Winny Hohensee and Karl Kühmstedt both come from Stralsund, but are now studying different subjects in different places. The passionate sailors have been constructing yacht models out of Lego together since the coronavirus lockdowns. We asked them how this special hobby came about, how many hours of work go into each model and whether they also want to realise other people's yachts for customers.
YACHT: Why do you build Lego models of yachts? Boats are round, Lego is square.
Karl Kühmstedt: I first tried to build our own boat, an X-362, out of Lego in 2018 - to no avail. The round shape of the boat was too complex to be modelled with the bricks. When the corona lockdowns began and all sports facilities were closed, which was between my A-levels and university, I needed a new hobby. However, I didn't continue with the "X" at first, but with another project that was supposed to be even more special.
Winny Hohensee: Karl had the idea of designing a J-Class out of Lego. I was immediately on board. Of course, Lego bricks are square and boats are round, but building something so abstract was a challenge and we wanted to fulfil a childhood dream.
Immediately afterwards, you started a second project and designed the "Comanche" racing yacht. Your latest model is now the X-362 on a scale of 1:10. How long did this mega project take?
Winny: The reason for trying it again was, of course, that we sail on an X-362 ourselves. Building a model of it is not only very cool, but also simply practical. We were able to take perfect photos and measurements. We used the pictures to create a 2D drawing of the outline. Based on this drawing, we were able to construct the model using CAD programmes for Lego. This is still completely manual work, with round becoming square. The design process alone involved over 280 hours of work. Then we ordered the parts; it "only" took 61 hours to build.
Karl:We took the whole of Christmas 2022 off and just built from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., which was much quicker and less problematic than expected. But then there's the rig with the sails, the transport box and a detailed instruction manual, which made the project really time-consuming in the end.
How many bricks did you use?
Winny: So many that it was not possible to order them from Lego in one go. Exactly 9,114 bricks were delivered, we built 9,058.
How much did you have to pay, Lego isn't exactly cheap.
Karl:There are several ways to order the parts. You can buy them directly from Lego, which is probably the most expensive option. However, there are also alternative manufacturers of "clamping bricks", which are often cheaper, especially if you buy from different suppliers at the same time. For us, however, this would have been too tight in terms of time and logistics, which is why we decided on the original Lego bricks. The total cost amounts to a four-figure sum.
You also offer to make such models for shipyards or owners. Is that a business model?
Winny: We don't earn any money with it. If we wanted to make a profit, the model would have to cost almost 10,000 euros in total, because all the development work has gone into it. However, once a model has been designed, we can sell and pass on the plans as often as we want without any further effort. An order for several models of one type would of course reduce the total cost per unit considerably.
Karl: The X-362 is the first model that was ever built, all other boats designed by us exist exclusively digitally due to the stone costs. As it's just a hobby, we don't aim to earn big money with it.
Isn't it frustrating to invest so much time and then never see the models built?
Karl:Of course, it's quite different when the boat is set up in front of you in your room than when you can just turn it back and forth on the screen. But without a prospective buyer, it's ultimately a question of money for us; we can't just spend a few thousand euros on a model that will primarily be in the cupboard.
The X-362 is the only model you have sold so far. Who was the first customer?
Winny: That was the Kieler Woche, which exhibited the X-362 at its stand at boot Düsseldorf. Of course, the "X" will also be on display at the upcoming Kieler Woche. She is currently in the office there.
The original X-362 was built over 150 times, why don't you build a model series for the target group size?
Winny: We have received several enquiries from sailing enthusiasts who sail the same X. However, it remains the case that we only realise on request. The financial risk would be too high for a pre-produced series. It is also important to us to be able to respond to detailed requests, such as colour changes or deck superstructures.
What if you only sold the plans?
Karl:We are already doing that. However, the instructions are always quite complicated because it is difficult to produce a classic set of instructions for such an extensive and complex model that would be comparable to what preschool children are familiar with from Lego. Our plan is to construct the 3D models on request and also build them or leave this to the customer if they wish. We can see directly on the 3D model where which brick needs to be placed. Another advantage of this construction method is that bricks can be shown and hidden and the digital model can be rotated around any axis.
Could I also ask you for a Lego miniature of my own yacht?
Winny: Yes, of course. To be able to recreate a yacht, we at least need pictures of the original. Proper plans would be ideal and would considerably shorten the design time. Theoretically, it is possible to build the model in any scale. However, it makes sense to choose a scale so that the model is about one metre long. If you build it much smaller, it would look too abstract, and too large makes little sense for reasons of space and transport, quite apart from the price.
Do you already have other models in the pipeline?
Karl:Sure, we are currently working on a motorised superyacht. The hull is already finished and we are currently designing the deck structure. However, sailing boats as models are much more complex in the design process due to their shape.
