More than ten years ago, the initiators of the annual GRP Classics Meeting in Maasholm founded the GRP Classics e. V. Since then, the members have been trying to raise awareness of the fact that 20th century plastic boatbuilding has produced vintage boats that are worth preserving. Although the scene has not yet become a strong movement in terms of numbers, this is now set to change. With a certification system similar to the H licence plate in the automotive sector, the association wants to create an offer for the owners of lovingly preserved yachts, which should help to increase their value, emphasise their importance as maritime heritage and signal to the owners of sister ships that they own something special. Chairmen Martin Horstbrink and Conny Kästner told YACHT about their project.
Without your involvement, do the owners concerned not realise that they own a GRP classic?
Conny Kästner: They often don't realise that at all. For many, it's just an old ship. When it comes to maintenance measures, I often hear: "It's not worth it." I always reply: "It doesn't have to be, it's not a business." That's the point.
At least if you want to preserve a classic ...
Kästner: Yes, but many people say that when a repair is due, it's a total economic loss. But a yacht is not a commercial enterprise, it's your passion, a part of you. You enjoy it, it's your attitude to life, and that has its price. You have to accept that.
Perhaps owners of old GRP boats are thinking to themselves: Before I put all this money into this ship, I'd rather buy one that's newer or five feet bigger in this huge market.
Kästner: That is certainly a criterion. I have a boat that I bought new at the boat show in 1979 and I still own it. I wouldn't want to have another one. But that is perhaps an exception. With the traditionally built classics, there are probably more people who say this boat and no other. One of our most important tasks is to raise awareness of the fact that GRP classics are something special that is worth preserving. Alongside the task of answering the question of what a GRP classic actually is.
And: What is a GRP classic?
Kästner: You can discuss this for hours. There are various characteristics that lead to a boat being perceived as classic. It's also a question of feeling. The lines and proportions, the length-to-width ratio, it all has to be right somehow. Things that used to be considered intuitively.
How have the members joined the association so far?
Martin Horstbrink: I would say that most of them joined through the meeting.
Kästner: I was there at the first meeting in 2006. The association wasn't founded until six years later. We were then recognised by the public in a more structured way. A Facebook group was created, which now has 2,000 members. We post a lot on the topic there, which is clicked on around 6,000 to 8,000 times and often shared again. We already have a considerable reach. But people are less willing to join an association these days than they used to be. Even though our annual membership fee is rather small (50 euros, ed.).
However, anyone interested in the subject will not be able to avoid your organisation ...
Horstbrink: No. Our meeting was the first time the CSF classics were discussed publicly. That was almost 20 years ago. You can clearly see that the condition of the participating boats is getting better and better.
Are GRP classics more sought-after today than they were when you first started out? Have you noticed an increasing number of buyers who are specifically looking for a boat like this because they already have this awareness and want to restore it?
Horstbrink: A lot has happened since I started 20 years ago. Back then, the old boats were mainly bought because the budget didn't allow for more. Some people already knew what they were looking for, but this awareness that it was a classic has certainly doubled since then.
Kästner: We can't say for sure, but that's my guess.
Horstbrink: What's more, among the old GRP yachts there are also types that still fill a niche today. For example, YACHT recently reported on an American who is sailing around the world on a Vancouver 27. In terms of size, there is hardly any alternative. A 27-foot blue water boat is no longer available on the market.
Kästner: Or take the lines. If you like a long keeler, there's no getting round the old boats.
Horstbrink: These are often forms that arouse emotions.
No-one would disagree with the long-keeler being described as a classic. But the fleet at the meetings also regularly includes plastic boats that were not modelled on traditional yachts, but were developed for the emerging industrial series production, with a correspondingly optimised design that was considered modern at the time and has not yet made it to the title of "classic" in everyone's eyes. What is the definition of the GFK Classic Association to date? And is the planned certification system intended to replace this definition at some point?
Horstbrink: So far, we have been content with the age limit of 30 years, based on the classic cars. However, this is becoming a problem because ever larger numbers of people are coming along that I personally don't associate emotionally with classic cars. Although I admit that there are ships that are only 20 years old now, but have very timeless lines and will certainly become classics one day.
Kästner: It's about the ships that have gone from timelessness to classic. And that is not arbitrary. A certificate would limit that. And it would also lead to people applying who sail and maintain their boat in the knowledge that they are preserving a classic. Conversely, nobody would come who has a modern boat just because it is 30 years old.
"There are various characteristics that lead to a boat being perceived as classic. It's also a question of feeling"
What do you mean, from timelessness to classic?
Horstbrink: Firstly, there is the age. The boat must be able to be assigned to an era in yachting history: the beginnings of GRP boatbuilding or industrial series construction, the IOR era and so on. Secondly, the design plays an important role. Timelessness is created through aesthetics and elegance, which is of course subjective. But there are ships that nobody would deny that. Then there is the construction. The sailing characteristics, for example, can contribute to a yacht being seen as classic. And finally, its cultural and historical significance is relevant. Today, for example, we consider a Sangria to be a true GRP classic, precisely because it was the first large-scale production boat from Jeanneau and 3,000 of them were built. And, of course, there are also large series boats that appear timeless, with an exterior that looks like a child's design.
How would you characterise this childlike scheme?
