Black Soo Sailboats for Sale & Market Overview

The Black Soo represents a radical departure from the heavy-displacement norms of the late 1950s, standing as a testament to the visionary genius of Dutch designer E.G. van de Stadt. Conceived in 1957 as a high-performance racing machine, the Black Soo was one of the first true ultra-light displacement boats (ULDB) to prove that a plywood "skimming dish" could survive and dominate in offshore conditions. The design was an evolution of Van de Stadt’s earlier Zeevalk, utilizing hard-chine construction to maximize stability and minimize weight. Originally built for South African yachtsman Bobby Bongers, the prototype's success—winning nearly every race it entered—led to the establishment of a class that challenged the prevailing RORC and CCA rating rules of the era. According to the historical archives at Van de Stadt Design, the boat was specifically engineered for speed, featuring a remarkably narrow beam and a fin keel that were decades ahead of their time.