Davo II

DESIGN AND CONSTRUCTION

Designer: Max Oertz
Builder: Oertz & Harder, Hamburg, Germany
Year Built: 1907
Class: International 12 Metre (First Rule)

Davo II was designed by the renowned German naval architect Max Oertz and launched from his Hamburg yard Oertz & Harder in 1907. She is recognized as one of the earliest 12 Metres built under the newly established International Rule, which came into force that same year.
Unique among her peers, Davo II was constructed as a “Schwert-Yacht” (centreboard yacht) rather than a fixed-keel racer—an experimental configuration at the time. Built with the fine craftsmanship characteristic of Oertz’s work, she combined elegant overhangs with a powerful sail plan and narrow waterline beam.

EARLY REGISTRATION AND SPECIFICATIONS

According to Lloyd’s Register of Yachts (1907), Davo II was listed in the main section—preceding even Heatherbell, which appeared later in the year’s supplement—marking her as the first 12 Metre yacht ever officially registered.
Estimated specifications from Oertz’s archives indicate an LOA of 16.88 m, LWL of 11.21 m, beam of 3.85 m, and an approximate displacement measurement of 196 t m under the rule.

OWNERS AND RACING HISTORY

Her first recorded owner was C. Vermeer of Amsterdam, Netherlands, where she was home-ported. Contemporary Dutch yachting records credit Davo II with victories in regional regattas, including two wins of the Zuiderzee Cup, and races against other notable 12 Metres such as Skeaf II and Brand IV.
She was reputed to be exceptionally fast, benefitting from her lighter displacement and adjustable centerboard design.

During the inter-war years, ownership is believed to have transferred to H. Hellebrekers of Rotterdam, with the yacht possibly renamed Davo III. By the late 1930s she had disappeared from Lloyd’s Register, suggesting her withdrawal from active racing or possible dismantling.

SIGNIFICANCE AND LEGACY

Davo II holds a special place in 12 Metre history as the first officially registered yacht of the class and the only known centreboard 12 Metre ever built.
Her design represents the experimental spirit of the early International Rule era, when naval architects like Oertz explored the limits of the formula in pursuit of both speed and seaworthiness.
Although her ultimate fate remains unknown, Davo II’s influence endures as an early expression of the technical innovation and craftsmanship that came to define the great age of metre-class yachting.