Ericus (Ricus) Gerhardus van de Stadt (4 February 1910 – 7 September 1999) was a Dutch yacht designer.
[3] With the help of family and friends, he started a shipyard in Zaandam and a ships wharf and design company for small wooden boats.
[3][clarification needed] In 1939, van de Stadt designed the Valk[4] for the Bruynzeel company to demonstrate the possibilities of their new product "hechthout" (a type of plywood).
[5] Ricus van de Stadt later designed a seaworthy race version of the Valk for Kees Bruynzeel, the Zeevalk.
The hull lines for the first maxi yacht came from Ricus van de Stadt's drawing board.