Feadship’s 75th Anniversary: Fascinating Facts About Its History

Seven decades ago, a group of boatbuilders joined forces to sell their vessels overseas, particularly in the United States. The fruit of their efforts became Feadship, one of the most well-known global superyacht brands. Since 2024 marks its Diamond Jubilee, it’s marking the occasion throughout the year, including special events. In honor of Feadship’s 75^th anniversary, we thought we’d test your knowledge. Here are seven facts about its beginnings and accomplishments that you may not know.

Firstly, Feadship is an acronym, for “First Export Association of Dutch Shipbuilders.” In 1949, six Dutch boatbuilders gathered in an Amsterdam café (above) and created it, with partial government backing. Their goal was, in their words, “to promote the export of luxury craft to the United States of America.” Simply put, post-World War II, U.S. boat buyers held the most promise for European builders struggling to recover financially. In some cases, the builders literally were digging out from war’s damage. So, the six shipyards each pledged 500 Dutch guilders (about $2,600 adjusted to modern conditions). They’d all build a boat purposely for export and share marketing costs. A seventh member, Henri De Voogt, joined in 1950 as the official Feadship designer. He often met with clients to seal the contract deal, too.

Feadship’s 75^th anniversary celebration comes with abundant experience exhibiting at hundreds of yacht shows worldwide. Did you know that the very first, though, was the New York Boat Show in January 1951? The builders sent three projects, all seen in the photo above from that exhibit. Left to right, they were a 33-foot (10-meter) powerboat, a 26-foot (8-meter) powerboat, and a 21-foot (6.5-meter) daysailer. The result? All three steel-hulled boats sold, and word spread about Feadship. Within the next year, custom 75- and 98-footers (23- and 30-meters) were under contract for Americans. And, in both 1953 and 1954, Feadship boats were once again named queen of the New York Boat Show. Coronet (below), a 58-footer (17.98-meter), was one of them.

By its eighth year of existence, Feadship had sold 90 projects in the United States. Some of the contracts were for high-profile Americans as well, including the late Malcolm Forbes. He commissioned his first Feadship, The Highlander, in 1957. (Two more Feadships with the same name followed into the 1980s.) The builders further focused exclusively on steel and aluminum, abandoning wooden boats in 1955.

None of the success was easy, however. Common business problems like growth and expansion along with cash flow occurred during these early years. Furthermore, some of the original yards dropped out between 1953 and 1968. On the plus side, the builders behind two of the first Feadships at the New York Boat Show chose to remain. Specifically, they were Van Lent (above, in 1930) and De Vries Scheepsbouw (top of page, in an undated photo), which today are Royal Van Lent and Royal De Vries. Further positive, Van der Loo, a furniture maker, came into the fold in the 1950s. It became a subsidiary of Royal Van Lent in the 1980s.

Currently, Royal De Vries, Royal Van Lent, and De Voogt Naval Architects unite under the Feadship umbrella. Remarkably, while this is Feadship’s 75^th anniversary, collectively the three have four centuries of experience. Royal De Vries dates to 1906, Royal Van Lent dates to 1849, and De Voogt dates to 1913 as both a builder and a designer under Henri De Voogt (above). Construction also takes place across four directly owned shipyards in The Netherlands, in Aalsmeer, Amsterdam, Kaag Island, and Makkum.

Feadship’s 75^th anniversary coincides with having 5,577 feet (1,700 meters) of megayachts in build in its sheds. Some of that length belongs to four projects set for hand over to their owners this year. They’ll join upwards of 500 deliveries to date. Those deliveries include notable names like Gallant Lady, Ecstasea, and Savannah, Feadship’s first hybrid-powered yacht (above).

Savannah blazed a path for Feadship that has it intent on achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2030. The yacht Obsidian (above), for instance, runs on biofuel. De Voogt Naval Architects also analyzed all the construction and onboard materials, including décor, for their carbon footprint. In another first, the 390-foot (118.8-meter) Project 821 will employ hydrogen fuel cells.

A lot has changed since those six boatbuilders got together in an Amsterdam café in 1949. Yet, the original focus of broadening horizons beyond The Netherlands is as strong as ever.

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