“I want to be a yacht builder” said Tjerk when he was 10 years old after his first visit to a boatyard . As determined as he was, he built his first sailing dinghy when he was 15 years old in his parents’ garage. The dinghy, an boat type: Optimist, which was a present for his two younger sisters. Having had vocational training, Tjerk then followed it up with technical training and began work for a builder specialising in building wooden racing yachts.
In 1974 Tjerk came into contact with a dinghy racer who was having difficulty reaching the top of the“Schakel” -class. In his spare time and with the help of his older brother Henk, who studied physics, plans for the “Schakel” were modified. The choice of materials, the hull shape, the sails and the centerboard were tweaked in the details. The result: The first race of the “Schakel” with sail number 2213 (during Sneekweek 1975) won by a landslide. As a result many orders for the fast sailing dinghy’s were placed.
On the 17th of October 1975 “Hutting Jachtbouw” was registered with the Chamber of Commerce. In a double garage in Akkrum, without toilet, heating or daylight, many “Schakels”, “Valkens”, “16m2” and “Rainbows” were built which all became successful on the Dutch racing scene. The success continued and in 1979 Hutting Jachtbouw moved into a new facility in the famous Frisian sailing village of Grou.
In 1985 Tjerk was approached to build a 40ft sailing yacht designed by D.Koopmans. The yacht was built and the owner sailed her around the world successfully. Tjerk developed the design further in cooperation with the designer D.Koopmans and the result was the first Hutting 40, which was launched in 1989.
Having attended numerous boatshows in The Netherlands, Germany and England, the Hutting 40 soon became known in the cruising world for its seaworthiness and classic lines.
The company boomed as a result of the many orders coming in for the Hutting 40 and soon the company needed to expand it’s production capabilities. For this reason a new yard was developed and built in Makkum in 1993. Following on from the concept of the Hutting 40’s new designs were developed in close cooperation with D.Koopman, it resulted in the Hutting 45 and the Hutting 50. Hutting sailing yachts can now be seen around the world.
Over the years, we have expanded our services by carrying out extensive refits for sailing yachts up to 85 feet and building 100% custom-designed yachts. Our dedication to performance led to the optimization of the classic Hutting design with the creation of the Hutting 46 Explorer, designed by Van Oossanen Naval Architects, and the introduction of the modern Hutting 52 in collaboration with Hoek Design.
To further enhance our refit services, we have embraced the electrification of sailing yachts together with Stok Electric: a crucial step toward making the yacht-building industry more sustainable.
After fifty years of craftsmanship and passion, founder Tjerk Hutting passed the helm to his sons Jelle and Wietse in 2024. What started as a personal dream naturally evolved into a true family business – not something Tjerk ever planned, but perhaps inevitable, given the deep roots of sailing and yachtbuilding that run through the family.
For over a decade, his wife Welmoed (administration) and daughter Margriet (marketing & communications) have also been an integral part of the team, making Hutting Yachts a genuine family enterprise.
While Tjerk now enjoys his retirement sailing his Lemsteraak and racing in the Regenboog class, his family continues to carry forward the shared passion – guided by his well-known motto:“Do what makes you happy, and success will follow.”
With fifty years of craftsmanship behind us and a future full of ambition ahead, we look forward with both pride and excitement.
