Why has Jonkers Yachts chosen Absolute Yachts?
Jonkers Yachts is expanding its brand portfolio with Absolute Yachts. Anyone who has followed the company for a while will recognise the pattern. New brands do not join Jonkers by chance, but only after a process in which it is carefully assessed whether a shipyard shares the same values as Jonkers itself. Absolute Yachts passed that assessment and is now, alongside Linssen, Fairline and Jeanneau, the fourth name represented at Marina Port Zélande in Ouddorp.
An in-depth feature about Absolute Yachts and the partnership with Jonkers can be read on the website of Motorboot Magazine.
What is Jonkers Yachts’ track record in Dutch yachting?
Jonkers Yachts was founded in 1999 and has represented Linssen Yachts since 2004, later joined by Fairline and Jeanneau. Growth for its own sake has never been the company’s goal. Jonkers deliberately chose to work with a limited number of brands and to commit to them fully, from sale to maintenance years after delivery. That approach built a client base that has often bought two or three boats from Jonkers, and made the company an attractive partner for shipyards looking for a dealer with staying power.
Why is becoming a Jonkers dealer such a careful process?
Taking on a new brand at Jonkers is never a matter of an attractive margin or a hole to fill in the range. The starting point is always the organisation behind the shipyard: how boats are built, who is in charge, and whether quality holds up once demand increases. A partnership only follows once those answers convince. Absolute Yachts went through that process and proved, on the points that matter most, to be aligned with how Jonkers itself approaches the trade.
Why does Absolute Yachts fit Jonkers’ philosophy?
Like Jonkers, Absolute Yachts is a family business where the same people have worked on the same brand for years. For Jonkers that is not incidental, it is a requirement. A shipyard that grows quickly but lets staffing and quality slip does not suit a dealer that wants to keep clients for ten or twenty years. Absolute has built deliberately and steadily since it was founded, and that pace matches how Jonkers itself has operated for more than two decades.
Why does the period after the sale matter just as much as the sale itself?
Most clients buy a yacht from Jonkers only a handful of times in their life, while maintenance, warranty work and contact with the dealer often continue for years afterwards. That is why, for every brand decision, how a shipyard behaves after the sale weighs at least as heavily as the quality of the boat itself. For Absolute Yachts, Jonkers first wanted to see how warranty handling, spare parts and technical support worked in practice, before confirming the partnership.
Who is Absolute Yachts and where does the brand come from?
Absolute Yachts was founded in 2002 by Sergio Maggi and Marcello Bè, two entrepreneurs who had previously spent years at Cantieri Gobbi. Their approach broke with what was common in the industry at the time: comfort and liveability on board took priority over horsepower and looks. The yard is based in Piacenza, in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna, an area known mainly for precision engineering from the automotive industry rather than for yacht building.
What role does the Gobbi family still play within the shipyard?
Angelo Gobbi, formerly the owner of Cantieri Gobbi, joined Absolute Yachts as president after selling that shipyard, bringing his experience in yacht building to help shape the brand’s early direction. His involvement did not end there. His daughter, Patrizia Gobbi, now holds a leadership position within the management team, keeping the family’s line running through the company. For a dealer that has itself been family owned for more than twenty years, that kind of continuity is easy to recognise.
How does Absolute Yachts design a new model?
At most shipyards, the hull shape is the starting point, with an interior then fitted inside it. Absolute works the other way around. The design team first maps out how owners and guests spend their days on board, from breakfast on the aft deck to an evening at anchor, and only then lets the shape of the hull follow. The visible result of that approach includes large window surfaces, a saloon that flows into the outdoor deck, and an owner’s cabin positioned to capture as much daylight as the layout allows.
What does the choice for Volvo Penta IPS mean for life on board?
Across its entire range, Absolute uses Volvo Penta IPS for propulsion, a pod drive system that can be controlled with a joystick and makes precision manoeuvres, such as docking, considerably easier. Just as important for buyers is the spatial benefit. Because the engine installation is more compact than a conventional setup, it frees up space elsewhere on board, whether that ends up as a wider cabin, a larger bathroom, or simply more room to move around in the saloon.
How does Absolute Yachts compare to Fairline within Jonkers’ range?
Jonkers has sold Fairline for years, a British brand known for a sporty, performance driven signature. Absolute shares the premium segment and European origin with Fairline, but the experience on the water is fundamentally different. Where Fairline puts the emphasis firmly on handling and sporty lines, Absolute is designed around the question of how to live comfortably on board for weeks at a time. For Jonkers, that is not overlap, it is a complementary addition within the same house.
Which type of buyer is Absolute a logical next step for?
Absolute tends to appeal to owners who see their boat as a second home on the water rather than as a sporty toy. Think of an existing Linssen owner ready for a wider cruising area beyond the Dutch inland waters, or a Fairline client moving towards a calmer, more spacious boat without giving up on finish quality. Anyone considering a larger motor yacht for the first time, with comfort as the main priority, will also find a fitting starting point in Absolute.
Which Absolute Yachts models can you expect at Jonkers?
The Absolute range consists of three lines that differ in layout and size but share the same design thinking. The overview below shows which models are available and what kind of use each is best suited to.
What is the difference between the Navetta series and the Fly series?
The distinction lies mainly in the cruising style each model is built for. The Absolute Navetta series is built around cruising at your own pace, with a hull shape tuned for longer passages and stays of several weeks. The Absolute Fly series keeps the same spatial approach but adds an upper deck that goes well beyond a second helm station. It is fitted out as a full outdoor living space, complete with seating and controls, suited to owners who want to cover ground more quickly without giving up comfort.
What does this partnership mean for you as a Jonkers customer?
For existing Jonkers clients, day to day little changes. The same point of contact, the same workshop and the same people who already maintain your Linssen, Fairline or Jeanneau remain in place. What does change is the choice available within that same network. If you are considering a step up to a larger boat, that conversation no longer has to start at a different dealer. A trade in of your current yacht can also be part of the discussion.
Where can you get acquainted with the Absolute Yachts models?
The first models can be viewed at Jonkers Yachts at Marina Port Zélande in Ouddorp. Wondering whether the Absolute Navetta or the Absolute Fly series suits your needs? Get in touch with the team for a personal appointment. The Fly series will be available in the showroom from February.
