Van der Valk to open new facility in golden jubilee year
Van der Valk Shipyard in the Netherlands is celebrating its golden jubilee in 2017 and will mark 50 years of quality yachtbuilding by opening a new and larger construction hall in the spring. This exciting development follows on from the Dutch yard’s successful participation at the Boot Düsseldorf show and will be seamlessly integrated with the launching of seven major projects in the months ahead.
The new Van der Valk production hall will allow us to build motoryachts up to 40+ metres in length with up to three decks – something for which the existing facilities had been slightly too small. Construction of the facility has already started, with the steel framing of the construction completely finished.
The shell of the new hall – the roof and walls – will be completed in time for the Experience Event, which will be held from 23-26 March. This annual open-house occasion allows Van der Valk owners and potential clients to take a comprehensive look behind the scenes at the yard and see the latest projects in build and close to completion.
A good year
These new developments – and the celebrations of half-a-century of yachtbuilding – follow up on a successful 2016 for Van der Valk. The yard launched some highly-acclaimed yachts, of which the 23-metre Grey Falcon (one of the fastest Van der Valk’s ever launched with a top speed of 32 knots) was one. The yard also received a number of new orders, the most recent being a semi-custom sister vessel to Grey Falcon, which will be delivered in 2018. More information on this flybridge yacht will be forthcoming soon.
Beach life
Another highlight of 2016 was Van der Valk’s unique concept for midsize motoryachts developed in cooperation with the designer Cor D. Rover and Ginton Naval Architects. This new all-aluminium Van der Valk BeachClub line will comprise an engine room in the same area as the swimming platform, giving owners an unprecedented amount of space, both indoors and out. While the patent is still pending on this innovative concept, construction of the first of the new yachts will start.
Seven new launches
A busy year is ahead for the yard with no less than seven new vessels due to be launched in 2017: three flybridge yachts of 18, 23 and 27 metres respectively, two 26-metre raised pilothouse yachts, a 25-metre explorer and the 19.05-metre BeachClub 600. Van der Valk will also work on a number of refit projects as the skills of its craftsmen and engineers continue to attract new clients.
About Van der Valk Shipyard
Van der Valk Shipyard has been constructing both steel and aluminium motor yachts since 1968. The family-owned shipyard employs more than 45 craftsmen and is located in Waalwijk, the Netherlands. Its founder Wim Van der Valk is still a driving force behind the company. The yard has primarily earned its worldwide reputation from the award-winning semi-custom Continental series. Van der Valk also has the capacity to build fully custom designs.
