Retro classics: The style of days gone by
That the German Boat and Shipbuilders' Association (DBSV) has a long tradition of providing a feast for the eyes at the hanseboot: for many years, he has been presenting boats that make classic boat fans' hearts beat faster in a special show on his Hamburg stand. For the 53rd edition of the Hamburg International Boat Show from
27 October to 4 November, he landed five eye-catchers, including three particularly beautiful motorboat specimens.
All retro classics, all designed by the Bremerhaven design office Judel, Vrolijk & Co. Two of them, the Elbe 33 and the Georgia 50, were built at the Yachtyard Lütje in Hamburg, the third was built by the owner Detlef Urban from Wittenförden near Schwerin in a six-year construction period.
When the crane hire company owner and passionate sailor, who built his first dinghy himself at the age of 16 in the GDR, placed the order for his 32-foot runabout with the design office, he made one central requirement: the boat was to be designed exclusively from an aesthetic point of view.
Detlef Urban will be presenting the result in person at the DBSV stand in Hall B2 at the hanseboot. During the construction period, Urban, for whom boatbuilding is a hobby like driving or sailing a boat, was accompanied by the designers and by M.u.H. von der Linden, from whom he obtained the ultra-modern boatbuilding materials. The photos were taken on the maiden voyage of the runabout on Lake Schwerin.
The Georgia is an inland motor yacht in the tradition of classic commuters, whereby particular attention was paid to a stylish combination of contemporary proportions and elements with the requirements of the intended modern use. The 15 metre long and 3.60 metre wide yacht is powered by two 260 hp Yanmar engines on two conventional shaft systems. This gives her a top speed of 20 knots.
The design of the 10 metre long and 3 metre wide Elbe 33 was inspired by the Georgia, also a Judel/Vrolijk design. This aforementioned 50-footer with a displacement of 13 tonnes was built by Lütje Yachts a few years ago as a kind of luxury launch on behalf of a private owner for Berlin waters.
The Elbe 33 is a more manageable and, thanks to its single-engine design with a 220 hp Volvo five-cylinder engine with duoprop propulsion, more economical version of this much-acclaimed Lütje shipyard design. The cruising speed is between 12 and 16 knots. Characteristic: the classic shape with a raised forecastle and portholes set into the foredeck, a charming gunwale that curves down to the stern and a mahogany coaming.
