Design and Construction
Hoek Design drew the Gouden Leeuw. Since the early 1980s, the studio has developed in-house velocity prediction programs and used them to optimize more than 250 Lemsteraken.
Built by Engelaer in 1995, the Gouden Leeuw is a 14.00-meter Lemsteraak from a tradition that had long since moved from wooden planking to riveted and, later, welded metal hulls. She was commissioned by a single Amsterdam owner and remained in that owner’s service for two decades. That history speaks to the durability expected of the type, rather than to any repetition within a production series.
History and Lineage
The yacht’s documented history begins with her 1995 construction for B.C.M. Douqué of Amsterdam. Ownership records list the same individual from 1995 through 2016.
By 13 August 2018, the Gouden Leeuw was at Dragør in Denmark, confirming that she continued to circulate in the Baltic well after the original ownership period.
Lemsteraken were built in either the Roefaak configuration, with a cruising trunk, or the open-cockpit Visserman layout. The available record doesn’t specify which arrangement the Gouden Leeuw has.
Verdict
The Gouden Leeuw is a singular Hoek Design Lemsteraak of substantial length, built by Engelaer in the era of steel construction for a committed long-term owner. The available history establishes her dimensions, designer, builder, registry identity, and ownership span with precision. It doesn’t, however, provide a comparative assessment of her sailing qualities, an accommodation plan, or a structural critique.
Pros
- 14-meter Hoek Design Lemsteraak with a documented 1995 Engelaer build
- Single-owner stewardship from 1995 to 2016
- Clear registry identity, VA133, and a traceable 2018 location in Denmark
Cons
- No published documentation of handling, rig, or interior in the available record
- This hull’s layout—Roefaak or Visserman—isn’t specified
