This is the only exhibition where K&M is only represented with a stand, and not with a ship. You will find our stand in Superyacht Hall 7a, Stand Number B08. It will be easy to find us, as we will be right beside the access door to Hall 7!
Would you like to visit us to discuss your ideas and requirements? Or do you have any specific questions about aluminium, designers or the building process? Come along and visit us! You can make an appointment via info@kmy.nlor +31(0)515 233 000. We will then set aside time to see you.
The exhibition is from Saturday 21st to Sunday 29th January and is open each day from 10:00 to 18:00 hours. You will find more information about parking, admission prices, route finding, etc. on www.boot.de.

Bestewind 50: Winner of Yacht of the Year?
On the first Saturday of BOOT Düsseldorf we will find out whether the Bestewind 50 has been chosen as European Yacht of the Year! It is all very exciting.
After the Hiswa te Water exhibition in IJmuiden, various journalists from European water sports magazines have sailed with the Bestewind 50 and the other nominated ships. When they were on board they were very positive - in spite of the bad weather - so we are hopeful.
At our YouTube channel you can watch two videos which were made during the test voyage with 50-knot gusts!
Video 1
Video 2

The trade fair season is nearly upon us, and at K&M Yachtbuilders we are busy preparing ourselves. This year three trade fairs are in the diary, where K&M will only represent designs by Dykstra & Partners.

Båter I Sjøen 1 - 4 September 2011, Oslo (Sandvika)
The first one is the in-water boat show in Oslo, Båter I Sjøen, held in Sandvika, where K&M will proudly present the new Bestevaer 56ST "HannaH" to the public. Among the many polyester boats, this aluminium yacht will be a crowd puller. Her marine-blue hull and the pilot house with its traditional look will certainly catch the eye. The show will be held from 1-4 September 2011.

Hiswa te water 6-11 September 2011, Amsterdam (IJmuiden)
This is, of course, immediately followed by the wet Hiswa. Here we will show off as many as three yachts. The Bestevaer 45ST "Voyager" is the smallest Bestevaer we have built so far. K&M built two larger Bestevaers for the owner in the past, but he now wanted something smaller. This ship attracted a lot of attention in the past year during the building process, so we expect that it will also get many visitors during the trade fair.

The larger sister of the Bestevaer 45ST, the new Bestevaer 55ST "Pilgrim", will be moored at stand E-12. A spacious, beautiful but also practical ship, built entirely according to the owner's wishes. The water ballast, for instance, ensures comfortable sailing, while the crew is sitting safely in the deep cockpit.

The Bestewind 50 has been nominated for European Boat of the Year in the Luxury Cruiser category this year. Quite an honour! Inspired by Gerard Dijkstra's own Bestevaer 53ST, this GRP yacht was developed a number of years ago. Its major advantages are, again, the pilot house and the ship's spaciousness, with a headroom of nearly 2 metres.

A representative of the architects firm Dykstra & Partners will be present at K&M's stand every day.

Hanseboot 29 October - 6 November, Hamburg
At Hanseboot you will, of course, find K&M in the harbour rather than in the halls. K&M will present the Bestevaer 55ST "Morning Haze". This is another 55-feet yacht, but this one has a lift keel. The "Morning Haze" has also been built and styled according to the customer's requirements, and is therefore also different from the other Bestevaers. It has, for instance, a longer pilot house, and the cockpit has been moved further to the back.
UPDATE: Due to unforseen circomstances we will be showing the latest Bestewind 50. She has been nominated for European ánd Hiswa Boat of the Year!

In short, if you fancy visiting a ship built by K&M, you would be very welcome on board!

Proud! That is what we are at the moment.The Bestewind 50 has been nominated for European Yacht of the Year 2012!

 In the 'Luxury Cruiser' segment we will have to 'take on' the Amel 64, the Beneteau Sense 50, the Hallberg Rassy 64 and the Oyster 625.

Each year, the editors of 11 European sailing magazines select different yachts in different segments. Following the Hiswa in Water Boat Show and the Barcelona Boat Show, the yachts will be extensivly sailed and tested by the judges. During Boot Dusseldorf in January the winners will be announced. Of course, we would be thrilled if the Bestewind 50 woud win, but we are honoured to have been nominated in the first place.