Horstbrink: I think it's a question of proportions. They can't be concealed with stripes, people simply perceive them unconsciously in the end. The height of the fuselage in relation to the length, the shape of the superstructure, these can be minor details. Take the Hallberg-Rassy 312, for example: the first examples with the windows in the fuselage look more delicate than the later ones with the windows in the superstructure.
You are specifically planning a certificate for classic cars. What exactly is this idea?
Horstbrink: As with cars, we originally set the age limit of 30 years as the criterion for when a plastic boat becomes a classic. However, this applies to an infinite number of boats, and in future we want to give owners a plausible reason as to why their boat is different from others. And define who belongs to the classic fleet and who perhaps does not.
"Aesthetics and design include the overall appearance. And the question of how changes have been made"
What are your specific plans?
Horstbrink: The certificate documents that a boat is considered a GRP classic from the point of view of our organisation. For this, it must fulfil certain criteria that we have developed.
Kästner: This should make other owners aware that they can also apply for this award. It is also intended to recognise the efforts made to preserve the boats. And it is intended to distinguish the GRP classics as such from the other old plastic boats.
Horstbrink: This brings us back to the topic of recruiting members, because such an offer would explain to everyone why they should join such an association, because this core competence would then become clearer. And because the result is a clearly defined fleet, similar to the traditional classics, because the recognised GRP classics are included in a register.
Kästner: With the advantage that you can still get in with a boat that does not yet belong via this certification. But above all, the certificate and the badge, which can be attached to the boat, are intended to increase its value. And, of course, this will also noticeably increase the market value of the boat.
You've already mentioned the parallels with traditional classics. At some point, they were also just old boats that became less and less common until enthusiasts started restoring them. Has this point also been reached with GRP classics?
Horstbrink: I think the topic is similar, but you can't completely equate wooden and GRP classics because the use is often different. In addition to aesthetics, there are also technical issues. And these often affect originality. The certificate must take this into account. In my opinion, it is more important to recognise the essence of a ship, the idea behind it, than its originality. It should not have been changed in terms of design, but I would say that a furling system is unproblematic as a systematic improvement.
Kästner: Of course, you create a grey area when you get away from the original state, and exciting questions arise ...
What are the specific requirements for classification as a certified GRP classic?
Kästner: In principle, an assessment should be based on two criteria. One is age categorisation. We have worked out how the boats can be categorised by era and found names for them. In other words, they would be given this name.
What are they?
Kästner: These are the EarlyClass of the 1950s, the SilverClass of the 1960s, the Classics of the 1970s, the Post Modern class of the 1980s and the Modern Classics of the 1990s.
And the second criterion?
Horstbrink: Is then the condition. For the condition score, we have created a list that you can work through and tick off. In which you say for the individual points: this is original, this is not original, this is good, this is bad. And we imagined that modernisations could also be rated positively if they improve safety, for example. Things like a GPS receiver may not have been available at the time of construction.
Kästner: And once the ship has been inspected and categorised as a GRP classic, it will receive a certificate and a plaque to affix and will be entered in the register. However, it will not become a valuation report.
How is the jury likely to be made up?
Kästner: The jury consists of three to six people: a member of the association, a specialised journalist, a technician or boat builder and an assessor. The boat must be technically sound. We don't put a stamp on it and say it's a seaworthy ship, but if it's obviously not, it can't get a certificate.
Horstbrink: The overall appearance is also part of aesthetics and design. Worn old lines or a rusty shroud are not going to happen. I think topics such as engine technology or electrics are also important. Because they are relevant to safety. The expert should take a look at them. Then there is the question of whether and how modifications have been made.
Do applicants whose ships do not meet the requirements receive a note telling them what they need to improve?
Horstbrink: Yes, that's how we want to handle it. But we can't set the standards so high that people get frustrated and don't take part.
Can someone who has received a three-point grade come back after two years and improve?
Horstbrink: Yes. And the certification will also expire after a certain period of time.
When?
Horstbrink: After five years, the certificate can be renewed with a repeat examination.
And how will the procedure work, what is the route to the GRP classic certificate for owners who are aiming for it?
Horstbrink: They have to get in touch with us. We want to offer the inspection twice a season, at the meeting in Maasholm and at a spring meeting.
Kästner: The register will then be publicly accessible via the website.
What role did the change in boatbuilding to industrial mass production play for the GRP classics?
Kästner: A major turning point, possibly the decisive one. Before that, boat builders and other craftsmen, even in series production, still put their heart and soul into every single boat and put some soul into every single ship. I personally see the industrialisation of boatbuilding as a transition to a time when the creative process became emotionless.
GFK-Klassiker e. V.
Since its foundation in November 2012, the supra-regional association of like-minded owners has served to promote awareness of the fact that the plastic yachts from the early years up to the end of the 20th century are not the "yoghurt pots" they were once thought to be, but rather evidence of a time when, despite the modernisation of boat building, design was still more important than space.
In addition to various services relating to the old GRP yachts that the association provides, it organises several meetings each year, organises a sailing competition and publishes the members' magazine "GRP News". Since 2006, the annual highlight of the scene has been the GRP Classics in Maasholm at the beginning of September, this year from 30 August to 8 September.
- More information: gfk-classics.com
