Principles of Yacht Design

Great sequel. Highly recommended !!

I've served as a consultant to several textbook companies during my career. I've also been a university prof and co-written a textbook. I know how difficult it is to produce a high-quality textbook that serves a wide audience. But . .This is an ill-conceived and designed textbook. It's a mess. Somehow the book is required reading in yacht design programs across the english-speaking world; a fifth edition is coming in 2022.A good textbook walks the reader slowly through the topic and its process — from the beginner-level to expert. It introduces new terms and concepts strategically, at the right pace and with a full explanation. However, in this book, on almost every page — from the first chapter to the last — the author presents terms and concepts that are only unfamiliar to someone who has been knee deep in the world of yacht design for several years. The reader does not know which of these terms or concepts are critical or not or what they should focus on now and what they can expect to be addressed later in the book (and course). There seems to be no logic to the sequencing of the material. The writing is brutal, too. Consider this passage (page 26):"In the second turn, after having adjusted the main parameters, it may be time to begin the actual design of the hull, keel, rudder and sail plan. The theory for this is given in Chapters 3, 5, 6, 7 and 8. A rough layout of the interior and exterior design (see Chapter 15) may be made too, to give an initial weight estimate, needed for the stability calculation (see Chapter 4). It is likely that neither the weight nor the stability will be correct, so several turns may be required to satisfy these requirements reasonably. Of course, not all previous operations may have to be redone in each turn. Having found a reasonable weight and stability for the yacht, the next turn may include the detailed hull scantling calculations and the dimensioning of the rig, as well as the choice of the engine (see Chapters 9-14). Only at this stage can an exact weight calculation be carried out, as shown in Appendix 2."Who, other than those that have worked extensively in the world of yacht design, could make sense of this? (I'm especially bewildered by the use of the word "may" in the first two sentences. In the first chapter of a textbook, while trying to explain the core steps involved in yacht design, a good writer / editor should know better than to introduce unnecessary ambiguity regarding such a critical element of the discipline. The author's goal is to provide the learner, new to this field, with an understanding of the discipline fundamentals. Once achieved, then we can explain when and why there might be exceptions.I don't enjoy criticizing other people's work. But this isn't a romance novel with a weak plot — it's education. People's professional lives and finances are at stake. Given that the fifth edition of this book is coming out in 2022, I can only assume that there is little to no competition for this topic in the publishing world.A serious editor needs to rework this material.

This book is mandatory in the Naval Architect's library.

Sono un giovane ingegnere navale appassionato di nautica e ho trovato la lettura di questo libro quasi rilassante.La matematica è ridotta allo stretto indispensabile quindi è senz'altro alla portata di un appassionato con un po di buona volontà.Molti concetti riguardanti l'architettura navale spiegati in maniera chiara.L'autore effettua, capitolo per capitolo, il proporzionamento o dimensionamento di ogni elemento della barca ( appendici, albero, vele, spessori fasciame..) in maniera chiara e pragmatica. Questo approccio finisce per essere il suo limite per chi fosse interessato ad una trattazione più rigorosa.

The book was in perfect conditions, but it took more days that what Amazon had calculated.. so it arrived 4 days later! Despite that, the book is GREAT! Thanks!

As with the previous editions of the Principles of Yacht Design, the authors have covered the design of a yacht from A to Z with enough principles, concepts and mathematics to allow the student yacht designer to do a thorough job with his or her design. This edition presents a new design example that is thoroughly contemporary and reflects the current style of design - plumb bow, broad beam carried to the stern and fairly flat canoe body lines. The worked examples clearly show how to perform the calculations necessary to provide the hydrostatic data needed for the design. Other calculations provide the ability to size the strength of the rigging and the hull. It is no wonder that the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers has had the Principles of Yacht Design on their list of books to purchase. This edition sits alongside my editions of Principles of Naval Architecture, Ship Design and Construction, Hydrodynamics of Ships, and Skene's Elements of Yacht Design.