Windfall yacht
In the English-speaking world, a windfall yacht is a sailing yacht that was confiscated from German government agencies such as the navy , the air force , the army and other official bodies after the Second World War as a reparation payment, in particular by the British occupying forces . The name windfall means that these yachts fell to the occupiers like overripe fruit. In total, it was a fleet of around 100 mostly wooden boats, which had been built as sea cruisers from 1928 to 1940 according to a very high quality standard .
The windfall yachts were mainly sailed by British officers at the British Kiel Yacht Club in Kiel and most of the yachts were later transferred to Great Britain . There they were handed over to the Navy, Army and Air Force for training the next generation of officers to sail. After the Second World War, they formed the backbone of sailing training in the British armed forces for around 15 to 20 years. Windfalls also reach Malta, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, Gibraltar and Bermuda.
After many property disputes between previous owners and also between the Navy, Army and Air Force, many sea cruisers (windfalls) are returning to Germany after being bought back by private individuals.
literature
Michael Cudmore: The Windfall Yachts - A Legacy of Goodwill , 2007, ISBN 978-0-9542547-1-1 , (English)
Web links
Individual evidence
- ↑ Website: windfalls.com: The Windfalls , Accessed July 31, 2015.
- ↑ website windfallyachts: Introduction , accessed on July 31, 2015.
- ↑ FAZ: sailing booty March 16, 2008, Retrieved on July 31, 2015.
- ↑ yacht classic, issue 1/2011, p. 28.