Bernard Fokke

Bernard Fokke ( Bernhard or Barend Focke ) was a living in the 17th century Frisian captain of the Dutch East India Company.

Bernard Fokke was known to the trade route from the Netherlands to the spice island of Java in - for that time - to cover very little time. 1678 he managed the trip in three months and four days - about half the usual duration. It is known that the Dutchman was almost always on the go with full sail, no matter how strong the wind blew. Fokkes secret: Allow he could through a crucial change in the mast. He used iron cross bars on the mast, which were heavier, but barely broke. This Focke could leave even his sails in strong winds when other ships had already significantly reduced their sail area.

The people came it to be so incredible that they went out of supernatural causes and believed Focke was a magician or even in league with the devil and must be flown with his ship. When he had his ship left the port for the last time and was then never seen again, people were convinced that he was the devil become prey.

In the 19th century Focke entered the legend of the Flying Dutchman as captain of the legendary ship, for example, in Richard Wagner's opera The Flying Dutchman premiered in 1843 in Dresden.