As much as Lürssen has earned renown for custom yachts upwards of 197 feet (60 meters), yachting is a relatively new specialty. In fact, for the better part of the past century, the German yard has focused on naval and commercial ships. Clearly, a lot can happen in 100-plus years, and has happened for the company. As Lürssen celebrates its 150th anniversary, it’s looking forward as much as it’s honoring its past.
Firstly, it got its start in Bremen-Aumund in June 1875. Twenty-four-year-old Friedrich Lürssen (above) established a shop constructing wooden racing rowboats. He was so invested in the shipyard that he personally played a role in building each boat, plus greeted the craftspeople every morning at the gate. The ensuing years saw workboats and more launch, too. The biggest impact, though, came in 1886, when Gottlieb Daimler, founder of the eponymous combustion-engine company, came calling. Daimler wanted to build a boat with his invention. The nearly 20-foot (6-meter) REMS had just a 1.5-hp Daimler engine, but officially became the world’s first powerboat. Simultaneously, she wreaked havoc along the shores near Daimler’s workshop in Stuttgart. The community thought explosions were emanating from REMS, blocking initial test runs. So, Daimler tricked everyone into thinking she had an electric plant by adding copper wires and insulators.
Lürssen continued building powerboats with Daimler for years, plus long after him. Naval craft such as patrol boats, anti-mine vessels, frigates, and corvettes became significant business in the late 1930s. This was under the guidance of the third generation of Lürssen family members, Gert and Fritz-Otto. (These vessels remain important contracts to this day.) About half a century afterwards, a further dramatic development occurred. Cousins Friedrich and Peter Lürssen had just taken over, with Peter Lürssen establishing the yacht division in 1988 and Friedrich Lürssen remaining at the helm of the commercial and naval division. Specifically, they dedicated half the yard’s construction capacity to pleasure vessels.
Lürssen celebrates its 150th anniversary with 70 custom superyachts under its belt. Laid end to end, those yachts would stretch for four miles (6.5 kilometers). Equally significant, about one-third of the world’s 100 largest yachts come from its three facilities in northern Germany. Some are household names among yachting aficionados, such as the 593-foot (180.61-meter) Azzam, the world’s largest by length. The 414-foot (126-meter) Octopus is as well, a purpose-built explorer from 2003 (below), an era when the notion and accompanying aesthetics were eyebrow-raising.
Yet, establishment-breaking builds aren’t the motivation. “We don’t set out to build the biggest yachts, we set out to build the best yacht for each client,” explains Peter Lürssen. Those clients are drawn “to our ability to think outside the box, and our determination to fulfill their wishes—no matter how unreachable they may seem.” Shad Khan, the owner of the 400-foot (122-meter) yacht Kismet (below), agrees. “Lürssen’s position is simple: If you can conceive it, they can do it, no constraints.” He adds, “I love that.”
Sometimes, the conceiving is as much the shipyard’s as it is the client’s. Peter Lürssen set it on a path toward increasing sustainability more than a decade ago. For instance, it patented an exhaust-treatment system that lowers nitrous-oxide emissions without detrimental impact to space, weight, sound, or vibration. Every yacht from its sheds has had the system since 2016. Four years later, the company unveiled Tesumo, a teak alternative—available for other shipyards to use, too. Furthermore, as Lürssen celebrates its 150th anniversary, its most sustainability-oriented delivery is nearing completion. The 375-foot (114-meter) yacht Cosmos (below) features a methanol-powered fuel-cell system. The owner welcomed being the first to use the technology. Cosmos should see a range of 1,000 miles at slow speeds emission-free while relying on the system’s 1 megawatt of power. She should also be able to remain at anchor while entirely relying on it for 15 nights.
Peter Lürssen (below) has long said he wants to see the family-run company be the first to construction a yacht without a combustion engine. It’s the same pioneering spirit as his great grandfather. “It is with great pride that I reflect on how Lürssen has evolved into the company it is today,” he says. “There have been storms and successes. However, these success stories do not belong solely to Lürssen as a company. They belong to their people,” acknowledging the approximate 2,000 employees and the generations of past employees. “Generations” is the key word. Just like the management team, many craftspeople are subsequent generations of trades specialists.
The shipyard wants to ensure even more tradespeople enter the industry. Through the Lürssen Foundation, it’s striving to inspire upcoming engineers and heads of startups making a difference in yachting. Similarly philanthropic, the yard supports the ocean-conservation organization Blue Marine Foundation.
Lürssen lurssen.com
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