Santa Maria

In the summer of 1961, Frits de Voogt flew to the States to meet a prospective buyer with a difference: Henry Ford II. For the young designer, it was an eye-opening introduction to the potential of the American market. Negotiations over the designs were held in Ford’s plush 5th Avenue apartment overlooking Central Park, and after agreeing to specifications the entire deal was closed in less than a fortnight. The keel of the 32.90-metre Santa Maria was the first laid in the brand-new steel shed then just completed at the Kaag. When Ford himself made a surprise visit to inspect progress on the Santa Maria, the press had a field day – rarely can so much Dutch ink have been devoted to one man’s woolly jumper!