The Doggersbank model is a story of seaworthy durability. A rugged offshore design first brought to life by Vripack founder Dick Boon in the 1970s, the brand continues to endure the test of time. Much like its namesake, the large sandbank in a shallow area of the North Sea, the Doggersbank has been dormant in recent years. But according to Vripack, the long-range explorer is once again in build, in the form of the legendary Doggersbank 66 Offshore.
More than 700 Doggersbank models have been built to date. The success of the brand name is a testament to its compact yet all-encompassing features. And for a Northern European family of hands-on sailors looking for a way to smoothly transition from mast to motor, it seemed the perfect option.
“Doggersbank is like the Leatherman of Swiss Army knives,” said Vripack co-creative director Bart Bouwhuis. “It’s solid, rigid and highly engineered, and ready to perform in any condition. The Doggersbank has long been recognized as a reliable, Dutch-designed, and engineered , Dutch-built yacht. What you see is what you get.”
At 66 feet in length, the latest incarnation will be one of the mid-size versions. Previous designs have ranged between 32 feet and 98 feet, but for a family-operated boat, it’s still a manageable size to have fun in choppy Northern European waters.
From Maverick to Coy Koi, and Tivoli to Gayle Force—the smallest private Marshall Island flag boat to ever venture to the Southern Peninsula—the list of previous builds is impressive, earning Doggersbank a stout reputation.
“The family has owned numerous Vripack-designed commercial shipping boats in the past,” Bouwhuis said. “We’re talking high-speed patrol boats that they sail in the North Sea and Baltic, so they know everything about seaworthiness and comfort of a proper boat. That’s why they immediately connected with the Doggersbank brand and the robust pedigree of this pocket-sized explorer. They had no doubt that this is the boat for them.”
The new Doggersbank 66 Offshore is based on a proven platform defined by its characteristic high bow. The original design places functional design at the fore. With only minor tweaks required, including a full sheet of computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis, the new build will be a living embodiment of passion and practicality, built with beauty and flare. Currently under construction in Dutch family-owned shipyard Altena in North Brabant, she’s scheduled for delivery at the end of 2021.
“We all see boats getting bigger and bigger,” Bouwhuis said, “but to have one of the smaller Doggersbank models under construction again, with a dedicated family who really appreciate all that the brand stands for makes us really proud.”
