Owen Clarke Yacht Design

Description

Owen Clarke (OC) was founded thirty years ago and is recognized as being at the leading edge of performance sailing yacht design. We are an LLP with designers based in the USA, New Zealand, and our main office in Dartmouth, UK. We are expert naval architects of vessels with one, two and three hulls, have worked alone on our own sensitive projects, but also in Americas Cup teams of more than a hundred. Team members have been professional skippers, builders, as well as designers, engineers and project managers of yachts up to 75m.

Our own designs are styled by Allen Clarke, who having completed three years studying yacht design at the famous Southampton Institute worked for the largest interior design company in the West of England, before forming OC with Merfyn Owen in 1991. Merfyn is a graduate of UCL and a Fellow of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects. He was the lead designer and project manager of Ellen MacArthur’s Open 60 Kingfisher and is also a former professional racing and now active high latitude cruising skipper. Clay Oliver, co-designer of our last three Open 60’s is an American naval architect based in Annapolis, formerly with Farr Yacht Design and subsequently principal designer for Team New Zealand. He is co-designer of Mari Cha 4, and the 100’ maxis Genuine Risk as well as Sydney-Hobart winner, Loyal.

Although OC was founded on our success as racing yacht designers, we are also specialists in blue water, expedition and explorer yacht design. We have a long history of sailing, exploration and adventure in high latitudes. This includes our designers having rounded Cape Horn several times, exploring above the Arctic Circle and cruising the coasts of West and East Greenland under both sail and motor. So, we are yacht designers, sailors and naval architects. We understand thoroughly how to integrate the science with the art of yacht design. While naval architecture informs all the primary design, safety and engineering conditions it must also be steered by practical experience and judgment. While there are regulations and rules we are required to follow, a good deal and everything that isn’t written comes from time on the water, not from a desk or computer. OC also offers that experience as consultants for both new commissions and the refit of yachts and superyachts.

OC’s philosophy is to be the key to success in all projects, offering forward creative thinking, providing design excellence and promoting use of new technology. A good example of which is the eco-friendly hybrid main propulsion in our latest 25m explorer. Our managed, logical and high-tech approach to yacht design and engineering includes all the necessary tools that a project might need, from research and development, to old-fashioned flair and talent for the job. If as an owner you’re looking for something exciting, innovative and of course stylish for your next yacht, sail or motor, then we would like to share in realizing that dream.

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