Our latest HopYacht 30 is at the start of its journey to Rostock.

Image Credit: City of Rostock

Over the past four years of constructing the HopYacht 30, numerous moments have emerged as significant milestones in our journey. This month marks one such milestone. 

We are excited to announce the commencement of production of our latest HopYacht 30, which will find its new home in Rostock, on the Baltic Sea, in 2026.

This build carries a unique charm. The owners will be docking their HopYacht right at the end of their garden! This image brings a smile to our faces as it perfectly embodies what HopYacht represents: a genuine “hop on and go” experience, made possible by the simplified sail plan and overall design. 

Rostock is a superb location for the HopYacht lifestyle. With picturesque seaside towns, sandy beaches, and sheltered anchorages making this region of the Baltic an endlessly enjoyable ‘short hop’ playground.

Close by lies Kiel, world-famous for hosting of the prestigious sailing events, including Kiel Week - a festival that draws sailors and spectators from around the globe.

At our local yacht club in Hout Bay, Cape Town, we have several members who have sailed in the Baltic and competed in events at Kiel. They all talk about the variety of sailing experience this region offers … ideal for a HopYacht with its shallow draft, to explore the numerous coves and inlets along the coastline. 

There will certainly be days when the weather advises staying comfortably in a marina! With roll-down awnings that fully enclose the cockpit area and a complete helm station enclosure, this 30’ catamaran, despite its size, offers a sense of space typically found only on much larger yachts, thanks to its single-level living area design.

The lifestyle beyond the Water

Our yacht club colleagues tell us that the charm of Rostock and its surroundings doesn’t end when you step ashore. The city’s historic old town, buzzing with cafés, restaurants, and cultural landmarks, offers a wealth of entertainment. Nearby, the sandy beaches of Warnemünde invite lazy afternoons, while summer festivals and open-air events keep the region alive with energy. It’s a perfect balance: rewarding sailing by day, and vibrant culture by night.

At HopYacht, each new build is exciting for us, but knowing that this yacht will allow its owners to step from their garden onto their HopYacht and set sail in minutes perfectly encapsulates why we embarked on this journey!

Image Credit: The Train Diaries

Grand Pavois Boat Show 25-28 September 2025 ... get onboard.

We’re excited to share that our HopYacht 30 all-electric catamaran will be on the water at the La Grand Pavois Boat Show in La Rochelle, France, Pontoon 01, Stand 01.

Maxime Vedrenne

Our distributors, MV Yachting, represented by Maxime Vedrenne, will be on hand to welcome visitors, give guided tours of the HopYacht, and arrange test sails.

The HopYacht on display is privately owned by an experienced sailor and is the first HopYacht fitted with a mast-lowering system. This feature coupled with a beam of only 3.44m, means many of the French rivers and canals are accessible for inland cruising.

About the Show

The Grand Pavois La Rochelle is one of Europe’s largest in-water boat shows, attracting more than 80,000 visitors every year. It’s a vibrant celebration of sailing and boating culture, with hundreds of boats on display, live demonstrations, equipment exhibits, and the chance to connect with leading names in the industry.

Book a walk-through

If you’d like to arrange a private walk-through of the HopYacht 30 during the show, simply email us at hello@hopyacht.co.za, and we’ll make the arrangements with our partners at MV Yachting.

We look forward to welcoming you aboard in La Rochelle

From Prototype to Pioneering: Sebastian’s Journey with HopYacht’s First All-Electric Catamaran

When we started HopYacht in 2021, our objective was to create a way for couples (or families with small children) to make life onboard really easy, blending simplicity, sustainability, and pure enjoyment on the water, with comfort as a top priority. 

The very first HopYacht built found the perfect owner in Sebastian Kummer. From day one, Sebastian believed in the HopYacht concept and took a leap of faith in purchasing our prototype, aptly named “Hop”,

Over the past three months, he and his wife have been sailing in the Ionian Sea and, in doing so, have helped shape what e-sailing truly means.

Without any prompting from us, Sebastian generously recorded his journey, in a series of thoughtful videos. 

This latest video describes how he learned to optimise power settings while motoring and discovering the sweet spot in combining sail power with minimal input from the twin electric motors. Traditionally this is referred to as “motor sailing” — however Sebastian has fittingly adopted the term “e-sailing” to describe his eco-friendly approach.

In 2023, Sebastian joined HopYacht co-founder Paul Tomes for part of the delivery voyage of ‘Hop' from Athens to Preveza, via the Corinth Canal. Together, they recorded daily conditions, tracked battery consumption and range, and experimented with subtle use of the motors to extend sailing performance, range and ultimately freedom. You can watch the video Paul created on this trip at this link https://youtu.be/z2aIQwH8k_Q

Like any prototype, “Hop” had its fair share of first-build challenges. But with Sebastian’s collaborative spirit, patience, and feedback, we were able to refine and optimise the yacht, ensuring it set the tone for all future HopYachts. His open-minded approach made him the ideal pioneer!

Taking an extended summer break, Sebastian and his wife have explored much of the Ionian Islands, documenting their adventures on his YouTube channel. Having previously purchased a Lagoon 42 (which Sebastian sailed from France to Turkey during covid) he knows the joys and demands of sailing life. For their next chapter, they want to return to sailing with family and friends in their Lagoon still based in Turkey and have made the difficult decision to pass “Hop” on to a new owner — one who will continue her story in the Ionian.

We owe Sebastian a huge vote of thanks for his trust, support, and enthusiasm in being the very first HopYacht owner. You can watch an edited version of Sebastian’s latest video below and hear his perspective of life aboard an all-electric HopYacht. 

Sebastian's Youtube channel can be found at this link. https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=sebastian+kummer