Breehorn

Breehorn is a Dutch boatyard specialising in seaworthy sailing yachts, small keelboats and motor yachts. It was founded in 1966 as Jachtwerf Elahuizen in Elahuizen on the Heegermeer in the Dutch province of Friesland by Laus van den Berg, and initially built smaller open sailing boats such as BM jollen, Fly Tours and Polyvalken — roughly 4,000 polyester hulls for Polyvalken were produced by the yard. In 1976 the yard was renamed Breehorn, and in 1984 it moved to Woudsend, where it is still based at Vosseleane 69. The yard's own description of itself is "Waar zeilers bouwen voor zeilers" — where sailors build for sailors. It states that in the 60 years of its existence growth has never been a goal in itself, and that it therefore still does not build large series. This gives it time to consult with each customer about their wishes and to specify and build each vessel individually. Construction from keel to rigging is handled in-house, which the yard says allows it to control the quality of processes and materials and remain flexible. Its stated design principles are timeless beauty, elegance and robustness, safety and reliability, durable design, high sailing comfort and a balanced hull. Breehorn builds boats from 31 to 55 feet in length. The Breehorn 37 is particularly widespread in the Netherlands and is a familiar name among sailors; around 130 units of this model had been built as of 2024. The model has been in continuous production since 1980 and has long been one of the most sought-after cruising yachts on the Dutch market. The yard builds its boats in GRP or, more rarely, in composite construction with an aluminium hull and a GRP deck, and is known for classic designs, mainly from the Dutch design office Dick Koopmans (Breehorn 31, 37 and 44) and, since around 2006, from Simonis-Voogd (Breehorn 41, 48 and 55). The Koopmans designs are characterised by simplicity and a modern cutter rig with halyards led to the mast within a stable mast railing; the Simonis-Voogd designs are somewhat more modern without negating the brand's core of sturdy offshore yachts. Models from 41 feet in length all feature a fixed doghouse. Besides sailing boats, the yard also builds two types of motorboat, the Goodwin 44 and the Dutch Runabout. Ownership has passed through the founding family and beyond. Laus van den Berg's son Lars joined the yard in the early 1990s. The founder died, and in 2005 Lars van den Berg sold the company; since 2011 he has run it together with Marc de Vries, rescuing it from insolvency and continuing operations. The yard remains a private, family-scale operation rather than a mass producer, and its boats are sold primarily in the Netherlands and elsewhere in Europe.

Breehorn's history begins in 1966, when Laus van den Berg founded Jachtwerf Elahuizen in Elahuizen on the Heegermeer in the Dutch province of Friesland. In its early years the yard built smaller open sailing boats such as BM jollen, Fly Tours and Polyvalken; roughly 4,000 polyester hulls for Polyvalken were produced by the yard. In 1976 the yard was renamed Breehorn, and in 1984 it relocated to Woudsend, where it remains based at Vosseleane 69. The Breehorn 37, designed by the Dutch design office Dick Koopmans, entered production in 1980 and has been built continuously since then. It became the yard's best-known model, widespread in the Netherlands and a familiar name among sailors; around 130 units had been built as of 2024. Other Koopmans designs include the Breehorn 31 and Breehorn 44. These yachts are characterised by simplicity and a modern cutter rig, with halyards operated at the mast within a stable mast railing. In the early 1990s Laus van den Berg's son Lars joined the yard. The founder later died, and in 2005 Lars van den Berg sold the company. From around 2006 the yard began working with the design office Simonis-Voogd, which produced the Breehorn 41, 48 and 55. These designs are somewhat more modern while retaining the brand's core identity of sturdy offshore yachts; models from 41 feet in length all have a fixed doghouse. In 2011 Lars van den Berg and Marc de Vries took over the operation together, rescuing the yard from insolvency and continuing to run it. The yard continues to build boats from 31 to 55 feet in length, in GRP or, more rarely, in composite construction with an aluminium hull and a GRP deck. Alongside sailing yachts it also builds two motorboat types, the Goodwin 44 and the Dutch Runabout. Its stated approach remains that growth is not a goal in itself: it does not build large series, consults each customer individually, and handles construction from keel to rigging in-house to control quality and remain flexible.

• 2024

  Around 130 units of the Breehorn 37 had been built.

• 2011

  Lars van den Berg and Marc de Vries take over the yard together, rescuing it from insolvency.

• 2006

  The yard begins working with the design office Simonis-Voogd (Breehorn 41, 48 and 55).

• 2005

  Lars van den Berg sells the company.

• 1990

  Lars van den Berg, son of the founder, joins the yard in the early 1990s.

• 1984

  The yard moves to Woudsend.

• 1980

  The Breehorn 37 enters production; it has been built continuously since.

• 1976

  The yard is renamed Breehorn.

• 1966

  Founded as Jachtwerf Elahuizen in Elahuizen on the Heegermeer, Friesland, by Laus van den Berg.

Hand-built, semi-custom seaworthy yachts for sailors, with in-house construction from keel to rigging and no large-series production.

• Breehorn 31

• Breehorn 37

• Breehorn 44

• Breehorn 41

• Breehorn 48

• Breehorn 55

• Goodwin 44

• Dutch Runabout

1. 1Home - Breehorn - waar zeilers bouwen voor zeilersbreehorn.nl
2. 2Breehornwikidata.org
3. 3Breehornde.wikipedia.org