Fjord

Fjord was founded in 1960 in Arendal, Norway, by Alf Richard Bjerke - a fiberglass-first builder from the outset, at a time when composite construction was still novel in Northern Europe. After a series of ownership changes across four decades, the brand was acquired by HanseYachts AG in 2006 and production moved to Greifswald, Germany. That acquisition is the reset point that matters to the superyacht market: HanseYachts brought manufacturing scale and German engineering rigour, while British designer Patrick Banfield and Australian naval architect Jim Wilshire delivered the new visual language - vertical bow, flush walkaround deck, frameless glazing, oversized aft platform.

The Fjord 40 Open debuted at Boot Düsseldorf in 2008 and won European Powerboat of the Year the same year. It defined a format that has since been widely imitated. The current range runs from roughly 38 to 53 feet, with the 41 XL the consistent volume seller and the 490 Open and Sport joining the programme in 2025 at 15.0m and 15.3m LOA respectively. Engines throughout the inboard line are Volvo Penta IPS or stern-drive; outboard variants sit alongside.

We ask for Fjord when a programme needs an open chase boat with recognisable, low-drag aesthetics, a deep cockpit suited to a water-toy inventory, and a build quality that holds residual value unusually well for the segment. The superyacht world uses them most frequently in the 40-to-53-foot bracket - towed or running independently - on programmes where the mothership is 50 metres and above.