About Bente Yachts
Dating back to 2014, Bente was the brainchild of Stephan Boden, a sailing writer and filmmaker, and designer Alexander Vrolijk, son of famous naval architect Rolf from judel/vrolijk & co.
Starting as a dynamic collaboration, based on innovative design, the founders, both from Hamburg Germany decided that the yachting industry needed to change. So, they set out to change it, starting with the launch of a new business, Bente Yachts. Their first concept yacht, the Bente 24, received critical acclaim with a bold, mould-breaking design, featuring aggressive chines and a hard doghouse which was to become a trademark of all subsequent Bente yachts. Affordable pricing ensured that yacht ownership was not just a preserve of the wealthy.
The Bente 24 proved to incredibly successful, selling over 120 examples to date.
Emboldened by the success of the Bente 24, Alex Vrolijk started work on another bold project, the Bente 39. Although much larger than the Bente 24 the new Bente displayed many similar characteristics, again featuring the defined chine and the type of solid cuddy, more reminiscent of IMOCA racers. Yet the new 39 was no racer. The new yacht was primarily designed as a fast cruiser, appealing to the type of sailer who no longer wished to ‘live in the cellar’. Launched in 2018, the new design again went down well with the yachting press and prospective customers.
Orders for the new Bente 39 soon followed but the R&D and manufacturing costs took their toll on the Bente Yachts business which went into receivership in February 2020. The business was soon snapped up by one of the existing Bente business partners, Ultramarin Meichle + Mohr. Already an owner of the largest marina in Germany with 1500 berths and a variety of facilities in Kessbron, Lake Constance, Ultramarine Meichle + Mohr were able to put Bente onto a stable financial footing. The new owners ensured that the spirit of the Bente concept was maintained through collaboration with the renowned designhouse Judel/Vrolijk and that the same Bente manufacturing facility in Szczecin, Poland continued to produce yachts of the highest possible quality.
The takeover didn’t just guarantee the existing Bente business but it enabled the completion of the development of the latest Bente model, the Bente 28. Continuing the proven Bente concept, the Bente 28 was launched in 2023 to universal acclaim by the yachting press. Early orders are very encouraging – the Bente 28 promises to be a very popular model.
The Small Yacht Company are delighted to add the Bente Yachts range to their wide portfolio of yachts.
