Hoek Design Naval Architects B.V.
Hoek Design Naval Architects B.V. is a premier Dutch studio specializing in performance sailing yachts with classic aesthetics. Their 68.4m, 224ft ketch, scheduled for 2026 delivery from Vitters Shipyard, continues a lineage of successful large ketches including Adele, Marie, Anne, and Meraki.
Dutch Masters of the Performance Ketch
Hoek Design Naval Architects B.V. is synonymous with the modern classic sailing yacht—vessels that marry the timeless beauty of Golden Age lines with state-of-the-art naval architecture. Based in the Netherlands, the studio has cultivated a lineage of large ketches that are both race-capable and supremely comfortable. The firm's 224ft (68.4m) sailing yacht, scheduled for delivery from Vitters Shipyard in late 2026, represents the culmination of this evolution. Commissioned by a repeat client, this ketch follows the successful series of Adele, Marie, Anne, and Meraki, all renowned for their classic finishes and refined sailing characteristics.
Engineering the Invisible
Hoek Design's approach is defined by rigorous research and development. For the 224ft ketch, the team employed extensive computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and velocity prediction programs (VPP) to optimize the hull shape, keel, and rudder configuration. This research ensures optimal sail balance, minimized leeway, and superior upwind performance. The yacht is designed to transit the Panama Canal, with mast height respecting Panamax restrictions—a deliberate choice for global cruising. Hoek Design Naval Architects retains full responsibility for naval architecture, exterior design, and interior design, ensuring singular creative control from first sketch to sea trials.
Philosophy and Craft
For decades, Hoek Design has resisted passing trends, instead refining a design grammar based on proportion, displacement, and seakeeping. Their yachts are built by the Netherlands' finest yards, with Vitters Shipyard executing this latest 68.4m project. The studio's 'eye for detail' philosophy extends to every bulkhead and fastener. Partners within the firm continue to advance the science of rig analysis and finite element analysis (FEA) while preserving the hand-drawn elegance that defines the Hoek Design silhouette. This 224ft ketch promises to be a landmark of early 21st-century sailing yacht design.
