TELL TALES: IN MEMORIAM

September 10^th, we got a very sad message. Baltic Yachts first designer and long-term cooperating partner, Robert Wilson Ball, had died. This came as a shock to us.

Rob Ball was the chief designer at C&C Design when we started Baltic Yachts, and he was personally responsible for all the C&C Designs we built.

Rob Ball was one of the most knowledgeable Yacht Designers, very analytic, mathematically talented but also with practical attitude and very passionate about his projects.

His design knowledge, what makes a good yacht both in shape and construction methods, was of great value to us and he willingly shared his information and know-how and was very open for all type of discussions.

His inputs had substantial influence on the development of our first projects and he also shaped our strategic thinking. A very knowledgeable person worth listening to, a remarkable designer and engineer, smart and modest.

This photo is from the early days of our company. Rob Ball in a meeting at our yard.

Rob Ball was personally responsible for 6 of our serial production models and the number of yachts built to his design is almost twice as much as any the other designers, another proof of his influence in our company’s early history.

The Baltic 39, one of the many successful Rob Ball designs.

Personally, I appreciate and is honored to have had the opportunity to work close with him. I learned a lot from him, for which I am ever grateful.

For those of us that was active during the first period of Baltic Yachts history, Rob Ball is remembered as a person that played an important role in the development of our products.

Our company 50-year celebration, next year, was planned to have Robert W Ball as a valuable honored guest. I personally was looking forward to meeting him, sharing some old stories and memories, and also giving him our appreciation for his input to our company’s history.

Due to his passing, his presence will not be physically but his spirit and his contribution to our company’s history will be with us in form of valuable memories, his legacy and memory of him will live in our hearts.

Our deepest condolences go to his family and friends.

PG Johansson