The global economic crisis has had a detrimental impact on many companies over the past two years, with Drettmann, the Germany-based yacht-building firm, being among them. Having marketed many brands for more than 40 years, including Bandido, Elegance, and Premier, plus overseen refits at its own German facilities, Drettmann filed for bankruptcy in May of this year. But unlike some other bad-news stories, this one appears to have a happy ending. Drettmann’s owners, Claudia and Albert Drettmann, have partnered with Sunrise Yachts to form the Drettmann-Sunrise Group.
The partnership came about after a potential client of Sunrise’s reportedly commented, half-kiddingly, that if he could buy a German-quality yacht at a Turkish price, he’d be thrilled. Herbert Baum and Guillaume Roché, the founders of Turkey-based Sunrise Yachts, met with the Drettmanns over the summer to discuss combining resources, thereby positioning Drettmann as a contender against the North European yards.
The new Drettmann-Sunrise Group will have operations in both Germany and Turkey. It’s presenting integrating the engineering and project-management teams and adding subcontractors to handle the various interior decor and equipment installation aspects. In the meantime, the management team is also preparing for its official debut at the Düsseldorf boat show in late January. Drettmann-Sunrise Group will have a handful of yacht designs to offer clients. Some will be the existing designs that Sunrise Yachts has built and/or marketed since its founding in 2005. Others include new designs, such as:
– Drettmann Motoryachts – semi-displacement, all-composite megayachts from 20 to 37 meters (66 to 121 feet)
– Drettmann Explorers – steel and aluminum yachts from 27 to 37 meters (89 to 121 feet), possibly even larger
– Drettmann Superyachts – steel and aluminum, 46- to 65-meter (151- to 213-foot) motoryachts designed by Espen Øino
– Drettmann Classics – all-fiberglass 12- to 18-meter (39- to 59-foot) boats
– fully custom motoryachts from 40 to 65 meters (131 to 213 feet) designed by a variety of leading designers
All new builds will have a three-year warranty.
Furthermore, the Drettmann-Sunrise Group will offer refit services. For the first several months, vessels displacing up to 600 tons will be the focus, though the management team anticipates having the capacity for yachts to 1,200 tons. Three refits are already underway.
In a statement released late Wednesday, Baum says, “We are building up a brand that will meet the new expectations of this changing market: a smaller number of clients worldwide, seeking the ultimate value for their investment while unwilling to see the technological sophistication and overall quality standards demonstrated on the world’s best yachts compromised in any way. This was precisely our approach at Sunrise Yachts for the last years, and we are very confident we will deliver on the promise. Our ambition is to make Drettmann Yachts one of the most compelling propositions on the market.” Roché, who will manage the operations, adds, “This is definitely the most exciting project I encountered in my twenty years career as a yacht builder.”
The Drettmanns also released a statement: “Throughout its history, our company has met with great success and was also faced with challenges, and we are proud to see our brand re-launched with the ambition to equal the great North European yacht builders and to offer our clients spectacular new designs, a higher level of quality than ever and a very cost-effective construction solution. Our clients are the heart and soul of our business, and delivering on their dream with attentive and sensible answers has always been our philosophy.”
(Note: The Drettmann-Sunrise Group website is expected to go live soon.)
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