Yacht Design Explained: A Boat Owner's Guide to the Principles and Practice of Design (Hardcover)

~ Doug Hunter (Author), (Author) "The focal point of the design process, the hull is where all considerations of performance, practicality, and style and begin and end..." (more)
Key Phrases: sail force coefficients, aerodynamic aspect ratio, effective sailing length, New Zealand, True North, Steve Killing (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

The basics of yacht design and then some; intended for the serious sailor seeking a better understanding, with emphasis on modern yachts and principles; clear, concise drawings and diagrams. -- WoodenBoat Review, January/February 1999

This is perhaps the most useful book on sailboat design since Ted Brewer's delightfully readable "Understanding Boat Design"...Killing's text is supported by terrific artwork on every page guaranteed to make the learning process as visual as it is cerebral....The next time your eyes glaze over three paragraphs into yet another technical boat review, reach over and grab this little nugget. It works better than Visine. -- Blue Water Sailing, November/December 1998

Product Description

At last, sailboat design explained in a way that all boat owners can understand and put to use. The first guide to design aimed at every sailor, Yacht Design Explained uses state-of-the-art graphics, dynamic charts and photographs, and clear explanations to show what makes hulls, keels, ballast, rudders, foils, masts, and sails work. It reveals why certain designs perform well and others fail. The authors examine a range of boats, from a 14-foot dinghy to a 40-foot cruiser, from a catamaran to an offshore singlehander. They break through the often confusing physics of yacht design to provide an understanding that sailors can use to get the most out of their time afloat.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: W.W. Norton & Co.; 1st edition (August 17, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 039304646X
• ISBN-13: 978-0393046465
• Product Dimensions: 10.1 x 7.8 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #501,140 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars For anyone who wants to know how sailboat design works, August 15, 1999

By A Customer

This is a book written by a knowledgable and experienced designer, Steve Killing, who understood his audience to be the average person. You don't really even have to know how to sail to appreciate this book (but I'd suggest it). It's well written and the diagrams are perhaps the best I've seen in a boat book.

On the downside the editing of the book places diagrams occasionally two pages away from the text that details it. This does is disturb the flow of the topic you are deep in the middle of. Plus, some interesting topics (such as adjustable backstays) are given a very light overview, and some (like bulkhead/hull/deck joint mechanics) are not covered at all.

Basically, it's a book about performance yacht design. That means it is primarily focused on the sailing aspects or hulls, and rigging, and keels, as opposed to liveability, or pure structural tradeoffs in yacht building.

That said, I've read it twice already, which for me is a rarity. Buy this book!

-thaw-

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Good overview of design, August 9, 2006

By	Raymond Scheibner (Sterling Heights, Michigan, USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm an automotive designer who enjoys technical reading. Over the years I've subscribed to numerous boating publications and have purchased a handfull of books on sail power yacht design. This book is by far the best. It will answer many of your questions such as "why is a longer hull faster?", "why does 1.34 x the square root of the waterline length approximate max hull speed?". The book is well written and presents a short history of each design element i.e, sail configurations. The technical formulas are seperated in sidebar configuration for those who avoid math at all costs. If you are only going to buy one book on sail powered yacht design-this is the one.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A must for every sailor curious about yacht design., September 27, 1998

By	[e-mail] "[e-mail]" (Florida) - See all my reviews

Well written and straight forward with great graphics and pictures, this wonderful book on sailing yacht design is a must for the curious sailor.

The contents include fantastic graphics, charts, illustrations and photographs. It covers the fundamentals of design including hulls, keels, ballast, rudders, rigs, and sails.

Covering designs from Sir Isaac Newton to the America's Cup, this book is not a technical manual but an explanation of the problems that designers and builders cope with in solving the problems created by wind and water to produce a stable and practical sailing vessel.

Capt. Matt