valk

Inland fishers and parlevinkers; The Valk family has been connected to water for generations. Instead of sailing himself, Cornelis Valk was the first to focus on yacht building in 1928. He started a shipyard on the Potmarge in Huizum, near Leeuwarden. Here he built, among other things, wooden BMs - Bergumer Jollen - after a design by Hendrik Bulthuis. Wooden yachts were also launched to a design by Van de Stadt and to their own design. Over the years he switched to steel yachts. Light and slim, was his philosophy. And with success. In 25 years he scored an impressive series of 17 victories in the Harlingen-Terschelling Race.

Immediately after the war, Cornelis' son, Pieter Valk, worked for ten years at his father's yard immediately after the war. In 1955 he started his own business in Franeker. In his company in the city center, he built a 7-meter pointed hole sailing yacht with a steel hull and wooden superstructure according to his own drawing. He named the design after his wife Regina. The ship became a success and soon the location became too small. In 1960, the company moved to its current location on the industrial estate De Tuinen in Franeker, on the Van Harinxma Canal. About three hundred Reginas were launched here.

In 1964 Valk Yachts introduced the ValkVlet, after its own design, in collaboration with Th. Gillis. The design was very successful. Among skippers, the motor yacht gained the reputation of 'Rolls Royce among the vlets'. Building on this success, the company built steel round bilge barges in the following decades according to its own design and drawing, varying in length from 8.50 to 14.30 metres.

Since 1975, the third generation has been at the helm with Philip Valk. In addition to the ValkVlet, the model line has been considerably expanded with the Valk Alu Sportief, Valk Merlin and Valk Spiegelkotter Alu 15.00. But P.Valk Yachts is still true to its tradition: building in-house, everything in-house. Today a rarity in the Netherlands.

DOEVE Brokers and Valuers is your dedicated yacht broker for boats built by P.Valk Yachts. For further information about the sale of your Valk or if you wish to purchase a Valk, please contact us.