2026 Bestevaer 49 S/Y | 49ft

The Mind Behind Bestevaer

     “Most designs in nature meet what we try to accomplish in our work as boat designers. Beautiful, functional design. Take the Albatros, for instance. A fantastic bird to see, determined by technical and physical requirements. The way power, finesse, efficiency, functionality, and aesthetics come together is fascinating. A wonderful collaboration between these components. To me, that’s elegance. Why do you think one of the Bestevaer sailing boats is called Albatros?

     Elegance is a feeling. An emotion. The appeal of a boat is an important factor in the design process. We also call this the ‘rowing factor’. Would you row an extra lap around the boat to see how beautiful she is? But from a yacht designers’ perspective, elegance never derives from its aesthetics only. It’s the interaction with the functionality that makes a yacht elegant. A yacht that doesn’t sail well can never be beautiful. Neither can a purely functional design. It is the symbiosis of efficiency, technology, and aesthetics. It’s about determining the right priorities. We never try to fit in as much interior volume or as many cabins possible. We choose finesse. Beautiful lines. A sharp bow. A simple shape, rounded corners. But no frills. Unpainted beauty in its simplicity. And at the same time, we create seaworthiness, good behavior at sea, a good daily average, the ability to speed up under specific conditions and, last but not least, good ergonomics for the crew.” ~ Gerard Dijkstra

     Dutch-born Gerard Dijkstra is a world-renowned racing sailor, the founder of Dykstra Naval Architects and the creative mind behind the Bestevaer family of expedition sailing yachts. Originally designed to satisfy his own sailing needs, the Bestevaer family with its distinct features is now extended with a motor yacht. Elegance plays a significant role in Dijkstra’s designs. He emphasizes it cannot be captured into words. And then proves himself wrong.

     "Just imagine having your own sailing yacht built. A yacht made entirely according to your own wishes and requirements, like they do at KM Yachtbuilders. What would be at the top of your wishlist? That’s what we asked the owner of the Zwarte Raaf (Black Raven), the new Bestevaer 49: “Suitable for single handed sailing, a tiller, a minimum amount of technology on board, maximum draught of 2.10 metres, with a modern but nautical interior.”

     The Zwarte Raaf is clearly the smaller sister of the Bestevaer II, the yacht privately owned by designer Gerard Dijkstra. The hull shape, superstructure and pilot house are virtually the same as those of this illustrious predecessor." ~ KM YachtBuilders