The winter of 1973 was heralded by incessant snowfall in Bosund. At a distance of 400 kilometres north of Helsinki, the frost still sets in at the end of September, and the ice cover only disappears from the Baltic Sea a good three months after boot Düsseldorf. It was precisely here that the venture that would later become known as Baltic Yachts took its course with the construction of a round-arched hall, surrounded by pine forests and in what an older shipyard publication calls "marvellous seclusion".
In addition to the island-rich coastline, the Ostrobothnia region, which belonged to Sweden for centuries, is known for its excellent boat builders. These include the Baltic founders Per-Göran "PG" Johansson, Tor Hinders, Nils Luoma, Ingmar Sundelin and Jan-Erik Nyfelt. They all gave up their jobs at Nautor's Swan because they did not want to follow their new lightweight construction path.
A portrait of Baltic ships:
The Baltic founders wanted to build lightweight yachts
German Baltic dealer Walter Meier-Kothe remembers: "PG was project manager for the Swan 65 'Sayula', which he wanted to build as light as possible. But Nautor insisted on the GRP standard version." Nautor saw the victory of "Sayula" in the first Whitbread Race in 1973/74 as confirmation, but at the same time the pressure on Johansson and his colleagues grew. They wanted to establish the sandwich construction method with a balsa wood core and, also a novelty, unidirectional fibreglass layers. But the five of them needed a plan and parts lists, i.e. an exact overview of all the components. No shipyard or design office would simply hand this over.
At the time, the Canadians at C&C were looking to grow in Europe. As Sparkman & Stephens had already enjoyed success on the old continent with Nautor, they wanted to set up agencies to have their own designs built by different shipyards. The expansion-minded Canadians and the experimental Finns came together and, after tank tests, realised the C&C 46 "Diva" for the Canadian Admiral's Cup team. At 12.1 tonnes, it was comparatively light, stiff and fast.
Beginnings in the Admiral's Cup
In Germany, Michael Schmidt and Rolf Vrolijk represented C&C Yachts and presented the Finnish 46 at the Hanseboot in Hamburg in autumn 1974. Walter Meier-Kothe, who soon joined the business, was also part of their circle: "After work, I met Michael Schmidt in the sailing villa on the Elbchaussee. As a shipbroker, I was wearing a suit, so he had the idea that I could try to sell the expensive boats."
A C&C office was opened in Hamburg, and the customers came. Thomas Friese ordered a 42-foot IOR two-tonner, originally for the Admiral's Cup. However, 16 boats came to the qualifying races for the 75-boat edition after the German outsider victory, and "Tina i-Punkt" was not among the three boats that later competed on the Solent. Baltic used the hull mould for the C&C 42, which was then produced 21 times. The most successful series model measured 39 feet and was built 74 times in six years. There was even a 33-footer, but the hulls were still labelled C&C.
Baltic Yachts as a pioneer for new construction methods
With the appointment of US designer Doug Peterson, Baltic Yachts was launched as an independent brand. The DP models were the first to be designed entirely on the computer. By the end of the seventies, the company was already producing smaller parts from carbon fibre. Vacuum hardening in foils was also already being practised, initially for rudder shafts, skegs and to stiffen stressed fuselage areas. Baltics were fast, and Walter Meier-Kothe recognised the advertising effect of big-boat regattas: "From the very beginning, we spread ourselves across the boats we sold in order to achieve good results."
The shipyard constantly explored the limits of composite construction, using lighter cores made of foam and carbon fibres instead of balsa
Independence grew with Judel/Vrolijk designs. A total of 45 of the Baltic 35, first launched in 1984, left the Finnish Bosund. The Bremerhaven-based company designed the 63-foot racers "Saudade" and "SiSiSi", which were not allowed to compete in the maxi class due to an increase in the minimum length to 80 feet. Baltic now belonged to the Hollming Group. When the Finnish shipbuilders had to sell the satellite in 1990, 34 managers and employees, including PG Johansson and Jan-Erik Nyfelt, became direct shipyard owners.
Light, but not reckless
Baltic constantly explored the limits of composite construction, used lighter foam cores instead of balsa and laminated carbon and Kevlar mats with epoxy resin and under vacuum from the end of the 1980s. Five years later, the first supersailer was launched, the "Anny", managed by a German. With its deckhouse and targa bow, the 26-metre boat looked like a cruising boat, but took part in the emerging superyacht regattas. With the Baltic 67 "Aledoa 4", the first cruiser-racer was built almost entirely from prepreg carbon in 1996. Shortly afterwards, the pre-impregnated carbon fibres were also used on Nomex cores in the interior fittings for "Loftfari".
The same German owner, SAP co-founder Hasso Plattner, took delivery of the almost 45 metre long "Visione" in 2002. According to a construction anecdote, the tender was rejected because it was only a few kilograms heavier than specified by the supplier. Baltic always retained its fine sense of lightness, which never turned into frivolity. The canting keel was introduced on the Baltic 78 in 2000 with mechanical and hydraulic systems below the waterline.
The financial crisis does not stop at Baltic Yachts
After various expansions in Bosund, an additional waterfront location was established in Jakobstad, 20 kilometres to the north, in 2010, where the world's largest composite sailing yacht, the almost 60-metre "Hetairos", was launched a year later. However, the effects of the financial crisis did not spare Baltic Yachts. Despite a good order situation, there were no more bank guarantees.
Attempts were made to mobilise owners. "PG contacted Hans Georg Näder out of retirement," remembers Walter Meier-Kothe. The retailer had helped the orthopaedic technology entrepreneur acquire his first 30-metre Baltic in 1999, naturally named "Pink Gin". In March 2013, Näder acquired 80 per cent of the company shares via Ottobock Holding. At the time, he was sailing at 46 metres (2006). The 54-metre-long and recently sold "Pink Gin VI" caused a stir in 2017 with its shark keel bomb.
Baltic celebrated its 50th anniversary with a midsummer festival and a regatta off Sardinia, where the original Baltic "Diva" competed as the refitted "Queen Anne". Next year, the shipyard will be giving itself a belated present, which is somewhat melancholy. The then completed Capacity expansion in Jakobstad goes hand in hand with the closure of the founding location in Bosund.
