Insights from Denmark

Hempels presented a set of special little liqueur glasses that explained the nautical tradition Plimsole lines. I still have one.

Feb 13, 2025

Recent events have zapped me far back to a visit to Denmark many years ago when I was invited to a showcase event entitled “the World Press Meets the Danish Boating Industry.”

Briefly, it worked likely this – a dozen or so international boating writers from Italy, England, Norway and (me) Canada got to experience a fleet of 15 boats first-hand, half sail, half power. From our quayside hotel, we’d be off after breakfast, enjoy a Gammel Dansk shooter for courage then step aboard. We were facilitated/hosted by a crew of manufacturer reps and the Danish sailors that had just won the Admiral’s Cup. At coffee break, lunch and afternoon Tuborg time, we’d switch boats so we could be exposed to all 15. Joyous fun

After three days on the water, a string of herring lunches and arrays of Danish goodies, we had been wowed by the boats and an advanced factory facility. We had been lavishly feted by Andersen Winches, Hempels Paint, an electronics company, sailmakers, and marine accessory people, all of whom were, of course, super-charming.

So, now, the insights: Denmark was then and is now a pretty small country of under 6MM population. It has cold weather, like ours. It is minutes from industrial giant boatbuilder competitors like Germany, UK, and even France.

At the time I was astounded – how could they have 15 boat manufacturers (different times now but there’s still many) and an entire supporting industry in such a small country? Its domestic market is tiny. How does Denmark do it? The Danes were and as far as I know still get it done with initiative, expertise, humour, high worker pay, topnotch European manufacturing conditions and Gamel Dansk. A great model then and today. Let’s do that.

John Morris, Online Editor