Unsung Heroes of Yacht Design

When boat nuts meet up and talk about powerboat designers—yeah, we’re kind of nerdy that way—a few big names always pop up: Jack Hargrave, Frank Huckins, Tom Fexas and, of course, C. Raymond Hunt. But there are a heck of a lot of other designers who aren’t so famous, but ought to be. Maybe they created an innovative hull, or designed especially fast boats, or drew vessels so darned sweet that just one look makes you feel better about humankind. It’s these folks, in my opinion, who are the unsung masters of yacht design. The following seven designers made an impact on design that deserves mention; even if the history books have forgotten them, the ocean never forgets.

But first, how did I pick and choose? For one thing, each designer had to be deceased—I didn’t want to call anyone “unsung” who maybe still had an arrow or two in his quiver. And then, each had to be known for powerboat design, although many of these fellows drew nice sailboats, too. Moreover, each had to be uncelebrated, but not totally obscure. And finally, they had to have designed boats that I like. It’s my list, after all.

Jersey Boys

My first entry is the most controversial of the lot, not because of what he did, but because, for many of us who go back a few years, he’s not exactly unsung—he’s more up there with Hargrave and Hunt. But newcomers to boating might not know about David P. Martin Sr. and his fast, efficient watercraft. In the 1980s, when 30 knots became the benchmark for offshore sportfishing vessels, Dave Martin’s designs for Ocean Yachts were at the head of the fleet. Thirty knots doesn’t sound fast today, but with the diesel engines available 40 years ago,