1. Burmester Seefahrtkreuzer 50m2 Windfall

Broker Comments
The Burmester is a timeless 50-foot classic sailing yacht from the renowned Burmester yard designed by Abeking & Rasmussen, celebrated for their craftsmanship, precision engineering, and elegance afloat. Built in fine mahogany over oak frames, she represents the golden age of yacht building a perfect balance of beauty, performance, and seaworthiness. Lovingly maintained and carefully refitted between 1990 and 2000, The Burmester retains her original charm while benefiting from thoughtful modern upgrades.

Historical Background
The “Windfall” yachts were a fleet of over 100 high-quality wooden offshore yachts, allocated to the Allied forces as reparations from Germany following the Second World War. For the next 15 to 20 years, many Royal Navy personnel were introduced to offshore sailing through these vessels.

At the end of World War II, a large number of German government-owned yachts were distributed among the victors, with many entering British service yacht clubs. These yachts became known as the “Windfalls” and were widely used for sail training and adventurous expeditions, particularly in the Baltic Sea.

“Sylena” (V89), originally named “Seahorse” (German name) and identified by her original sale number V89, is one of these historic vessels. Her story, along with others from the Windfall fleet, is documented in Michael Cudmore’s book The Windfall Yachts.

Today, SYLENA is one of the very few remaining Windfall yachts still actively sailing — a rare and significant piece of maritime history.


For more information about the yacht, please contact the accompanying broker. Additional details can be found under the 'auction information' section in the bidding panel. You can also download the brochures or attend one of the viewing days.