded sailing, a few adjustments have been made. For example, a furling boom has been installed, which makes hoisting and lowering the sails a lot easier. In addition, the boat was equipped with a new mainsail. To create more shelter while sailing, the boat was also provided with a spray hood.

When the ‘Stormvogel’ arrived at VMG, she already looked very beautiful. We are happy that she is now on the water again with her more than satisfied owner. Ready for a beautiful summer!

Looking for a service partner?

Watch CBS News

Authorities ID boat operator who fatally struck 15-year-old Ella Adler

By CBS Miami Team

Updated on: May 15, 2024 / 6:46 PM EDT / CBS/CNN

MIAMI - The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission identified the boat operator in connection to the death of 15-year-old Ella Adler, who was struck while water skiing in Biscayne Bay on Saturday.

Authorities say Carlos Guillermo Alonso, 78, of Coral Gables, was the boat's operator.

They say he was the only occupant of the vessel on that day, according to the one-page incident report.  

FWC24ON0038760_updated-2 by sergio.candido on Scribd

The boat was discovered behind a home in the Hammocks Oaks neighborhood in Coral Gables. Neighbors described the man who lives in the home as a family man and an experienced boater. They said he was devastated by what happened.

Rodney Barreto, the Chairman of the FWC,  said this about Ella's death, "It's touched our community in a way." 

"When you're 15 years old you don't expect to go out on a boat and not come home." 

The new preliminary FWC report says she had been on a boat with 12 other people and was being towed while on a wakeboard. 

Records show Alonso owns the house where the vessel was seized.

"The gentleman who was driving the boat who is cooperating with us is Mr. Alonso," said Barreto.

"We have some physical evidence that we have recovered that we have sent to our state lab for testing." 

Barreto says officers used witness descriptions to find the boat.

"It was good old-fashioned police work by our officers. 
We asked them to go up and down the canals from Coconut Grove to South Miami. They went up and down the canals with the physical description they had and recognized the boat." 

Batteto said there was no evidence pointing to reckless or drunk driving.

It's not known if the driver will be cited or charged.

"Our job is to gather information and present it to the State Attorney, so they can do their job." 

The loss of Ella Adler prompts this warning from Barreto: "Make sure you pay attention to the water and always look around because things can happen on the water and they can happen very quickly."

"We encourage people to use a lot of caution and go to boating safety schools." 

"Florida has the most registered boats in the country and Miami-Dade has the most registered boats than any county in Florida."

Ella, the granddaughter of US Ambassador to Belgium Michael M. Adler, was water skiing with friends Saturday near the Nixon Beach sandbar when she fell in the water while being towed and was struck by another boat. The operator of that boat never stopped.

An all out search was then launched to find the boat and driver.

On Wednesday, Florida Fish and Wildlife believed they had found it. 

"I am pleased to report that we have a vessel in custody that matches the description given by witnesses," said FWC's George Reynaud. "The boat is in our custody and the owner is cooperating with us."

On Monday morning, hundreds of people attended services for Adler at Temple Beth Sholom in Miami Beach.

On Tuesday, First Lady Dr. Jill Biden stopped by in person to offer her condolences and be with the family.

"We are honored that the First Lady paid a shiva call to our family during this time of immense pain. We are touched by their support and love and we are proud to call the President and First Lady our friends for over 40 years," according to a statement from the family.

Adler was a freshman at Ransom Everglades High School and a ballerina with the Miami City Ballet.

"We are heartbroken," Ransom Everglades posted on Facebook. "Ella Adler '27 shined in our classrooms and on our stages, and she embodied the mission of Ransom Everglades School. We wish peace and comfort to her family."

"We at Miami City Ballet and the Miami City Ballet School are utterly devastated by the heartbreaking news of this tragic accident," said the organization which described Adler as a beloved student and a magnificent dancer who graced their stage. "Our hearts go out to Ella's family, friends, and everyone who had the privilege of knowing and adoring her. As we come together, we will profoundly grieve the loss of Ella, and hold dear the precious memories we were fortunate enough to create with her."

"We extend our deepest condolences to the Adler family at this difficult time," the US Embassy to Belgium said in a statement. "Out of respect for their privacy, we have nothing further."

Anyone who saw the accident or anyone who might have video footage or information about it is urged to call the Wildlife Alert Hotline at 888-404-FWCC (3922) or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS (8477).

The CBS Miami team is a group of experienced journalists who bring you the content on CBSMiami.com.

Featured Local Savings

More from cbs news.