At 09.00 the mobile crane is ready and the yacht is moved outside. Owing to its length of over 26 metres, a small part of the stern remains in the hull construction hall and the stem protrudes over the road, into the reed border. The cranes raise her off the boat carrier and there it is: a 13-ton hull suspended on four belts about the ground.

The cranes do their work and slowly the yacht begins to move. She turns slowly in the belts. ‘What a spectacular sight. Marvellous!' cries the proud owner. Passers-by also stop and take photographs. It takes just 20 minutes to turn the hull completely around, and now it is ‘standing' upright. The mobile cranes place her gently back on the boat carrier. One of the cranes stops to pick up the keel casing for the hydraulic raising keel, which is lowered from the top into the middle of the vessel. Once that is done, it is driven back inside. The yacht's elegant lines can now be clearly seen: a modern underwater hull, with a straight bow and leaning stern.

The ‘Tulip' was designed by German Frers Naval Architects of Argentina. This is the biggest yacht that K&M Yachtbuilders has built to date. Eeuwe Kooi, owner of K&M; "The‘Tulip' is a tremendous project for us! Not just because it's our biggest yacht so far, but also because we are working intensively in partnership with German Frers and the yacht owner. Personal and open contact with all parties is very important: that's how you get the best results. In the summer of 2012 a beautiful yacht will be taking to the water in Makkum, something everyone can be proud of."

Now that the hull has been turned, the final preparations will be made before it is moved to the finishing hall. Once it arrives there a start will be made with the technical installation, the insulation of the hull, the fitting of the interior, spraying of the hull and so on.

The owner has already confirmed that he definitely wants to have the yacht built this year, which takes the counter to 6 Bestevaers with a length of 53 feet and an upright stem. That takes the total to 13 Bestevaer STs on the water. The size ranges from 45 to 56 feet.

During a visit to the shipyard in Makkum the owner was able to view several yachts and found that the Bestevaer 53ST was the closest in keeping with his requirements. He saw a deep, safe cockpit, pilot house and water ballast system on most of the yachts, and these are the applications he wanted on board himself. ‘When sailing, this raises comfort on board to such an extent that these options are in fact indispensable for me. Another point that appealed to me straight away was the option of sailing with a tiller. That evokes a certain amount of nostalgia, but I also find direct steering and the feel with the yacht very important.'

The initial navigation area will mainly be northern Germany, Scandinavia and Great Britain, but there are also plans to go on longer voyages. And that will certainly not be a problem for the Bestevaer 53ST!

Hull building hall:
1) German Frers 88ft ‘Tulip'
2) Stadtship 54 (preparation)

Finishing hall:
1) Bestevaer 73S ‘Christopher' FOR SALE
2) Bestevaer 55ST ‘Pilgrim'
3) Bestevaer 55ST ‘Morning Haze'
4) Bestevaer 45ST 'Voyager'
5) Axonite 69 'Axonite 69' (not accessible)
6) Icon 48 ‘Leeloo'
7) Bestewind 50
8) Sloep 'Bestewind' FOR SALE

Outside:
1) Classic Schooner ‘Mistral' FOR SALE
2) Bestevaer 49ST ‘Katharos'
3) Bestevaer 49ST 'No Name'
4) Bestevaer 53ST ‘Qerst' (ex Alice)
5) Bestevaer 53ST ‘Zeerover'
6) Bestevaer 53ST ‘Maaike Saadet'
7) Bestevaer 65S ‘Lady Ann' FOR SALE
8) Stadtship 56 ‘Oester'
9) Stadtship 56 ‘Merrimac'
10) Koopmans 47 ‘Bower Bird'

LECTURES
12:00 hrs Mr Koen van Esch will talk about his Transat 6,50 journey. It took him -solo- from France to Brazil in three weeks. Listen to his stories and enjoy the photo's and film.

14:00 hrs Mr Kees Verruijt is the owner of the Stadtship 56 Merrimac, which is also outside. He will explain about his search for the perfect solution for navigation and control equipment on board.

There will be a concession stand for drinks and small snacks at the yard. The nautical clothing store 'Zilt' will be there also to sell clothing and accessories.

The following companies will also have Open Day in Makkum:
Gebroeders van Enkuizen
www.noordkaper.com

Van Malsen Jacht- en Interieurbetimmering
www.vanmalsen.nl