Windfall Yachts were yachts seized from the Germany forces at the end of World War II. They had previously been used for training and recreation. Much of the information in this database comes from the work of Mike Cudmore who wrote the definitive book on Windfall Yachts. His archive is stored at the National Maritime Museum Cornwall.
To request more detail on any of these yachts contact us at library@nmmc.co.uk
| Name | Class | Length m | Builder | Date of build | Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| PINTA | 50 Sq M | 10.59 | Abeking & Rasmussen | 1937 | Built as the BRUNHILDE for the Kriegsmarine. Brought back to UK by a RN crew and allocated to the RAYC. Renamed BRYNMERE. Served the Royal Artillery in the UK and Germany until 1970 when she was sold out of service. Renamed PINTA and completely rebuilt. |
| PIROL | 50 Sq M | 0 | Abeking & Rasmussen | Allocated to RAF Coastal Command | |
| ROSANNA | 50 Sq M | 0 | Rathje P | 1938 | Built as the SEENELKA for the Kriegsmarine. 1949 Allocated to the RAYC in Malta as ROSANNA |
| RUSALKA | 50 Sq M | 0 | Abeking & Rasmussen | Built for The Polish Officers Yacht Club in Gdynia. Captured by the Germans and renamed SPERLING by the Luftwaffe. In 1946 allocated to the RAF (The Poles refer to her being stolen.) Bought in 2001 by private owner. | |
| SEA BREEZE | 50 Sq M | 0 | Abeking & Rasmussen | Built as the SEEBRISE. Allocated to HMS Hawke as SEA BREEZE. Thence to HMS Caledonia by 1965. Nov 2006 was sold to a German owner who brought the boat from Brittany to Bremen by trailer. | |
| SEA EAGLE | 50 Sq M | 0 | Abeking & Rasmussen | Built as the SEEFALKE II. Alocated to RAYC as SEA EAGLE. | |
| SEA HEXE | 50 Sq M | 0 | Wilke B | Built as the SEEHEXE. Allocated to the NAC as SEA HEXE. One of a group of 10 were back to Portsmouth by volunteers from RN ships, From 1946 to 1970 she was the property of HMG for sail training at HMS Daedalus. | |
| SEA FEATHER | 50 Sq M | 0 | Built as the SEEFEDER. Allocated to HMS Ganges as SEA FEATHER | ||
| SEA HORSE | 50 Sq M | 0 | Built as the SEEPFERDCHEN. Allocated to the RN Barracks Portsmouth as SEA HORSE. | ||
| SEA MEW | 50 Sq M | 0 | Built as the SEEMOWE. Allocated to REYC as TORCH later SEA MEW. | ||
| SEA OTTER | 50 Sq M | 0 | Abeking & Rasmussen | Built as the SEEOTTER. Allocated to HMS Vernon as SEA OTTER | |
| SEA SWALLOW V 81 | 50 Sq M | 0 | Burmester | Built as the SEESCHWALBE. Allocated to HMS Defiance as SEA SWALLOW. 1960c listed as a recreational yacht at Air Home | |
| SEA WRAITH V 48 | 50 Sq M | 0 | Howaid | Built as the SEEGEIST. Allocated to HMS Excellent as SEA WRAITH. Sold out of service in 1963. Reported moved to Forres for restoration by her new owner. | |
| SEEFALKE V 30? | 50 Sq M | 0 | Abeking & Rasmussen | Built as the SEEFAKLKE I. Allocated to RM Barracks as SEA SOLDIER | |
| SEEFORELLE | 50 Sq M | 0 | Abeking & Rasmussen | Built as the SEEFORELLE. Allocated to BKYC | |
| SEERAUBER V 23 | 50 Sq M | 0 | Rathje | ||
| TANGAIKA | 50 Sq M | 0 | Built as the LEUCHTAFER. Transferred to New Zealand as TANGAIKA | ||
| TARMAIN V 100 | 50 Sq M | 0 | Built as the NORBEC. Allocated to BRNC as LEOPARD later TARMAIN | ||
| THEODORA | 50 Sq M | 0 | Built as the THEODORIC. Allocated to BKYC, RACYC as THEODORA | ||
| THOR V 92 | 50 Sq M | 0 | M&P | ||
| TOPSY II V 36 | 50 Sq M | 0 | Abeking & Rasmussen | Built as the DOMPFAFF. Allocated to RNEC as TOPSY II | |
| SEA SCAMP V 43 (ZEISIG) | 50 Sq M | 12.5 | 1936 | Built as the ZEISIG for the Luftwaffe at Keil. Taken by the Royal Marines at Eastleigh, Portsmouth; renamed SEASCAMP. 1954 to RN Plymouth, shared with RBNC Dartmouth, the Sea Cadet Corps until sold 1984 to the SEA SCAMP syndicate. | |