Florida Fish & Wildlife Chair Rodney Barreto looks to change boating laws after Ella Adler's death

$2 million bond set for man accused in Miami Shores fatal crash

Veteran Florida boater shares tips as National Safe Boating Week kicks off

Man accused of abducting, sexually assaulting girl near loanDepot Park

Man gets realistic picture of his boat painted on a fence intended to hide it

A California man who was ordered to keep his boat out of sight has had the last laugh by commissioning an artist to paint a realistic image of it on the fence that obscures it.

Local government officials told Etienne Constable, of Seaside, California, in July that he had to build a 6-foot fence to hide the boat from view of his neighbors.

In a light-hearted jibe at officialdom, Constable decided to follow the directive, which said nothing about how the fence should be decorated, and asked local artist Hanif Panni to create a mural that makes it look as if the fence isn't there.

"I’m not a rule-breaker, but I like to make a political statement as necessary, as well as a humorous statement and a creative statement," he told NBC affiliate KSBW of Monterey Bay .

He is yet to have had any contact from the city about the mural — but he said he considers it to be covered by the right to freedom of expression as enshrined in the First Amendment.

"The reaction is extremely more than we ever expected, and we’re both just tickled about it," Constable said, referring to the stir the image has made on social media, where it has been shared many times.

Panni, who paints images across the Central Coast area, told KSBW: "I’m a big proponent of public art in spaces. It engages people in ways that reaching out and having conversations doesn’t sometimes."

And Panni added that since the Seaside boat mural has gone viral, other boat owners have approached him to see whether he can do the same for them.

Patrick Smith is a London-based editor and reporter for NBC News Digital.

FWC identifies boater in Key Biscayne hit-and-run that killed Florida teen ballerina

The Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission has identified the person behind the wheel in the South Florida hit-and-run boating death of 15-year-old Ella Adler on Saturday.

Carlos Guillermo Alonso, 78, of Coral Gables was piloting a 42-foot Boston Whaler in Key Biscayne when officials say his boat struck Ella Riley Adler, 15, a ballerina with the Miami Ballet and granddaughter of U.S. Ambassador to Belgium Michael M. Adler. The teen had been wakeboarding behind another boat and was floating in the water, according to an FWC incident report released Wednesday.

The man piloting the boat that hit the girl sped off to the west without stopping, witnesses said. Adler was retrieved by the other boat but died of her injuries.

The vessel is in custody and Alonso is cooperating with the investigation, the FWC said in a release Tuesday .

Investigators said Tuesday it was unclear if Alonso knew Adler was there or was hit. It is unknown if alcohol was a factor. In a statement from Alonso's attorney Lauren Krasnoff, shared by Local10.com , Krasnoff said Alonso was unaware he hit anybody and does not drink.

"I will tell you that Bill, who has been boating for 50 years and is a very experienced boater who knows these waters, was out boating by himself on Saturday," Krasnoff said in the statement. "He has no knowledge whatsoever of having been involved in this accident. If he hit Ella that day, he certainly did not know it. Had Bill thought he hit anything, he absolutely would have stopped. But he did not at any point think that he had hit anything, let alone a person.

"He docked his boat in plain sight right behind his house," she said, "and did not even know there was an accident on the water that day until officers showed up at his door."

Witnesses or anyone with video footage or information should contact the FWC at 888-404-FWCC or 888-404-3922 or Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-TIPS or 305-471-8477.

A total reward of up to $20,000 — $10,000 from Adler's family and a combined $10,000 from FWC and Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers — is being offered for information that leads to an arrest and successful prosecution of the driver of the hit-and-run boat incident.

What happened in the boating death of Ella Adler?

At about 4:30 p.m. Saturday, May 11 (the day before Mother's Day), Adler and several others had been enjoying some recreational boating near the Nixon Beach Sandbar in Biscayne Bay, according to the incident report. Adler was wakeboarding behind a 42-foot 2017 Hanse Fjord yacht at the same time as an unidentified female on a wake surfboard.

The two people being towed fell into the water at different times and locations, the incident report said. Adler was wearing a life jacket and had the wakeboard still attached to her feet, an FWC official told NBC6 in Miami , when she was struck by a 42-foot 2020 Boston Whaler.

A witness said the boat did not appear to swerve or slow down when it hit the girl. The yacht towing her immediately spun around back to where she was and began broadcasting distress calls, the witness told NBC6.

Where was Ella Adler killed? Where is Nixon Beach Sandbar in Florida?

The Nixon Beach Sandbar is located in Biscayne Bay, Florida, west of Hurricane Harbor near Miami.

It's a popular destination for recreational boaters and fishing for its white sands and clear shallow waters, and it "turns into a wild party spot every weekend" full of yachts and catamarans, according to the boating site sail.me .

