hoek yacht design

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
• Conservation and Philanthropy
• 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
• BOATPro Home
• Superyacht Insight
• Global Order Book
• Premium Content
• Product Features
• Testimonials
• Pricing Plan
• Tenders & Equipment

Designers Hoek Design & Nauta Yachts

In the early-to-mid 1980s big yacht building grew and solidified into a serious, self-contained industry that required designers, and in 1986 Hoek Design, Nauta Yachts, Andrew Winch Designs, and Bill Dixon Design all entered the breach. The influence of these leading design teams has shaped the modern superyacht, in all its variations.

‘What surprised me is in all those years since there have not been that many new design offices,’ says Andre Hoek, founder of Hoek Design. ‘It’s not an easy market [in which] to design and build a business like this; you have to be passionate about yachting, focused and a little lucky.’

Indeed, Hoek’s background describes a determination to work in yacht design, even when it was not an easy path.

After gaining a naval architecture degree in Holland and serving an apprenticeship at C&C yachts in Canada, Hoek was unable to find work at a design studio. So he took a job as a salvage engineer at a Dutch company, where he supervised the enormous submersible ships that carry offshore drilling platforms. In its own way the job was excellent training for a superyacht designer, with an abundance of engineering, stability and organisational work.

‘During those years I was also always involved in yacht design, but not on a professional basis – I did it more as a hobby for clients who were friends and family. I was optimising a racing class of leeboard yachts that are popular in Holland, yachts I raced myself for a very long time.

‘We optimised sailplans, stability, performance, foilshapes in leeboards and more, and later on designed new yachts in this style. Through the past 25 years more than 300 of these yachts were built to our designs.’

In 1983 he left his job to take an MBA in business administration, but his growing reputation as a designer interfered with his plans.

‘When people heard I’d quit my job I got a lot of enquiries asking if I could do boats. It took me three years to do the MBA and when I finished I was already working with four people – it turned from a hobby into a business.’

Hoek Design is also active in motor yacht designs, and is working on various projects including the 50m and 65m Hollander projects. But it, too, is best known in the sailing arena and like Mario Pedol of Nauta Yachts, Hoek believes his sailing yachts have a definite character.

‘You can definitely recognise the boats that we do,’ says Hoek. ‘We have an emphasis on performance and also on looks – how it looks on deck, how well-balanced the profile is.’

In particular, Hoek Design has become renowned for yachts offering classic styling and modern performance. Its early analytical work, optimising Dutch leeboard sailing yachts, caught the attention of big-yacht owners.

‘We got clients asking if we could design a boat in a similar way – a classically styled yacht optimised for performance – but ocean-going. That’s why the early Truly Classics came out. It was a design that looked like a J boat, but with the in-water configuration of a modern sailing yacht.’

The Truly Classic series was inspired by a yacht created in partnership with Michael Peacock, former captain of the British Admiral’s Cup team. Launched in 1994, the yacht Truly Classic (now Zephyr) won the Spirit of Tradition Class at Antigua Classic Week three years in a row. She is one of Hoek’s favourite yachts.

‘She was extremely successful on the racecourse but was also a very good cruising yacht – a very nice combination,’ he says.

Another favourite is the 55m ketch Adele, launched in 2005.

‘We developed an interior with an owner’s deckhouse, a large cockpit and an owner’s cabin all connected – a privacy concept,’ describes Hoek. ‘She proved you could do circumnavigation or go to the Antarctic on a really beautiful-looking yacht. You don’t have to go for an ugly looking boat, you can do this in style.’

Nauta Yachts

Mario Pedol, founder of Nauta Yachts took a similarly roundabout route to the profession. He began working as an agent for Oyster Marine in Italy in 1978 and became increasingly interested in the design of superyachts. When he learned that a new school of design had opened in the north of Italy, he left his job and signed up.

When he finished his studies, he spent time working abroad for Scott Kaufman in New York. On his return to Italy Pedol founded Nauta Yachts with his business partner Massimo Gino.

‘For the first six years of Nauta we were designers and constructors, we were selling finished yachts to clients. But in 1993 Italy suffered a political and economic catastrophe and the market stopped,’ he recalls. ‘We decided to take our design expertise to the market – selling not a product but our experience, know-how, design services and project management services.’

