Why VIKO Yachts

Running a sailing school and charter company for 25 years, has me often looking for new sailboats to refresh the fleet. We have had every popular make, but mostly older models. The sweet spot for teaching new sailors at our school seems to be between 26 and 30 feet. Any smaller and they are too tender for the wide section of the bay where we are located. Much larger and the yacht is not responsive enough for beginners to get a feel for what is happening.

Desperately in need of another yacht, I was looking at buying one of my favorite models. Since they are no longer in production, it would need to be a used boat. I found one for sale, but it was several years old and would need some expensive updates such as a new engine. ?Then I stumbled on the Italian designed VIKO S26 that is built in Poland. The price was about the same as purchasing and re-fitting an older boat. Since there were none in the United States, I would need a little more funds for shipping and I would be in business.

For about the same price as a used boat, I could purchase a brand-new yacht! Wait a minute, that sounded too good to be true! Was this a real company, or was it like that Nigerian Prince who wants to send me millions of dollars? I had to do some exploring.

A colleague and I flew to Gdansk, Poland for a test sail. We were pleasantly surprised to find just what we were looking for: A pocket cruiser with a huge cockpit (plenty of room for students) and sporty performance. Then a trip to the factory sealed the deal. I immediately ordered a few yachts. VIKO Yachts is well known in Europe and has representatives throughout the world. Since there are no dealers on the United States, I had to become a distributor to begin importing the yachts.

It was not my plan to become a VIKO Yachts Distributor, but it was a slippery slope and here I am. The first shipment arrived, and we immediately put them into service. Our instructors and students absolutely loved sailing on these yachts.

?I then brought in a VIKO S30 and two VIKO S35’s. The larger yachts were also a joy to sail. We have about 15 yachts in our fleet from 26 to 60 feet. Of all the yachts, my favorite to sail is the VIKO S30. It is so easy to handle, and the cockpit is large and comfortable. She tacks on a dime with sporty performance. It has been a while since I have found an affordable, fun 30-foot yacht and about half the price of other similar size yachts!

Word got out and people started placing more orders. I would like to just manage a sailing school, the yacht importing business is a little more work than I had planned. The good news is that you do not have to go to Poland to check out the VIKO Yachts line. Swing by The Sailing Academy just south of Annapolis Maryland to climb aboard these affordable, performance cruisers. They will also be at the Sailboat Show in Annapolis in October. Stop by if you are in the area and let me know what you think.

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