Yachtsport Eckernförde officially marked the occasion with a celebration on 12 September at its Vogelsang site. According to the company, more than 100 guests, including customers, business partners and Saare owners, gathered at the wooden bridge in Eckernförde for the celebration. The emotional highlight was the symbolic handover of a ship’s wheel from Thomas Nielsen to his son.
Niels Nielsen will in future be the sole managing director and shareholder of the family business. His sister, Ronja Nielsen, is to act as authorised signatory and will primarily be responsible for the high-street shop, which is one of the few remaining yacht suppliers offering a full range of products. Thomas Nielsen explained at the celebration that it had always been his wish for the business to remain in the family.
From the living room to the harbour
Thomas Nielsen founded Yachtsport Eckernförde on 1 January 1988, initially running the business from his home. After operating from a shop on Holm, the business moved to its current location on Vogelsang in 1996. Today, the business comprises a specialist shop, a marina, winter storage facilities and a boat-building workshop.
According to the company, it operates a private marina with just under 35 permanent berths and five guest berths, as well as a service centre for maintenance, repairs and refits. The company also owns the Estonian shipyard Saare Yachts OÜ, which Thomas Nielsen took over in 2016. Since then, the combination of retail, service and shipyard operations has characterised the range of services on offer in Eckernförde. The Saare 38.2 in the YACHT test and the launch of the new Saare 47 CC showcase the brand’s current range.
The course continues to focus on personalised support
The Nielsen family emphasises that it intends to stick to its long-standing principles: honest advice, technical expertise and long-term support for customers beyond the yacht purchase. Niels Nielsen has been a member of the management team since January 2019. At the Yachtsport Eckernförde’s company website he is listed as the contact person for new and second-hand Saare yachts, winter storage, mooring and maintenance work. The construction of the H-Boats at Saare Yachts remains part of the link between the Eckernförde-based company and the shipyard in Estonia.
When buying and maintaining a yacht, how important is it to you to deal with a family-run business that is here for the long term?
Hauke Schmidt
Test & Technology editor
