Van der Velden Marine Systems has announced the passing of two major milestones. More than 1000 vessels have now been equipped with the original BARKE® rudder, including an impressive mile of superyacht.

Among the recent luxury yachts to benefit are Lürssen’s Sunflower, Feadship’s Utopia, Callisto and Anna, Burger Boat’s Sycara and Moonen’s Amphitrite. The fact that such leading yards are opting for the BARKE® rudder is a testimony to its excellent manoeuvrability and first-rate course keeping qualities.

There are other key benefits to this state-of-the-art solution. A progressively operating flap linkage system is contained in a fully enclosed, grease-lubricated housing. This reduces noise, vibration and wear on the linkage components to a minimum while eliminating the risk of sand entry or problems caused by contact with floating objects or ice. Thanks to the BARKE® rudder’s slim profile, cavitation is also greatly reduced.