Dörries Yachts only recently announced that it was opening a location in Stralsund. Now another company, Pioneer Yachts, has been established in the city on the Strelasund.
The newly founded boat builder Pioneer Yachts says it wants to fill a gap in the market. When founder and CEO Mike Frank was looking for a reliable, solar-electric yacht for use at sea, he realized that such a model did not yet exist. He therefore decided to develop a suitable yacht himself together with a team of experienced engineers. The result is a new generation of solar-electric yachts.
Bremen-born engineer Mike Frank founded the Meistro Energie Group 20 years ago. The company is one of the early providers of directly marketed CO₂-free energy from its own photovoltaic parks. Frank now wants to pursue the same principles in the maritime sector as in the energy industry.
The PY60
The company’s first product is the PY60 catamaran. According to Pioneer Yachts, it combines German engineering with Italian design. Studio Cossutti & Ganz is responsible for the exterior and ship architecture, while Micheletti + Partners is responsible for the interior design.
The approximately 18-meter-long catamaran will be equipped with solar panels and electric drives. It has a top speed of 11 knots and a cruising speed of 7.5 knots. Thanks to the fully solar-electric propulsion system, the PY60 is designed for longer journeys and its long range should enable extensive independence on the water.
The first unit in the series, the “Pioneer One”, is due to be launched this summer. Its world premiere is planned for this year’s Cannes Yachting Festival.
Founder and CEO Mike Frank explains: “As I will be operating the first unit myself, it will serve as a key reference for us. We will observe its operation under real conditions and the data obtained will be used for further development. Future units will be built for actual use. That is our top priority as a company.”
Yacht cluster is growing
The new company Pioneer Yachts is located on the Volkswerft site. Dörries Yachts is also planning its new location there. As was announced last month, Dörries is moving to Stralsund with an investment of around €20 million in its luggage. Among other things, the money will go towards a new 8,600 m² shipbuilding hall. The decisive factor in Dörries Yachts’ decision in favor of Stralsund is said to have been the cooperation with Ostseestaal . The company, which in addition to yacht projects is primarily known for building electrically powered ferries and passenger ships, is also based on the Volkswerft site.
In October last year, Theodoros Fotiadis also realized a yacht refit project in Stralsund with his Astra Nord shipyard. The Greek yacht designer refitted the 47 m long San Lorenzo yacht “Ocean Dreamwalker 3”. On the occasion of the announcement of the refit project, the designer said that he could well imagine building yachts up to 70 m long in Stralsund.
