Tuesday evening, the Dutch Royal yacht Piet Hein was officially welcomed into the Feadship Heritage Fleet during a formal ceremony.
The gathering brought together representatives from the National Maritime Museum, SAIL, Stichting Piet Hein, Feadship and members of the FHF board.
Representing SAIL were Chairman Mr Woltering, Treasurer Mr Parmet, Mr Stunnenberg (board member), and Adjutant Mr Soetendaal. The Piet Hein was represented by Vice-Chairman Mr Post and Secretary Mr Kodde of the namesake foundation.
The Feadship Heritage Fleet is an association of owners of classic Feadships that are at least thirty years old. The organisation is dedicated to preserving these vessels, sharing knowledge, and organising joint activities on the water.
The 31-metre motor yacht Piet Hein was gifted by the Dutch people to Princess Juliana and Prince Bernhard in 1937 to mark their wedding. It was designed by the renowned naval architect Henri W. de Voogt, whose design language and vision greatly influenced the evolution of Dutch yachtbuilding. De Voogt is widely regarded as a key figure in the early history of Feadship – a fact that grants this yacht a special place within the maritime heritage that Feadship represents.
Since 1980, Piet Hein has been under the care of the Stichting Piet Hein (Piet Hein Foundation), which keeps her operational and meticulously maintained with the help of volunteers.
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The membership was formally confirmed during the ceremony by the signing of the certificate and the placement of the Feadship Heritage Fleet insignia on board. Wim van Kampen, Chairman of the Feadship Heritage Fleet, underscored the importance of preserving the Dutch sailing heritage in his speech: “This is the unifying mission of the 85 members of our fleet: to safeguard these unique vessels for future generations.”
As a mark of her historical and symbolic significance, Piet Hein was named flagship of the Feadship Heritage Fleet and went on to lead 35 FHF yachts into Amsterdam during the Sail-in of SAIL.