The area was named for former president Richard M. Nixon, who owned a home overlooking the water nearby.

Who is Ella Riley Adler of Florida?

Ella Adler was a freshman at Ransom Everglades School in Coconut Grove and a ballerina with the Miami City Ballet. She is the granddaughter of Michael M. Adler, the current U.S. Ambassador to Belgium , according to the Miami Herald .

"We are heartbroken," the school said in a Facebook post Monday morning. "Ella Adler '27 shined in our classrooms and on our stages, and she embodied the mission of Ransom Everglades School. We wish peace and comfort to her family."

Adler appeared in more than 100 performances with the Miami Ballet, including "The Nutcracker," according to her Legacy.com obituary . In school, she performed on the dance team, acted in the school play "Chicago" and was a member of the Ransom Everglades Jewish Students Association.

"You were taken from us way too soon, and the world has been robbed of all the things you could have achieved," her father, Matthew, wrote in a letter read during a funeral service at Temple Beth Sholom in Miami Beach on Monday, the Miami Herald reported . "But you will always be here with us and your friends and family will carry your energy and spirit forever.”

First Lady Jill Biden paid her condolences in person Tuesday, according to a statement from the family.

"We are honored that the First Lady paid a shiva call to our family during this time of immense pain. We are touched by their support and love and we are proud to call the President and First Lady our friends for over 40 years," they said.

The girl's great-aunt Karen Adler started working in President Joe Biden's D.C. office in 1973 when he was still a junior senator from Delaware, according to Jewish Insider , and served as his national finance chair in 2008. Her brother Michael was confirmed as Ambassador to Belgium in 2021 .

Adler is survived by her parents Amanda and Matthew, her brother Jaden, and her sister Adalynn, grandparents Judy and Michael, and Susan and Michael Klaiman, along with several aunts, uncles and cousins.

Natalie Neysa Alund, USA TODAY, contributed to this story.

The global authority in superyachting

• NEWSLETTERS
• Yachts Home
• The Superyacht Directory
• Yacht Reports
• Brokerage News
• The largest yachts in the world
• The Register
• Yacht Advice
• Yacht Design
• 12m to 24m yachts
• Monaco Yacht Show
• Builder Directory
• Designer Directory
• Interior Design Directory
• Naval Architect Directory
• Yachts for sale home
• Motor yachts
• Sailing yachts
• Explorer yachts
• Classic yachts
• Sale Broker Directory
• Charter Home
• Yachts for Charter
• Charter Destinations
• Charter Broker Directory
• Destinations Home
• Mediterranean
• South Pacific
• Rest of the World
• Boat Life Home
• Owners' Experiences
• Interiors Suppliers
• Owners' Club
• Captains' Club
• BOAT Showcase
• Boat Presents
• Events Home
• World Superyacht Awards
• Superyacht Design Festival
• Design and Innovation Awards
• Young Designer of the Year Award
• Artistry and Craft Awards
• Explorer Yachts Summit
• Ocean Talks
• The Ocean Awards
• BOAT Connect
• Between the bays
• Golf Invitational
• Boat Pro Home
• Superyacht Insight
• Global Order Book
• Premium Content
• Product Features
• Testimonials
• Pricing Plan
• Tenders & Equipment

Owners protest $1.8M fine after grounded yacht causes damage to Hawaiian coral reef

The owners of the 28.1-metre Nakoa have requested a formal case hearing to contest a $1,800,000 fine given by the Board of Land and Natural Resources. 

This follows an incident that saw the Sunseeker yacht break free of her mooring in the protected Honolua-Mokulēʻia Bay Marine Life Conservation District and cause damage to over 100 coral colonies and over 1,500 square metres of live rock on Maui’s west coast (20 February 2023).

Inclement weather resulted in Nakoa being stranded for two weeks and across three separate rescue attempts.

On 26 April 2024, the Board increased the fine from $117,000 to $1,818,85.97 to account for biological and cultural damages, as well as "emotional distress to the community".

"A slap on the wrist in this situation, would be a slap in the face of this community," said John Carty of the Save Honolua Coalition.

The owners' legal representative argued that there is no basis to impose liability as the grounding took place following the theft of the vessel. They also noted that damage from the initial grounding must be separated from the damage related to salvage.

Prior to the salvage, the DNLR confirmed that fuel, batteries and other pollutants were safely removed from the vessel. Around 470 gallons (1,779 litres) of petroleum products and 14 marine batteries were recovered from the yacht, with helicopters transporting 55-gallon (208 litres) drums of fuel from the boat to a staging area where it could be disposed of.