At this stage, Pedol’s expertise was in sailing boats – and the design house is still best known for its work in this field. Innovations such as carbon fibre and changes to competition rules governing hull shapes have changed the way Nauta makes yachts, but Pedol’s philosophy of ‘balancing performance and comfort’ has remained the same. My Song, one of his favourite yachts, embodies it beautifully.

‘The owner has a passion for racing and cruising. It is difficult on a yacht to combine these, because cruising means comfort and comfort means weight, but for racing you need speed, which means lightness,’ says Pedol.

‘The way we’ve done this is by making some contents of the yacht removable for racing. With four days of crew work it can be turned from a cruising boat into a racing boat.’

The company’s most famous foray into motor yachts is project Light, an 80m commission that is both visually and physically light. It was well-received within the industry, but the 2008 economic crash put the project on hold. In any case it has led to a commission for another 100m+ motor yacht.

That, perhaps, is the mark of this golden group, the first fully-fledged crop of yacht designers – not naval architects or interior designers – to enter the arena, after Jon Bannenberg pioneered the profession. When it comes to yachting, they have taught us how to do it in style.

Sign up to BOAT Briefing email

Latest news, brokerage headlines and yacht exclusives, every weekday

By signing up for BOAT newsletters, you agree to our Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy .

More stories

Most popular, from our partners, sponsored listings.

• Ordered by Shipyards & Yacht Brands
• Ordered by Date
• Yacht Designers
• About and Contact
• Yacht Support Vessels
• Tenders & Toys
• Some interesting other sites in the superyacht world

68m Ketch // Hoek Design // Vitters

Hoek design draws a classic styled 68m ketch-rigged sailing yacht for a repeat client to be built at vitters..

Hoek Design Naval Architects and Vitters Shipyard, both based in the Netherlands, have entered into a contractual agreement to construct a 68m (222ft) aluminum ketch. This collaboration marks the eighth time the two companies have joined forces on a significant superyacht project.

The forthcoming yacht, set to be completed in 2026, is a development of the highly successful Adele (2005), Marie (2010), Anne (2009), and Meraki (2020), all of which were designed by Hoek and built by Vitters. These vessels are characterized by their elongated overhangs, timeless aesthetics, and traditional craftsmanship, which have earned Hoek’s design team a distinguished reputation.

According to Andre Hoek, the commission comes from a seasoned client who desires a yacht with increased guest cabins and the ability to navigate the Panama Canal.

Hoek Design Naval Architects will assume responsibility for the naval architecture, exterior and interior design, and styling. Additionally, the renowned American designer Bunny Williams has been contracted to oversee the extensive interior decoration. Van Ineveld & Co, who collaborated with Hoek and Vitters on the J-Class Svea, will be the owner’s representative.

According to Andre Hoek, the utilization of in-house developed computational fluid dynamic (CFD) testing and velocity prediction programs (VPP) has been extensive to optimize the hull shape and appendages. The yacht’s fixed keel incorporates a trim tab on the fin to minimize leeway and enhance balance with the ketch rig. Furthermore, the vessel is equipped with a single rudder featuring mechanical steering, which provides the helmsman with the necessary tactile feedback to achieve the boat’s optimal performance.

Bas Peute, the Sales and Marketing Manager of Vitters Shipyard, stated that the aluminum hull and deck of the yacht will be constructed in-house at their Zwartsluis premises, with the keel scheduled to be laid in April 2024. He emphasized the importance of the same team collaborating to build the new ketch.

Notable design features include three deck houses, with the owner and guest accommodations located aft and the crew quarters situated forward. The deck layout will revolve around a spacious central guest cockpit, and all deck houses will be adorned with wood cladding.

Southern Spars will supply the rig package, while North Sails will provide an extensive sail wardrobe.

The new yacht will have a diesel-electric propulsion and charging system that minimizes emissions. A permanent magnet electric motor will facilitate charging for the battery bank and propulsion when departing from a harbor or anchorage. This configuration also allows the yacht to operate silently for an extended period, with all systems powered by the battery bank.

SHARING IS CARING - THANK YOU!