| FLAMINGO X 9 | 100 Sq M | 16.76 | Abeking & Rasmussen | 1935 | Built for Luftwaffe. Allotted to BKYC. The last Windfall in Service use. |
| GLADEYE X 8 | 100 Sq M | 16.72 | Abeking & Rasmussen | 1935 | Built as the REIHER for the Luftwaffe. Transferred to the Household Division as GLADEYE. |
| KONIGIN X 6 | 100 Sq M | 16.8 | Abeking & Rasmussen | 1935 | Allocated to BKYC |
| KRANICH XI 6 | 100 Sq M | 17.1 | Gerdhardt Kroger Werft | 1936 | Built for the Luftwaffe. Allocated to BKYC |
| MARABU X 10 | 100 Sq M | 16.72 | Gerdhardt Kroger Werft | Built for the Luftwaffe. Allocated to HMS Excellent. Sailed by British servicemen afterwards. Sold by MOD in 1977. Bought by Marbus syndicate now the MARABU sailing club in 1978. | |
| OVERLORD XI 3 | 100 Sq M | 0 | Abeking & Rasmussen | 1936 | Designed by H Rasmussen, as the PELIKAN for the Lufwaffe. Allocated to the Royal Engineer Yacht Club as OVERLORD. Sold 1961 to private owner. Now owned by the Offshore Cruising Club and believed to be the only 100sq metre on the British Register |
| ROBBE XL 8 | 100 Sq M | 0 | Burmeister | 1937 | Transferred to the School of Infantry, 1946 and subsequently to the Royal Military Academy, Sandhurst since 1950. Sold to private owner in 1960. Later in Norway. |
| SEA LION XI 2 | 100 Sq M | 0 | Abeking & Rasmussen | 1936 | Built as AUSTERNFISCHER. Allocated to the RAF Yacht Club as SEA LION. Lost off Alderney in 1955 having been dismasted and taken a tow when problems caused her to either be broken up or towed under by a much larger ship. |
| AVALANCHE OF ALDERSHOT | 100 Sq M | 17.06 | Gerdhardt Kroger Werft | 1936 | Built as STORCH for Luftwaffe. Allocated to Royal Engineer Yacht Club as AVALANCHE OF ALDERSHOT. Kept in Kiel yacht club |
| MERLIN | 100 Sq M | 16.76 | Burmeister | Built as WAL. Sailed to the UK in 1946 but later found to be privately owned. Allocated to HMS Collingwood and renamed MERLIN. 1960c Listed as a Training yacht allocated to Air Home | |
| AEGIR X | 150 Sq M | 0 | Allocated to BKYC | ||
| CAPELLA | 90 Sq M | 15.4 | Built as the BORKUM. Allocated to the RNVR and renamed CAPELLA | ||
| CORSAIR | 12.19 | Built as the KORSAR a 40 ft cutter. Allocated 1955 to HMS St Vincent | |||
| DUHEN | 25.9 | Built as the DUHNEN an 85ft schooner. Sold on arrival in UK | |||
| EDITH VII | 0 | Built as the EDITH VII a 35 tons. Unallocated 1947 | |||
| AQUILA | 85 Sq M | 14.86 | 1921 | Built as the ADLER. Allocated to the RNEC as GALAHAD. Then renamed AQUILLA and kept at Shaldon. | |
| GODECKE MICHEL | 189 Sq M | 0 | Built as the GODECKE MICHEL. Unallocated late 1946 | ||
| HEIMAT | 0 | Built as the HEIMAT a 52ft Ketch. Sold on arrival in UK | |||
| HUSKY | 18.4 | 1936 | Built as the SEEWOLF a 26 ton composite Ketch. Allocated to the REYC as HUSKY but in private ownership by 1953. Name reverted to SEEWOLF by 1970 | ||
| JACUNDA | 150 Sq M | 0 | Built as the JACUNDA a 150 square metre yacht for. Allocated to the BKYC | ||
| JOASS | 0 | Built as the JOASS. Allocated to the RN Nore | |||
| JUTTA | 10.06 | 1938 | Built as the JUTTA. Allocated to RN Nore. 1960c listed as a recreational yacht in Scotland for HMS Adamant | ||
| KORMORAN | 100 Sq M | 15.4 | 1929 | Built as the CORMORAN a 50 ft ketch. Allocated to the RAF Maintenance Command & 90 Group | |
| LADY EVE | 90 Sq M | 0 | Built as the LADY EVE a 90 square metre yacht. Disposed of 1946 | ||
| LIVELY | 125 Sq M | 0 | Built as the LIVELY a 125 square metre yacht. Allocated to BKYC | ||
| MELBA | 90 Sq M | 0 | Built as the MELBA, possibly 90 sq M. Disposed of 1946 to Tank Corps as ALAMEIN OF POOLE | ||
| NIMROD | 39 Sq M | 0 | Built as the NECK a 39 square metre. Allocated to RN Portland as NIMROD | ||
| NORDWIND | 0 | Built as the NORDWIND a 60 ton yawl sold on arrival in UK to private owner |