Behind the wide workshop doors
60 years of Nordkapp: 1987–2010
This is part two of a three-part series on Nordkapp Boats' history. Part one ended with Nordkapp going bankrupt and shutting down production.
The workshop doors in Sarpsborg, Norway, were supposed to stay closed. Nordkapp was finished.
Production had stopped four years earlier when the previous owners, Alicraft, went bankrupt. Nordkapp had once proved its seaworthiness with ambitious journeys north to Svalbard. Then economic headwinds, rising costs, and a market that turned away from fast pleasure boats followed.
Nordkapp disappeared. But one autumn morning in 1990, someone unlocked the workshop doors again. Inside, something had quietly begun.
The sound of boatbuilding had returned.
The quiet revival of a dead boatbuilder
1990
The man who reopened the doors was Ronny Antonsen. He grew up around boats and believed Nordkapp deserved another chance. Together with his father, Roar Antonsen, he purchased the Nordkapp brand from Alicraft and brought production back to Sarpsborg.
Long before anyone outside noticed, work had started inside. The market was still cold and optimism scarce. Yet inside the workshop, ideas were taking shape.
Ronny knew that if Nordkapp were to return, they had to build boats fit for a new era. To shape that future, young industrial designer Espen Thorup was brought in to develop new layouts and interiors. Working alongside him was Otto Scheen Jr, the designer behind Nordkapp’s iconic boats from the 1960s and 70s. Scheen Jr returned as an adviser guiding hull construction.
One brought fresh ideas. The other brought decades of experience.
The new Nordkapp was made for those who knew what they wanted and understood that certain design decisions were worth more. An early prototype was made to test and learn.
Three years passed inside the workshop before the boat was ready.
The boat that restarted everything
1993
The workshop doors finally opened. And sitting there was the new Nordkapp Premiere 730. A name marking the beginning of a new chapter.
At 7.30 metres, it was the largest daycruiser Nordkapp had ever built. Under the engine hatch sat an 8-cylinder Volvo inboard engine. The boat showed strong performance and offered sleeping space, a toilet and standard equipment that competitors listed as optional extras.
Some things don't change. Building and testing a boat in Norway is tough because it must withstand harsh waters. But when successful, you get a boat that fares well in any sea. Ronny ensured Nordkapp suited Scandinavian waters and beyond.
The plan was always to introduce the Scandinavian way of boating to a global audience.
The boat that sold itself
The timing turned out to be perfect. Across Europe, the economy began to recover as the yuppie era took hold. Consumers had money again. And in Norway, one of the best boating summers in years was about to unfold.
But what happened next surprised even Ronny.
The boat began to advertise itself. People saw the Premiere 730 on the water, asked questions, and orders followed.
“Good advertising can be expensive. Letting the boat speak for itself turned out to be far more effective.”
Nordkapp was back.
The new Nordkapp Premiere 730 was so impressive at sea that it sold itself.
New models, an icon returns and hope on the horizon
1995
Nordkapp expanded beyond the daycruiser segment with two new boats: the Avant 490 bowrider and the Enduro 490 centre console. Both had capabilities beyond their size and were described by journalists as “multi-purpose,” a trait usually reserved for larger vessels. This idea later grew into two of Nordkapp’s most recognised model families.
1997
The classic daycruiser from the 60s was back. The Nordkapp Comtesse 610 kept the spirit of the original below the waterline — but everything above had been completely rethought. Layout, materials and finish, all redesigned by Espen Thorup.
The orders were coming in. To meet growing demand, Nordkapp partnered with the Mirage Boats factory in Poland. Evinrude signed on as the official outboard engine partner.
1999
The Enduro had more to give. Extended by almost a full metre, the new Enduro 590 (later renamed the Enduro 600) became one of the best-selling Nordkapps to date.
The 70s and 80s were a harsh winter for the leisure boat market, halting growth. The 90s were spring, when the market slowly grew again. The early 2000s were summer, when everything returned to full bloom.
This new chapter offered something the Nordkapp family would never expect.
The first Avant paved the way for Nordkapp's popular bowrider series.
The first Avant paved the way for Nordkapp's popular bowrider series.
"Nordkapp expanded beyond the daycruiser segment with two new boats: the Avant 490 bowrider and the Enduro 490 centre console."
The Nordkapp Enduro 500 is the forefather of Nordkapp's modern-day centre console boats.
The Nordkapp Enduro 500 is the forefather of Nordkapp's modern-day centre console boats.
The iconic Nordkapp Comtesse daycruiser, reimagined by designer Espen Thorup.
The Enduro got extended almost a full metre.
