Principles of Yacht Design [Hardcover]

Lars Larsson (Author), Rolf Eliasson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 2, 2000

Principles of Yacht Design is both comprehensible to amateurs and comprehensive for professionals. It follows the design of a 40-foot cruising sailboat from the first sketch to the final weight, strength, and sail area calculations, with tables, charts, and diagrams to let the reader adapt the process to any design. This edition is revised and expanded to cover powerboats as well as sailboats.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"... [In] sailboat design, Principles is more detailed and up-to-date than Skene's and a copy belongs in the collection af any aspiring designer." -- Soundings

"... essential in understaning the new era in yacht design." -- WoodenBoat

"Whereas Skene's remains a great primer on design basics-Prinicples of Yacht Design goes far beyond-this one is bound to become a classic." -- Cruising World --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From the Back Cover

Principles of Yacht Design was the first book for mnay years to examine every aspect of the process of yacht design and was welcomed with open arms by owners of boats small and large, practising designers, naval architecture students and the boatbuilding industry as a whole. Now revised and expanded for its second edition to cover power boat design in more detail, it makes an even more valuable contribution to our understanding of the process of yacht design.

The authors have used a newly designed 40 foot performance cruiser to demonstrate the practical application of yacht design theory. Beginning with the yacht's specificaitons, the authors explain the geometry of the hull by means of lines plans and introduce CAD techniques. Hydrostatics and stability in calm water as well as waves are described in detail, as is the design of the hull, keel and rudder. Next the aerodynamics of the sails and the influence this has on the shape of the sail plan is examined. Methods are introduced for finding the balance of the yacht, and there is a short chapter on selecting the correct propeller and the engine. The special hydrodynamics of high-speed power boats is also addressed for the first time in this edition.

Structural aspects of the design are treated comprehensively for both sail and power boats. Loads acting on the hull and rig are identified and methods for computing them introduced. There is also a discussion of different fibre reinforced plastics, including sandwich laminates. Finally, practical matters such as the layout of the cockpit, deck and cabin are discussed, and a complete weight calculation is provided for the 40-footer.

The book is richly illustrated with explanatory diagrams, and although the subject is complicated, the authors treat it in a remarkably clear and concise manner, making it easily understandable for both professionals and amateurs interested in the principles of yacht design.

"This book is deeply fascinating . . . a must."--Classic Boat

"Here at last is a book that replaces Skene's Elements of Yacht Design as the yacht designer's bible."--Yachting Monthly

"A copy belongs in the collection of any aspiring designer."--Soundings

"Essential in understanding the new era in Yacht design."--WoodenBoat

"Bound to become a classic."--Cruising World

"A definitive work on yacht design."--Cruising

"A new bible on yacht design."--SA Yachting

"A sound and up to date manual of yacht design . . . a classic in its field."--Practical Boat Owner

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 352 pages
• Publisher: International Marine/Ragged Mountain Press; 2 edition (June 2, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071353933
• ISBN-13: 978-0071353939
• Product Dimensions: 10.4 x 7.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.7 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,777,605 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #67 in Books > Professional & Technical > Transportation > Ships > Boat Building

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

34 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Too narrow a focus and a very poor index., March 18, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Principles of Yacht Design (Hardcover)

This book focuses almost exclusively on modern, fin keel, canoe body, racing/cruising sailing yachts, with sloop rigs. There is little to interest those whose tastes run more to traditional designs or rigs, multihulls, or anything out of the ordinary. Much space is devoted to the hydrodynamics of fin keels and rudders, and as presented it is reasonably accessable/understandable to the average reader. All the mathmatics in the book is left out of the main text, and presented instead in separate boxes, a very nice arrangement. The index is poor, to the point of atrocious. I never seemed to be able to easily find what I was looking for.

17 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly detailed and technical analysis of yacht design, January 30, 2003

By 

Juan Lleras "Juan Manuel LLeras" (Bogotá, Colombia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Principles of Yacht Design (Hardcover)

Larsson and Eliasson present - in detail - the engineering and naval architecture processes that a yacht designer should use in designing a seaworthy yacht. The book presents, as an example, the design -from scratch- of a 40 ft. cruising sloop. Every aspect of yacht design is covered: hull shape, speed, friction, displacement, stability, dynamic stability, rigging, construction, interior design ergonomics, deck design, scantlings, standards, etc.
Typical of an engineering book, the style is factual and dry. Some people may find it lacks the poetry of other books.

Specially attractive is the presentation of formulas in separate boxes. Be prepared, however, to get acquainted with metric units, and engineering terms and formulas.
This is probably the most serious book on the subject of the yacht design. The only possible deficiencies are that motor yacht design is not specifically covered, and that emphasis is placed in the design of safe cruising sailboats rather than high performance racing boats. Despite these omissions, there is no doubt this book is a MUST for anyone really interested in the subject of designing a boat, specially if it is a sailboat.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A reasonable introduction..., December 25, 2004

By 

Chris H. (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Principles of Yacht Design (Hardcover)

This publication can be summed up as a reasonable introduction into conventional "modern" yacht design. However, it seems to be tailored towards amateur boat builders or even the keen sailor. A lot of ground is covered, but it only scratches the surface on many subjects. But perhaps this is all one should expect from a publication that only claims to cover the "principles" of yacht design. In my opinion as a naval architect, the book seems to lack depth and scientific data that could make it an interesting read or reference work for the professional.