Before the defuelling began, eyewitness accounts reported considerable fuel leakage surrounding Nakoa.

At the time, DLNR first deputy Laura Kaakua said: "We understand everyone’s frustration with the grounding and harm to the reef at Honolua, a bay with abundant marine life that’s loved by many residents of Maui and visitors alike."

The initial fine was recommended by the DLNR Division of Aquatic Resources and included $26,700 for damaging stony coral, $33,520 for damaging live rock, $56,851 for the cost of the investigation, and $400 for violations.

More about this yacht

More stories, most popular, from our partners, sponsored listings.

Orcas again sink yacht near Strait of Gibraltar as high-risk season looms

Two people were rescued after orcas hit the roughly 50-foot Alboran Cognac 14 miles off the coast of Morocco, the 26th orca encounter in the region this year.

The boat-sinking orcas are back.

Around 9 a.m. Sunday near the Strait of Gibraltar, two people on board the roughly 50-foot Alboran Cognac reported blows to the vessel’s hull and saw damage to the rudder as water flowed into the ship, Spain’s maritime rescue agency said.

An unknown number of killer whales had struck again, after hundreds of such encounters in recent years.

Over the radio, responders told the two individuals to put on their life jackets, make sure their GPS locaters were turned on and prepare for emergency evacuation. In the meantime, Spanish and Moroccan rescue agencies began urgently working to save them, locating a nearby oil tanker and electing not to dispatch a helicopter.

After about an hour, that tanker rescued the pair 14 miles off Cape Spartel in northern Morocco, the Spanish Maritime Safety and Rescue Agency (SASEMAR) said in a news release. The boat was left adrift and soon sank.

Spain-based Alboran Charter confirmed its ownership of the sunken vessel and said the individuals were customers. The company declined to say more about what happened or who the clients were.

Iberian orcas sinking a ship is not new. Over the past four years, at least 15 orcas have interacted with hundreds of boats sailing in the waters off Portugal, Spain and Morocco, sinking a handful of vessels in seemingly coordinated ambushes. Some ships have been found with teeth marks; others appear to have been rammed by an orca’s head or body.

On average, there have been 168 interactions each year since 2020, according to Grupo de Trabajo Orca Atlántica, or GTOA, a research group studying the region’s killer whales. GTOA has tracked 26 interactions so far this year, down from 61 through a similar time frame in 2023.

It’s not clear why the orcas have recently bumped, bitten and sank vessels. Some scientists say they are simply being playful, or maybe are curious, or perhaps are coming after boats because of a loss of prey. A handful say the actions could actually be gratifying to the whales.

A leading theory, though, is one of vengeance.

This idea, advanced by a scientist who has studied the encounters, posits that a female orca suffered a traumatic run-in with a boat that led her to start attacking the vessels. And because orcas are intelligent marine mammals that learn behaviors like hunting together, others followed.

But there is disagreement over this theory.

Some scientists argue that the incidents shouldn’t be called “attacks” without knowing the whales’ motives. They fear that label could prompt retaliation by boaters, calling it potentially “harmful” to the critically endangered species with just a few dozen members.

“Science cannot yet explain why the Iberian orcas are doing this, although we repeat that it is more likely related to play/socialising than aggression,” a group of more than 30 scientists wrote in an open letter last summer. “ … When we are at sea, we are in the realm of marine life. We should not punish wildlife for being wild.”

The letter explained that orcas have been observed developing “cultural ‘fads,’” including carrying dead fish on their heads, and the incidents with the boats may be nothing more than a “fashion trend.”

SASEMAR warned that the risk of the encounters is highest between May and August, recommending that boats avoid the area between the Strait of Gibraltar to the Gulf of Cádiz to its west. It added that if a boat comes across orcas, it should not stop moving, and instead should head toward the coast and shallower waters. People should not approach the side of the boat and are barred from using measures that could injure or kill the whales.

“It is possible the behaviour, as previous fads have,” the scientists wrote, “will disappear as suddenly as it appeared.”

• Event History
• Restoration

Ocean Racing

• Classic Regatta
• Photo Gallery
• Journal Entries
• Dead Calm Movie

Stormvogel, Sail no: H700, Owner: Greenwater Marine Limited, Boat Type: Stadt 74 Custom, Division: IRCITA

Stormvogel, Sail n: H700, Owner: Greenwater Marine Limited, Boat Type: Stadt 74 Custom, Division: IRCITA

We invite people involved in Stormvogel’s past to rejoin the Stormvogel network.

Looking for something?