The time was ripe. Ripe for a keelboat for rough coastal waters that could be built cheaply - even by yourself - and that would allow the next generation to sail safely at sea and gain experience even in bad weather. Because there was simply no such thing in 1931, when Hans Domizlaff, himself an enthusiastic cruising skipper, bent over the drawing table with naval architect Adolf Heldt to express the results of years of deliberations in frames and sterns on paper.
The whaleboat was born, named after its shape, which was determined not least by the round deck and caused the boat its first controversy. But the performance of the first whales was convincing. Regatta successes - especially in heavy weather - and voyages across the North and Baltic Seas soon helped it gain a good reputation. But then came the war - and the whale was a thing of the past. His time did not come again after the new beginning.
Read the full story of the whaleboat in the current issue of YACHT classic, issue 1/2021. The magazine is now available from newsagents or you can order it individually or as a subscription directly from the publisher here.
Lasse Johannsen
Deputy Editor in Chief YACHT
