Since 1966, Dehler yachts have always come from Freienohl, a small town in the Sauerland region, far from the sea. The headquarters was once one of the most successful and innovative boatbuilding companies in Europe, characterised by Willi Dehler's wealth of ideas and recognised for its high build quality. Even though the owners changed frequently - three times in the last ten years alone - the location of the shipyard was never shaken.
But last autumn was the end. The Hanseyachts Group had to close down production in Freienohl for reasons of profitability. Moulds, plans, parts - everything moved to Greifswald. But only one member of the old workforce, around 100 employees, went with them.
In a major report, YACHT describes how Hanse wants to preserve and sharpen the brand's identity, what role development engineer Karl Dehler plays in this and how the new Dehler 38 was created. It celebrates its world premiere at boot Düsseldorf. We accompanied the creation of the first model on the production line in Greifswald.
YACHT 3/13 will be on newsstands from Wednesday, 16 January. Inside: an overview of all the new products and the compact trade fair guide with hall plans.
Jochen Rieker
Herausgeber YACHT
