Window manufacturer and avid sailor, Winfried Herrman, and Josef Meltl, a yacht charter broker, took over a PVC window factory in 1978 in Giebelstadt, Germany. Their dream: Turn the factory into a shipyard and manufacture affordable, yet brilliantly built sailing yachts. They retained the PVC workforce and named their new company Bavaria Yachtbau. By 2006, the company had produced more than 3,500 sailboats and motor yachts.
Today, Bavaria Yachts is one of the largest yacht builders in Europe and leads the global market in boats ranging from 30 to 56 feet.
Hallmarks of a Bavaria Yacht
Some of the most celebrated and sought-after aircraft and automobiles have one thing in common: German engineering. Over the years, this term has become synonymous with precision, power, innovation and quality craftsmanship. And it applies to sailing yachts and motorboats as well – especially the ones built by Bavaria.
The shipyard, which is near Würzburg, Germany, is a boat-building marvel. There are four 410-foot production lines, two huge halls with 656,168 square feet devoted to hull and deck manufacturing, and individual workshops for carpentry, painting and laminating. Every inch of every boat Bavaria builds is constructed on-site.
Not only is Bavaria Yachts the biggest yard in Germany, it is one of the most innovative: It combines the age-old traditions of boat building, revered German engineering and the most advanced 21st century technology. In fact, Bavaria Yachts has a lot of “firsts” under its belt. For example, it was among the first, if not the first, shipyard to computerize its manufacturing process using CNC systems.
CNC’s preprogrammed software controls a range of complex equipment (lathes, grinders, turning mills) used to cut, shape and create parts and prototypes. CNC machining is accurate and repeatedly delivers the same result – product quality. This advanced manufacturing method increases production speed and efficiency, which, in turn, decreases costs. Even with the latest software and complex machines in place, it still takes the engineering and design ingenuity of Bavaria’s experienced boat builders to turn out the beautiful, luxurious yachts that bear its name.
Another area where Bavaria led the way years ago is in the serialization of its yachts. By creating specialized series – each with their own style and function – Bavaria is able to appeal to a variety of yachting lifestyles. That way when customers find a model that matches their individual taste and preferences, they stick with it. They know what to expect and are loyal to that series when it comes time to purchase a newer model. Plus, serialization and registration make it possible for customers to trace a model’s history. Bavaria has created nine series: C-Line, Cruiser, Easy, R-Line, S-Line, SR-Line, Vida, Virtess and Vision.
Bavaria Motorboats Power Onto the Scene in 2001
In keeping with its commitment to quality, Bavaria Yachts partners with the market leaders in each field. For instance, Bavaria motor yachts come equipped with cost-effective, smart, powerful engines made by Yamaha, Mercury and Honda. The company was also among the first to use Volvo Penta’s Integrated Propulsion System. The advantages of having IPS onboard include increased range, reduced fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions –– all without hindering safety, performance or comfort.
Bavaria also collaborates with top designers like Italian architect Marco Casali, owner of Too Design in Rome. Casali is a magician when it comes to maximizing the space of smaller boats. He uses environmentally compatible designs to devise “experience” zones in compact cockpits and creates living areas with more than one use. Casali designed Bavaria’s first flybridge yacht.
Quality Construction Equals Longevity
High-sided, fast hulls, broad gunwales, bow-to-stern railing, hulls and decks made of sandwich construction foam inserts and IPA resins – are all part of Bavaria’s built-in protection to ensure its motor yachts are safe, secure, dry and long lasting. Decks on the sailing yachts are reinforced with sheets of aluminum and then screwed and glued to the hull. Whether sailing or motoring, Bavaria’s precision craftsmanship and ideal balance of solid wood and tough laminates add seaworthiness to each boat that comes off the line.
Herrman and Meltl’s dream of manufacturing first-class yachts with a price-performance ratio second to none came true. By 2020, the company they founded was manufacturing about 600 boats annually and had garnered multiple awards and recognition, including European Yacht of the Year 2015 for the Cruiser 46 and European Yacht of the Year 2021 for the C42.
Shipyard Stats
- Founders: Winfried Herrman, Josef Meltl
- Established: 1978, Giebelstadt, Germany
- Acquired: 2018, CMP Capital Management-Partners
- Size: 30 to 56 feet
- Type: Catamarans, Sailing and Motor Yachts
- Models: Sailing: Cruiser 38, 42, 45, 50, 57, 34, 37, 41, 41S,) 46, 51, 46 Style, 51 Style; Vision 42, 46; Easy 9.7. Motor: Vida 33; R40,
- R55, SR41; S29, S30, S33, S36, S40, S45; Virtess 420
- Construction: Solid wood (mahogany, teak, oak, walnut, chestnut, Ocean Line) with IPA resin laminates; aluminum-reinforced decks on sailing models
Bavaria are builders of sailing yachts, motorboats, and catamarans, each of exceptional quality and engineering since 1978. With 16 different sailing models, 11 models of motorboats, and catamarans that are built by its sister company Nautitech, the company offers a wide range of vessels. Bavaria yachts are made in Germany in its facility that includes four production lines which are each 125 meters long; two large halls in which to create hulls and decks that equal 200,000 square meters. Today, about 550 employees of BAVARIA YACHTS work in the yard in Germany and produce over 450 sailing yachts and motorboats.
If you’re looking for a sail or motorboat that combines the precision and expertise of German engineering with all the other features that make cruising a joy – intelligent use of space, the finest materials, fixtures and fittings, security and easy handling (even for a crew of two), then it’s time you browse through the Bavaria Yachts YATCO have for sale.