Holland 52 Ketch

Description

The Holland 52 Ketch is a rare ketch-rigged variant of the fiberglass bluewater cruiser designed by renowned New Zealand naval architect Ron Holland (famous for high-performance IOR racers and offshore yachts). It was built in limited numbers, primarily by Tai Chao Bros (Taiwan) in the early 1980s (e.g., around 1981–1984 era, similar to the more common sloop/cutter versions often called Ron Holland 52, Ventura 52, or CT-52), with hulls finished by collaborators like Ventura Yachts (USA). Production was very low (likely a handful of ketch configs amid ~10–15 total Ron Holland 52 hulls across rigs, as semi-custom or small-series builds), making ketch examples particularly scarce today. Features include a split ketch rig for balanced, shorthanded sailing and easier heavy-weather management, fin keel with skeg-hung rudder for responsive handling and protection, robust molded unidirectional FRP construction (often with aluminum frame and balsa core for strength/weight balance), wide beam for stability and spacious volume, center cockpit in many layouts for offshore comfort/protection, and a practical yet elegant interior suited to extended cruising or liveaboard (accommodations for 6–9, multiple cabins/heads, large galley, good tankage/systems like solar, watermaker, and modern nav in updated examples).