Graceful... but (very) fast

Dobbs Davis traces the successful progression of the San Diego design studio of John Reichel and Jim Pugh

There's far more involved in successful modern yacht design than merely composing hull lines, rig plans, appendages, and all the other elements of naval architecture we may normally associate with the trade. While the arrangement of these will be constrained by the laws of physics, there is also an indefinable aesthetic element inherent in every design that will distinguish boats that may be fast from those that are both fast and beautiful.

There are few yacht design firms who have consistently found that critical balance between an elegance in style, innovation in design and performance through cutting-edge technology. Three generations ago Herreschoff had that balance right, two generations back it was Sparkman and Stevens, one generation ago it was German Frers, and now it is Reichel-Pugh.

Designs from Reichel-Pugh have made a significant worldwide impact during the past 20 years, bringing new concepts to design with notable influence on the way yachts look and perform. Over this time the firm has amassed an impressive portfolio of designs that range from famous America's Cup winners such as America3 (winner in 1992) and a reproduction of the J Class Ranger (winner in 1937), to the Melges 24, a groundbreaking inshore one-design rocketship, to offshore greyhounds such as Pyewacket and Morning Glory (current Transpac record holder) and Alfa Romeo (70 first-to-finish victories), to Blue Yankee, currently unbeatable in the US under IRC, among numerous others. While highly successful on the racecourse, all these designs also embody a design principle that Reichel-Pugh calls 'a graceful aesthetic that outperforms.'

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