1970
Kapal IV1971
The hands-on involvement of clients embracing the Feadship build experience is not a new phenomenon, as this image from 1971 shows. The construction of Kapal IV not only pleased her commissioning owner Lou Kapelski: it has also stood the test of time, with the yacht (now named Victoria) recently completing an exciting circumnavigation of Tasmania.
Al Riyadh1975
Talking of fascinating interior features by Pierre Tanter, here’s the hospital he created for Al Riyadh. This 65-metre Feadship was insanely large for the time and remained the longest member of the Feadship fleet for many years. At the start of the three-year build in 1975 the yard was too short to accommodate her and the nose protruded out of the back façade, covered by sails. As one might expect, when completed, Al Riyadh was the most luxurious yacht anyone had ever seen.
Lae II1975
The 1970s saw the emergence of dedicated interior designers who were not attached to any single yard. One of the first Feadships produced by such a star was LAC II, launched in 1975. Pierre Tanter created a lavish, Oriental-style interior with highlights such as an exotic trompe l’œil in the main salon and wallpaper with an Asian bamboo motif in the beauty parlour, complete with barber’s chair.
Daria1979
This decade came to a close with the launch of another striking classic Feadship beauty called Daria. Her perfect proportions would go on to inspire other Feadship owners, as did her innovative oil-bath shaft lines and the arrangement of her propeller with the stern. Daria beautifully illustrates how technological improvements can go hand in hand with design evolution.
Milestone
In addition to their inherent beauty, Al Riyadh and Daria made headlines because they were built for clients in the Middle East at a time when this was seen as a radical business venture. This showcased the enterprising spirit of those selling Feadships to the world’s wealthiest individuals and the unrivalled quality that Feadship could offer. The trend continues to this day, with Feadship becoming the first western brand to sell superyachts to clients from mainland China in recent years.
Personalities
Henk van Gerven, Theo van Lent and Jan van Lent in front of the Feadship Agrippina in 1970. After Cees van Lent passed away in 1963, his sons Theo and Jan took over the Feadship Van Lent yard together with Cees’s right-hand man Henk van Gerven. Dick van Lent also describes Henk as his mentor, illustrating his key support role to three generations of the Van Lent family.
When Feadship established its own office in the United States in 1977, the ideal candidate to become general manager was Don Kenniston. Previously captain of the Feadships Jardell and Big R, Don remained at the helm of Feadship America for 21 years and cemented Feadship’s profile as the go-to-brand for US owners seeking premium quality.
Stopwatch in hand, Frits de Voogt takes a keen interest in the sea trials of one of the many Feadships to which he contributed design and naval architecture. His career spanned almost five decades from the time he started taking over the reins of Feadship De Voogt from his father Henri in 1958 to his retirement a few years shy of the new millennium. Now in his nineties, Frits remains an inspiration to all who know him and his work.