Perini navi 42m e-volution gts, cool breeze – brenta 80 dc by michael schmidt yachtbau, project 410 // royal huisman turns hull of the 85m sloop-rigged sailing yacht, emma // super fast baltic 80 custom, swan 98 // german frers // misa poggi, atlantic crossing on wally 100 yacht “indio” with vor-sailors, blue papillon // royal huisman, oyster 118/1225.

About Publisher

Using a minimum of third party cookies for YouTube, Vimeo and Analytics.

Privacy Preference Center

Privacy preferences.

Google Analytics

Hoek Design 70ft Ketch · Kim

KIM , offered to you in close cooperation with Hoek Brokerage, is a beautiful 70-foot ketch designed by Hoek Design Naval Architects. She has been thoroughly refitted in 2006 and 2016 in the Netherlands and is both technically as optically in very good condition throughout.  Her distinguishing features are her wide teak laid flush decks, her comfortable cockpit, the well-crafted woodwork, and her several classic-looking but modern-operating gear. The standing (Rod) and running rigging have been replaced in 2016 and her sail wardrobe consists of a main sail, Mizzen, Yankee, staysail and a spinnaker. She is furthermore equipped with a 116hp Steyr diesel engine, bow thruster, folding prop, generator, inverters, B&G navigation including radar, water maker, tender with outboard, etc.

The interior of KIM is just as enchanting as the exterior. Only high-end materials, such as Honduras mahogany, have been used. The main saloon is beautifully crafted, the galley is well equipped, the navigation corner is up to date, the cabins are comfy and there are loads and loads of small and large lockers.  This boat really feels like a home. She can accommodate up to 8 overnight guests plus 2 crew members. Further to that there is a pipe cot berth in the main saloon. The owner’s cabin with ensuite and two guest cabins are located forward. These two guest cabins share the second bathroom. A third guest cabin with double bed is located aft.  The crew cabin with vanity, toilet and shower can be reached via a separate entrance on the foredeck. And to make your stay on board even more comfortable she is fitted out with an air conditioning/heating system, dishwasher, and a washer/dryer.

Classic Looks & Proven Performance

Image gallery.

Yacht Details

Want to know more?

We are here to answer your questions:.

N.B. Whilst every care has been taken in the preparation of these particulars, their correctness is not guaranteed. The particulars are intended only as a guide and they do not constitute a term of any contract. A prospective buyer is strongly advised to check the particulars and, where appropriate, at his own expense to employ a qualified marine surveyor to carry out a survey and to have an engine trial conducted.

Hoek Design PC 66 & PC 55 NEW BUILD Series

Download brochure.

Please complete the below details in order to start the brochure download:

I request to be contacted by: *

The PC 55 &  PC 66  yachts are the elegant result based on aesthetic and product perfection.

Hoek design adhered to the design brief which entailed:

– To create a fast yacht with a layout suitable for warmer climates

– Easily handled by a couple if desired

– Offering a light,elegant and comfortable accommodation.

– A very spacious cockpit for a yacht of their sizes, providing comfortable dining space, while the aft section contains a large diameter wheel and electric winches which allow the sails to be trimmed without having to leave the helm.

– A gorgeous sunbathing area is created for safe and comfortable relaxing aft of the helm station.

The PC 66 & PC 55 will be built to standard specifications, including carbon construction, carbon mast, boom, rudder, bow thruster, generator, under deck lines and electric winches, etc. Various options are being offered in order to suit your personal preferences.

For more details and information please contact:

Pieter van der Weide : [email protected]

Please note that the images shown are both of the sister PC 55 and PC 66 yachts.

Specifications

OUR HISTORY

Founded in 1986 by Andre Hoek, Hoek Design is today one of the world’s leading offices for yacht design, naval architecture and engineering. Based at the heart of the Dutch yacht building industry, it offers a comprehensive range of styles, from truly classic to ultra-modern. Superbly balanced with top performances to match, all our yachts are created by a highly experienced team using the latest design tools. And they all share that distinctive and elegant Hoek look. Read about the evolution of Hoek Design or visit our yachts virtually by choosing your preferred category. We hope you enjoy seeing and reading about the yachts described here. If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact us personally. We welcome your feedback at all times.