A new flagship, the one-of-a-kind project and a modified hull
2000
The new millennium brought a new flagship. The Nordkapp Vitesse 830 — one of Nordkapp’s first pure-blooded weekend cruisers — was built for those who didn't want the journey to end. Room for ten, a fully equipped pantry, generous sleeping quarters and a proper toilet room. Everything you need to stay out a little longer.
It was also Nordkapp’s largest boat to date, driven by an inboard Volvo Penta engine ranging from 200 to 500 horsepower. The extra size only made the athleticism more remarkable.
Something unexpected
That same year, Nordkapp took the signature athletic design to a new level with the Nordkapp Tintorera 610, a racing boat weighing 320 kg. With up to 150 horsepower, the spartan design focused on maximising speed, leaving the usual Nordkapp comforts in the workshop.
The stripped-down layout created the closest thing Nordkapp had to a rocketship at sea. It was a one-of-a-kind design for true speed enthusiasts, capable of reaching around 55 knots with the recommended setup.
Over the years, the Tintorera 610 has gathered its own community, with fans experimenting with many modifications and setups. Owners have registered speeds over 75 knots with this small speedboat.
A new version
The Avant got the same treatment as the Enduro. The Avant 600 stretched the original 490 by a full metre — proving popular enough to earn another upgrade in 2007.
2005
Nordkapp presented the Noblesse 760 at the London Boat Show, a forefather to modern-day daycruisers. The hull came from a previous design, which used an inboard engine; it was heavily modified to fit the 760’s outboard setup. Buoyancy and displacement were reduced to match the lighter propulsion system.
Engines ranged from 200 horsepower to twin 200 horsepower installations. With the right setup, passing 50 knots was within reach. Owners cherished the smooth ride, often describing it simply:
"It cuts through waves like a hot knife through butter."
A one-of-a-kind project. The small speedboat Nordkapp Tintorera 610.
The Nordkapp customers wanted a larger bowrider, so the Avant got extended almost a full metre.
Owners praise the Noblesse 760 daycruiser for its smooth ride.
The end of an era, a new king and a shift in engines
2007
The Nordkapp Noblesse 650 carries special meaning. It was the final project involving Otto Scheen Jr, a pioneer who helped lay the foundation for the boats people love today. Espen Thorup, who led the project, continues to spearhead Nordkapp’s designs.
A new way of thinking
In 2007, the bowrider Nordkapp Avant 620 was launched. The boat was born from a new way of thinking at Nordkapp: developing shared platforms that could be used across different model series.
2008
The Vitesse 830 had served well as Nordkapp’s flagship during the 2000s. But when Volvo decided to redesign the engine, making it heavier, the Vitesse hull had to change.
The upgraded hull resulted in Nordkapp Vitesse 850. At 8.5 metres, it was the largest daycruiser Nordkapp had ever produced. It was based on a hull from Amble, with slight modifications above and below the waterline. Engines ranged from 270 to 370 horsepower from Volvo, MerCruiser and Yanmar.
The same year, Nordkapp introduced the Noblesse 620, a daycruiser built on the same platform as the Avant 620 bowrider. Daycruisers were in high demand, and by releasing a smaller boat, Nordkapp appealed to a broader market.
The Noblesse 650 was the final project involving Nordkapp's pioneering designer Otto Scheen Jr.
It's easy to see why the Vitesse 850 daycruiser holds a special place in the Nordkapp family.
The Noblesse 620 was built on the same platform as Avant 620, marking Nordkapp's new way of thinking.
Boats released in this era
1993 - Nordkapp Premiere 730
1995 - Nordkapp Avant 490/500
1995 - Nordkapp Enduro 490/500
1997 - Nordkapp Comtesse 610
1999 - Nordkapp Enduro 590/600
2000 - Nordkapp Vitesse 830
2000 - Nordkapp Tintorera 610
2000 - Nordkapp Avant 590/600
2005 - Nordkapp Noblesse 760
2007 - Nordkapp Noblesse 650
2007 - Nordkapp Avant 620
2008 - Nordkapp Vitesse 850
2008 - Nordkapp Noblesse 620
The next chapter
By the 2010s, there was no doubt Ronny Antonsen had succeeded in bringing Nordkapp back, with a new generation of boats and buyers as proof.
But the biggest transformation had not yet happened. In the era that followed, Nordkapp’s designs would shake up the industry.
In the final chapter, the story continues with that design shift, the world of aluminium boats and much more.
Stay tuned.
Never miss a boating story
Start your weekend with a boating story from Nordkapp. Enjoy exclusive invites to events, updates on new models and essential boating tips.