Baltic 35, KARELIA

Broker’s Comments

Completed in late 1984 and launched as a Baltic Yachts demonstrator in 1985, with very limited use, KARELIA was delivered to her first private owner by Berthon (as agents for Baltic Yachts in the UK) in January 1986.

Used for the 1986, 1987 and 1988 seasons, she was laid up before being sold by Berthon to her next owner in November 1990 and subsequent owners since.

The very finest builders of semi-custom and custom yachts in the industry, a Baltic really is as good as it gets. The Baltic 35 has very little in the way of competition, offering stunning Judel Vrolijk lines, peerless Baltic Yacht build-quality and a fantastic internal layout. With only 45 hulls launched between 1984 & 2001 (KARELIA is hull no.3 and featured a higher-than-usual specification), the Baltic 35 is an extremely rare yacht to the open market, and it is quite common for seasons to roll past before a sistership is let go by their loving owners.

KARELIA was comprehensively restored in 2011 by Hamble Yacht Services. Since then, she has been a berth holder here in our marina and maintained to the enth by the owner and Berthon Boat Company.

Design Background of Baltic 35

The Baltic 35, the smallest of Baltic Yachts’ line of cruiser/racers, was the first to be designed by the young European team of Friedrich Judel and Rolf Vrolijk. Judel/Vrolijk, like other designers who drew production yachts after achieving successes on the international racing circuit with one-offs, reached into their racing bag of tricks to produce the 35’s handsome lines. The lines are derived from ‘Pinta’ and ‘Outsider’ (former Dusselboot)–which were two thirds of the winning German Admiral’s Cup team of 1983–and Espada, a one-tonner.

History of Baltic Yachts

We were five men, young at that time. We had eloped from Nautor to start our own boat yard to build the very finest sailboats in the world together with a group of local talents of the Bosund region. This we planned to do with a lighter displacement than the competitors´ boats, not only to increase performance, but also to make life easier, more enjoyable, and we had the idea that utilizing more modern high-tech materials and methods could do this. Not fighting head-to-head with other boat yards but instead by creating “our own product” for the small niche of very demanding performance cruising/racer sailors. The years 1973 and 1974 were extremely busy for our new company. Not only did we develop and make moulds for our first model, but also prior to this or rather parallel we built our factory facilities from scratch.

It was the Baltic 46, and we had very positive reactions from “the crowd” and had good response also from the press. The business, however, was not as good as it could have been. The world experienced its first oil crisis in 1973, and this had a negative effect on most businesses, including ours.

To broaden our activities, we added the Baltic 33 (C&C Design) in 1975. We also built our first Custom (one-off) yacht in 1975. This was a C&C designed 2-tonner, “Tina I-Punkt”. In total we delivered 15 yachts in 1975, followed by 28 yachts 1976. The year 1977 was one of the milestones for our company. At the end of this year Hollming Ltd. (a large Finnish ship builder) purchased Baltic Yachts and enabled us to increase model development and us to do effective worldwide marketing. At this time, we also opened our own sales office in USA and started a large marketing campaign.

At the end of the 1980’s the yachting market was at a down period and the ship building was in a difficult position. This resulted in a situation where Hollming wanted to get out of the yachting business and concentrate on their core business. To safeguard Baltic Yachts´ activities we got a group of people together with the goal to find out if there was enough interest to take over the Baltic Yachts activities and to continue the tradition of building Baltics in Bosund. 34 of us started our own company again in 1991.

This was again a milestone for our company and marketing and production of Baltic sailing yachts could go on. In the beginning of the “take over” the market was bad and there was a strong need to make our company smaller in size and slimming the administrative side. However, we had enough old customers and friends who believed in our mission and had faith in us and very much due to this we managed to get through these difficult times.

We have now been running Baltic Yachts on our own all since 1991. During these years we have had a substantial technology development and raised the quality level, plus increased our custom division activities. In other words, we have been doing well and we certainly look very positively into the future.

So many things have happened during these years. We have developed our company to one of the best known in our business and to one reaching the highest quality levels as well as using the highest technology. And best of all, the future looks as exciting as ever before!

2011 Extensive Refit

• KARELIA underwent a full refurbishment at Hamble Yacht Services in 2011, supervised by William Dunlop who surveyed her for the previous owner.
• New teak decks.
• New engine, controls & propeller.
• New batteries.
• Most electrics replaced.
• New electronics including nav gear.
• New sails.
• New running rigging.
• New mast & boom paint.
• New vang.
• New headsail furler.
• Repaint of cockpit and coach roof.
• New standing rigging.
• New canvas.
• Hull epoxied and copper coated.

And much more…

In the words of the previous owner there was not much but the saloon upholstery that has not been changed or updated.

Sales Video

Owner’s Comments

KARELIA is a wonderful yacht and a joy to sail. She is well balanced with an excellent turn of speed. She handles admirably whether in light airs or heavier weather and feels safe and secure. If you want to take life easy, she performs surprising well under furling genoa alone.

KARELIA is an elegant yacht with lovely styling typical of Baltic yachts of her vintage. The clever design below provides maximum accommodation for her size, including a large owner’s cabin aft with standing headroom.

The quality of construction and craftmanship is outstanding throughout with many well thought out details. She is a thoroughbred.