History
After Graduating from the University of Cape Town, I spent from 1969–1975 working for Angus Primrose in the UK and Sparkman & Stephens (at that time the world’s foremost design office) in New York. During this formative period I participated in the design a huge variety of vessels in all materials, many of them Admiral’s Cup and other championship winning boats. I have also been an active sailor, from childhood and youth in dinghies, and then on the offshore and inshore racing circuit. I set up my own practice in Cape Town in 1975. I have produced over 300 designs (approx 2000 boats) of all types, all with my personal involvement and close supervision, very many successful racing boats including maxis, and a full range of innovative cruisers in all materials. In addition we are active in commercial craft, both planing and displacement types, and in a range of sailing multihulls. I have made a point of gaining wide user experience in all my products, so that I have a good practical feel of cause–effect in relating product behavior & performance to theoretical design and numerical analysis.

Since settling in New Zealand in 1996, occasionally in partnership with designer Alan Wright, we have been producing a range of Power & Motorsailing catamarans, which are highly regarded, passenger ferries and charter fishing vessels, launches and yachts.

Local Racing ( South Africa )
My boats have won every race and the four major regattas in South Africa, an unequalled number of times, e.g. Rothmans Week, our premier Regatta, 6 times, the South Atlantic Race, (Cape to Uraguay(’78,’85) & Cape to Rio(’96, ‘2011) 4 times, and Mauritius to Durban Races twice. The Agulhas, Da Gama, Sea Harvest, and Double Cape, and other races many times.

International Racing
Gwaap/Lene II came close to winning World 1/2 Ton Cup Championship in 1978 and 1981. Archangel came 3rd in World 1 ton Cup championships in 1979. Royal Flush won the 1/4 Ton World championships in Corsica in 1985. Voortekker II won the Monohull division (and broke the records) in the 1982 Round Britain race, and the 1986 Two Star Transatlantic races, and she twice came second in the OSTAR Transatlantic and Round Britain races. She won and Broke Course records on the Newport to Cape Town and the Punta Del Este to Newport legs of the BOC Round the World Single Handed Race, in 1986/7. Allied Bank broke Voortekker II’s Transatlantic record in 1990 and won (breaking the record) the Cape Town to Sydney leg of the 1990/1 BOC Round the World race. She was leading the race by an accumulated 17 hours when she hit an ice “growler” off Cape Horn. Our Maxi “Parker Pens / Marchioness” came a close second (by 2 hours) linehonours in the 1993 Cape to Rio Race. “Renfrieght”, an IOR production ¾ tonner won the 1996 Cape to Rio overall. My latest raceboat (a 2003 design, launched 2005), the Open 60 Galileo (now called Maisonneuve) still got better results in 2007 than almost all other pre 2007 Open 60 boats.

Commercial Vessels.
I have many fishing, workboat, and transporter vessels in steel and in GRP, and boats used in the west coast Diamond Industry to my credit, as well as several Passenger Launches and Tourist Excursion boats up to 25 meters LOA . The 20 meter Fisheries Patrol Boat Patella, and NSRI Rescue Vessel Urban Campbell are two more planing & semi planing examples. All the various models of Waverider Rigid Bottom Inflatables between 4 & 8 meters used by the NSRI are my design. The Acecraft 30/36 is a well-regarded production Sport-fishing boat. Now in New Zealand the two 20 meter Ferry cats (Fullers), 19m Hydrographic Survey cat, and several 15 and 12 meter Charter fishing monohulls and cats have been very successful. Planing and displacement barges and the Bella 420 Sportfisher built in China.

Production Boats
My cruising boats and racing one-designs are numerous in South Africa, boats like the L20, H 23, L26, Astove 30, Ocean 31, Leisureliner, L34/H34, L36, Atlantis 36, L39, R&G; 40, Compass 47, Islander 56, St Francis 44, 48, 50, Knysna 440, 470, Admiral 38, 40, 48, 50, Quantum 4000, Africat 420 & 380, Aventure 440/50, 320, cats. Acecraft 30, Bella 440. I have had 56 different designs built in GRP in quantity out of moulds, the largest being the Islander 56. Most of these boats have had at least 25 of each model moulded, some models number close to two hundred. In New Zealand the Quantum 4000 powercat and the Cats NZ 43 sailing cat are two joint designs with Alan Wright. Also the Bella 440 built in China

Superyachts.
I designed the 35 meter Snowgoose, launched 1993 and the 40 meter Corsta V, launched 1994, at the time the world’s largest cutter. Both boats to Lloyds Classification, with the former being to full 100A+LMC class. Our 32 meter steel Gaff Schooner, Sean Paquito II and more recent 34m sistership.

Catamarans.
Double Trouble our Formula 40 racing cat was the fastest boat in South Africa, since launching in 1989 holding several speed records. Our MM26 Screamer/Strongwood Champion in her class. I have successful production catamarans on the market, Admiral 38, 40, 50 the St Francis 44, the St Francis 50 (Cruising World Cat of the year 2007), The Knysna 440, 470.

Power Cats & Motorsailing Cats
With my occasional New Zealand partner, Alan Wright, have been designing well regarded powercats. These are in the form of 3 x 19 meter Passenger Ferries, 4 x charter fishing vessels (12 –15 meter), a 20 meter Hydrographic Survey Vessel for the Middle East, and private launches in both aluminium and in composites. We have also done three sailing cats, the 12.4 m Aqua Vitae, and the 16 meter Wings II and the 18 m Wings III.. I have also been active on my own account with a 22 meter steel motoryacht, Annie, numerous production vessels in South Africa, China, many monohull sailing vessels.