I began my career as an independent designer in October 1961. At this early stage, I did drawings mostly for small yachts commissioned by yards and private individuals. The range included motor, sailing and flat-bottomed yachts, made of both wood and steel.

Vripack was launched in 1961, combining the design and sale of yachts in a single dedicated company. The untimely death of my partner forced a change into a one-man firm in October 1965, a status retained until Vripack became a limited company 30 years later.

Back in 1965, the market trend was still primarily toward smaller motor, sailing and flat-bottomed yachts. Two of our most important designs from this time were undoubtedly the Argonaut sailing yacht and Aquanaut motoryacht series.

The first of our trail-blazing Doggersbank motoryachts was launched in 1968. The prototype measured a modest 10.8 metres, but by 1971 we had completed a 15-metre Doggersbank, with a 19-metre version appearing in 1973 and a 24-metre model a year later. Over the decades since, more than 500 Doggersbank yachts have been built in a multitude of different versions.

By the spring of 1987, the risks involved in complete yacht builds had become prohibitively high. Vripack closed down its sales office and concentrated on its core business of yacht design, while I had to trim my staff down to just three people.

A few difficult years followed until the arrival of computer technology changed everything. The enormous in-house experience accrued by Vripack during two decades of project management meant that we were uniquely proficient in the countless aspects involved in the design of a yacht. With new technology at hand, this expertise now found an exceptionally efficient application.

As computerised nesting developed, many construction activities shifted from yard sheds and workshops to design offices. The last 20 years have seen a genuine revolution in yacht design, engineering and building. I am proud of the way Vripack has led the way in optimising the possibilities of CAD/CAM technologies and set new standards in design capability.
 
Today, Vripack functions as a professional design, engineering, naval architecture and brokerage office involved in the entire building process: Design, construction, plate extensions, nesting, systems, interiors, new construction management, brokerage, registration and class, VAT mitigation and so on. This means that in addition to serving owners, Vripack also counts many renowned Dutch and international yards as its clients, as well as working with other leading designers.

As I look around our state-of-the-art facilities and watch the way our highly skilled people enthusiastically meet ever-changing demands, it is clear why Vripack is seen as such a pioneer in our field. We would welcome the opportunity to work together with you to create something unique… Uniquely Vripack.