Sailing Magazine
by Richard Crockett
‘Stormvogel’ was the result of the radical ideas of Cornelius Bruynzeel, a Dutch construction timber manufacturer, and a close collaboration of well-renowned designers.
I suppose the skeptics amongst us would call it a “committee-designed” yacht!
Maybe they are right as Bruynzeel first approached E.G. van De Stadt, but at the Zaandam drawing office time was scarce, so he turned instead to Olin Stephens, with whom he had worked before. Unsure of putting his name to such a radical project Stephens turned down the offer. Bruynzeel turned next to British designer Jack Laurent Giles who set about work on a preliminary design. Whilst waiting, a chance meeting occurred between Bruynzeel and John Illingworth, who was known for his experimental designs. He, too, would create a prototype.
Finally Van De Stadt came back onboard and the three teams of Jack Laurent Giles, E.G. van De Stadt and John Illingworth, with two sets of hull lines each of which were then modelled and tank tested. Curiously the designs differed very little and the three best were chosen; coincidentally one from each team. Bruynzeel decided to give each designer a share in the final boat. Hull lines by van De Stadt; sail plan; deck and accommodation by Illingworth and Primrose; construction details and general arrangement of all the drawings by Giles.
So “committee-designed” or not, she was an incredibly successful yacht which won major races and was always in the hunt.
READ MORE HERE: Pages from 2008 01 – SAILING Magazine – OCR
