The yacht
The JPK39 Fast Cruiser was European Yacht of the Year in 2022 (performance yachts category). This ship has the lines of a racing yacht, but the interior and comfort of a cruiser. It is a lightweight yacht with particularly comfortable sailing characteristics.
Thanks to the wide stern and a lifting keel of 2.7 meters deep, it can plane and is very stable in the water. The JPK39FC is an unsinkable seaworthy yacht.
It was built in Brittany (Lorient), where many modern racing yachts are built.
The skippers
The JPK is skippered by Piet Bouma and Ester Boverhoff from the Netherlands. Piet spent a lot of time sailing on the Frisian lakes in his youth.
During and after his (mechanical) studies he organized and skippered sailing holidays on barches for and with friends. Cruising on the Waddensea and IJsselmeer. Yacht crossings to England, Ile of Wight, sailing in the Bay of Biscay and several times in Denmark.
Piet participated for 11 years in the IFKS barchracing. As a crew member he joined regatta competitions from Scheveningen to England, Norway and Ireland.
Co-skipper and co-owner Ester Boverhoff learned sailing 17 years ago, and she bought an Etap 22 to practice her skippering. She sailed many miles with (husband) Piet, and they did many marine trainings and courses.
The plan
Piet’s dream from an early age has been a beautiful and agile yacht, and a secret wish, to sail around one day.
Inspired by books, like for instance, from Herman Jansen (first Dutchman solo around), and Tania Aebi.
The plan for 2024 is sailing from Den Helder, and in 2025, if we like it, and everything goes according to plan, departure in April for a grand tour as a charter.
Are you interested? It is possible to join a leg. We intend to follow some old navigation routes. In the wake of Cook and Darwin.