Formosa Boat Building Co.

Formosa Boat Building Co., established in 1969 in Kaohsiung, Taiwan, emerged as one of the world's leading manufacturers of affordable fiberglass sailboats during the 1970s cruising boom, producing over 1,000 vessels annually at its peak under the guidance of founder Bob Lane, a former yacht broker from California. The company specialized in clipper-bowed ketches, cutters, and sloops ranging from 37 to 57 feet, often sold under private labels like Tayana, Hans Christian, and Gulf 32, with designs by renowned naval architects such as Robert Perry and William Garden that emphasized seaworthiness, heavy displacement, and traditional aesthetics for long-distance voyaging. Despite its success in exporting to markets like the United States, Formosa faced challenges from rising costs, quality control issues, and shifting industry trends toward lighter production boats, leading to Lane's departure in 1976 and the company's closure in the mid-1980s; today, its legacy endures through a dedicated community of owners who value the robust, character-filled "Formosa yachts" for their enduring blue water capabilities.