One of theAR Team member-meetings; as you can see with a lot of enthusiasm!

This is the very first AR 233 SL scale 1 to 10 CNC milled at Ritmeester Alblasserdam….

 

The building process of hull and casco for the AR 233 Superleggera is avery complicated one. Since there are nearly only rounded forms, it requires a high level of skill and experience.

After the frames have been erected as you can see in the picture above, the hull plates can be prepared and welded to the framework.

It is said in a few words, but it involves many days of hard work…

The framework is as beautiful as a sculpture. Or as the backbone of a whale….

And Mr. Jack Pruijssers, the managing director of Alfa Romeo Holland saw just the sculpture IN it, as we had a meeting in the Frisian Expo Center, preparing the premiere of the boat:

It is as beautiful as a series of Alfa Romeo Grilles behind eachother.....
 
(Note of William Schulpen: my personal favourite photographer is Ansel Adams, and his most beautiful picture is 'Moon rise at Hernandez' which I saw for the first time in 1979 at the Zurich Kunsthaus Exposition in Switzerland. It struck me so much, that more than 25 years later it still is my most favourite picture.. And this one will be ranked number one ex aequo now!)
 

This is the next stage of the hull building. You can see the bluish-green light, so characteristic for aluminum welding. The hull takes shape already…

In a relatively small boat like the AR 233 SL it is hard and difficult work for the welders. Here Evert Koopmans is busy in the ‘forepeak’

Another impression of the welding and construction work. The various supports can be seen as well as the hull form

The stern of the boat was a very specific challenge to the craftsmen. No straight line…..

The more definitve looks of the AR 233 SL are clearly visible as well as the ‘bonnet’where the Alfa heart will be in the future… The aluminum construction is like a work of art…
Sculpturing in aluminum… Unbelievable! A real tribute to the quality of a real Alfa Romeo.
These craftsmen are like real artists. Working hundreds of hours on the hull.

The right proportions, from any angle…

This image gives you a quick impression of the ‘nose’ of the boat, where she will proudly wear her AR logo and grille. A lot of hard work, measuring, trying, welding, bending, changing… etc. was necessary to realize the final result you can see further down in this impression.


Another picture of the first part of the AR 233 SL. Still tob e finished, polished, painted….

Seen from the side…she moves, even on land! Like a wave…..

The hull-turning moment is one of the most important moment during the building process of a yacht….

Always keep the right side above during here life!

In Sneek they have a party with the famous Beerenburg (Weduwe Joustra, the original!) to celebrate this moment.

When your AR 233 SL is built, you will remember this moment like no other in the first building phase.

The first mould for the windscreen is tested. Sizes, position, angles…. Hours of thinking, testing, trying and trying again.

The air intake and exhaust outlets were created… A reamrkable design part of the boat. For James Bond we would like to insert 6 Kalashnikov’s; three on either side…. The best defence for……..

And there HE is: the power engine block: 5 cylinder Alfa Romeo, to be test fitted into the engine room… The beginning of a long construction and modification process!