Leonhard Mader is dead. He died on 23 April at the age of 77. The successful company history of his shipyard began in 1952 with the founding of a carpentry workshop.
The first wooden boats were built as early as 1954 and the first moulded Flying Dutchman two years later. After trials with plastic, the first FD was demoulded in 1962.
The high-tech company from Waginger See quickly made a name for itself among top athletes worldwide. In 1972, the boatyard built all the Finn dinghies for the sailing competitions of the Olympic regattas off Kiel. In 1977, the American sailing legend Dennis Conner became world champion on a Mader-Star. In 1988 and 1992, all three medallists in the FD class sailed Mader boats.
More than 3000 corsairs were built in the shipyard. Finally, the Bavarian state government crowned the life's work of Leonhard Mader Sr. by awarding him the Bavarian State Prize for Special Technical Achievements in Craftsmanship.
Leonhard Mader had seven children, of whom Leonhard Mader junior, better known by his nickname "Bürschi", runs the shipyard as managing director.
