A large yacht is a major investment, and it is vital that the basic design is sound. It must be properly engineered and strong enough to meet the worst conditions in perfect safety while being optimised for maximum enjoyment in normal use.

While I was working with Ron Holland I concentrated on developing our skills as a design team. After leaving Ireland, I expanded my knowledge further by joining the staff of Fr. Lürssen Werft and then Camper & Nicholsons (Yachts) Ltd. (Biographical Notes)This experience of building and refitting yachts gave me invaluable insight into the problems facing the builder. I have seen many design features from other designers which are more than twice as expensive to build as the same item designed with more sympathy for the building process. It is impossible to make yachts cheap, but intelligent design can squeeze the maximum value from every dollar that goes into the project.

However beautiful the basic design, if the taps do not run or the lights light up, no-one will enjoy their time afloat. Although the on-board services are the responsibility of the builder, when the designer truly understands these aspects you can be assured that the result will be more efficient, more reliable and easier to maintain. On the Georgia project I even spent three months in New Zealand at the invitation of Alloy Yachts to advise their own staff developing the technical and engineering details of the yacht.

But despite having a thorough grounding in many of the specialised disciplines which are required to design a modern yacht, I still make use of technical specialists when appropriate. A yacht designer has to understand the principles of a vast range of subjects from noise reduction to certification and corrosion prevention, so he will not necessarily have as good a grasp of a particular subject as someone who specialises only in one particular field. My circle of specialists, advisors and consultants is an important asset.