Dykstra Naval Architects

About Dykstra Naval Architects

Dykstra Naval Architects brings over 50 years of experience in the design, redesign, naval architecture and marine engineering of classic and modern performance yachts and offers preliminary and concept designs for both pleasure and commercially operated yachts. Founded in 1969 by Gerard Dykstra, and led now by Managing Director, Thys Nikkels, the award winning team at Dykstra is comprised of passionate sailors actively sailing our own designs and redesigns using first hand practical experience combined with in-house developed software to provide expertise in spars, rigs, and structural analysis that is current, tested and tried.

The combination of sailing experience, skilled engineers and passion for new and sustainable techniques drives Dykstra Naval Architects to realize the most challenging concepts. Great examples are the Dynarig and Aerorig concepts. These ideas can now be used to create new perspectives in yachting and create a new chapter in the yachting history. Passion for Innovation and Green technologies!

To realize these concepts, the engineers use first hand practical experience combined with in-house developed software to provide expertise in spars, rigs, and structural analysis that is current, tested and tried. The designs are modeled and tested in wind tunnels and towing tanks. These results are compared with classical theoretical hydrodynamic and aerodynamic models. To analyze design details CFD can be used. Dykstra Naval Architects is often asked to contribute in other projects to design and research the rigging and sailing plan. Constant research is done for new methods and materials, both by University Interns as by the Dykstra Naval Architects team. A combination that proved to work well to keep everybody in touch with latest technology. Dykstra Naval Architects provided the Naval Architecture and re-design for some of the most challenging refits. Great examples are Adela, Adix, JK7 Velsheda, JK3 Shamrock V, J5 Ranger, JK4 Endeavour, Athena

Keywords

• Classicyachts
• Dynarig
• Innovation
• J Class Yachts
• Naval Architecture
• Performance
• R&D
• Refit And Rebuild Design
• Sailing
• Superyacht Design
• Yacht Design
• Zeroemission

Address

• Headquarters

  Kruithuisstraat 211018WJ AmsterdamNoord-Holland, Netherlands

Team by function

Based on 7 public job profiles as of 4 September 2026.

• Engineering / Software Development3
• Design / UX2
• Marketing1
• Other / Unclassifiable1