Stormvogel was, in her day, one of the fastest racing yachts around, with plaques on her bulkhead below to prove line honours. Commissioned in 1959 by Cornelius Bruynzeel, a Dutch construction timber manufacturer, she went on to take the regattas by storm in the sixties.
Over this period, Bruynzeel competed in virtually all of the major races all over the world, from the Fastnet and Sydney-Hobart, to the Transpac and Middle Sea race, amongst others. Her high basic speed was proven time and time again, particularly by her records in the Fastnet and Dinard races. Later, in the eighties, the 23m Bermudian ketch even went on to star in ‘Dead Calm’, the film that made Nicole Kidman famous.
Her current owner Ermanno Traverso has owned the yacht for some 35 years and bought her for her ocean-going qualities rather than her history. He has an evident sense of pride in the yacht thanks to her unmistakable sailing prowess.
Traverso now has plans to return Stromvogel to the grand prix ocean racing circuit and next year she will return on the water, with the help of Hall Spars, after a major refit taking place at Metur Yachts in Bodrum, Turkey.
The Hall Spars factory in Breskens is providing new spars and rigging, and her commissioning and sail trials are scheduled in the second half of 2018. Through combining the classic aesthetics of the Stormvogel with the modern build methods and technology of Halls Spars, the yacht will fill perfectly into the Classic Yacht regatta’s when she races next year.
