ENKHUIZEN – VMG Yachtbuilders relishes challenging projects. Take Agile for instance, a carbon racing sailing yacht. Or, this year, the restoration of Baruna of 1938, a 73ft wooden racer that lifts the yard’s versatility to a new level.
Baruna was drawn by the US naval architecture firm that Olin Stephens and Drake Sparkman, founded in 1929. The yacht won the Bermuda Race in 1938 and, Gain, in 1948. It is now owned by a billionaire who decided to restore it and found a dedicated partner in that undertaking in VMG Yachtbuilders.
The Dutch Hoek Design studio was brought in for the naval architecture, performance optimization, structural engineering and interior and exterior design work.
“We initially received a request for a price quote for the exterior and interior restoration,” says VMG owner Tim van Daal. “But that we couldn’t do. In this classic vessel, nothing is straight and symmetrical, and everything connects directly to the structure.”
Van Daal brought in specialist parties for a project of surgical precision. “The owner wanted to preserve the yacht’s original state as much as possible. It’s very much about legacy. The yacht has to comply with class rules. We ended up doing much more work than initially planned.”
Baruna skipper, Australian Tony Morse, has his own office at VMG.
“We have weekly project meetings and daily discussions about technical details with Tony,” says Technical Director Hidde de Bruijn. The restoration required 18 workers. Finding suitable wood is no problem as VMG has good contacts with suppliers.
“Although money was no issue, we had to account for all the costs,” says De Bruijn.
“We use modern gluing techniques,” says Van Daal. “Much energy was needed to ensure the water flows perfectly along the keel and rudder. Inside, the hull skin is visible. A full-size model was first made for the technical room to see how all the installations fit into it.”
The boat’s detailing is extreme.
The deck’s underside has the same pattern inside as outside. The angle of the transom flagpole is such that the banner’s lowest point almost touches the water. The cockpit floor has a subtle 3 mm flare on each side. All the hardware on deck is custom-made. Much of the metalwork was done by VMG Yachtbuilders unit Super Duplex Hulls. The yacht will compete in two classes for classic racers. That means the sea rail and scepter pots can be removed for racing.
Baruna’s restoration is a dress rehearsal of sorts.
“Our ultimate goal is to build a J-Class yacht one day,” says van Daal. He has already expanded waterfront capacity and acquired the brands, logos, archives, drawings, designs and rights of the defunct Holland Jachtbouw yard, builder of the J-Class yachts Rainbow and Topaz.
