Fifty-seven years after he established his eponymous yacht yard, Wim van der Valk has retired. Van der Valk Shipyard remains in the hands of its management team, which, with the backing of previous clients, has bought the company from him.
Van der Valk’s retirement coincided with his 79th birthday on April 18. It puts into perspective what he accomplished at such a young age, and how far the shipyard has come. An avid boater, he decided to create his own shipyard to build aluminum cabin and aft-cabin cruisers in 1967. The first deliveries maxed out at 33 feet (10 meters). They met with success, carrying the shipyard through the 1970s. In the mid-1980s, he launched his first steel-hulled series, the Vitesse, comprising larger semi-displacement projects. They, too, were a hit internationally. The next decade introduced the Continental I series, becoming the signature Van der Valk model for some time. In fact, hundreds of deliveries went out worldwide.
Additionally, the same decade saw Van der Valk enter the superyacht sector, notably with designs by Guido de Groot. One of Van der Valk’s most notable superyachts, though, came in 2013, with the launch of Santa Maria T. The 121-footer (37-meter) was the first motoryacht in the world with a two-axis fin roll-damping system.
Embracing new technology was a hallmark for Wim van der Valk. For instance, his shipyard was among the first to employ Volvo Penta’s IPS system, developing hulls and models specifically for it. Overall, he welcomed new ideas for technology and design from clients and studios run by notable names like Van Oossanen, Ginton Naval Architects, Cor D. Rover, and Carla Guilhem. All continue working with the shipyard today, as does Guido de Groot.
Currently, Van der Valk Shipyard is the only Dutch builder with models to 148 feet (45 meters) featuring in-house-constructed aluminum hulls and all-in-house outfitting and finishing. It has seven construction sheds, the latest of which opened last November.
The management team of Enrico Theuns, Bram Kooltjes, and Yoeri Bijker (above) bought out Wim van der Valk’s shares with the support of the owners of the yachts LeVen, Edge, and Lady Lene. “The new primary shareholders fully understand out yard’s ethos, having built several award-winning yachts with us,” notes Bijker. “We have a solid financial future as an independent entity with various options available for further expansion. Wim’s unrivaled legacy could not be in safer hands.”
That legacy includes an order book filled through 2026. It includes the largest contract to date, the 131-foot (40-meter) yacht Project EVO.
Wim van der Valk may have retired, but he’s not divesting himself from the operations entirely. He’s now President Emeritus, as an advisor to the board.
Van der Valk Shipyard vandervalkshipyard.com
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