Yacht and Powercraft Design

Do you have a passion for engineering and want to take this into designing performance power- and sail-craft? If you’re interested in analysing design for performance craft – from small racing boats to superyachts - Solent’s yacht and powercraft design degree will help build your theoretical and practical knowledge to take the first step in your career as a yacht designer.

Solent’s internationally-recognised yacht and powercraft design course focuses on small craft technology, Computer-Aided Design (CAD) and design practice, delivering essential engineering theory and design skills.

Previous students have benefitted from attending guest lectures by speakers from key industry organisations such as the Royal Institute of Naval Architects (RINA), Nigel Gee BMT, Babcock Engineering, Gurit, Sunseeker, Rob Humphries Design and Norbert Sedlacek (Open 60 skipper).

To help build their professional network, students are encouraged to attend local boat shows, including the Southampton Boat Show and Seawork International. Previous students have also been on yard visits, with recent trips including Sunseeker, Green Marine and Solent Refit.

Teaching is delivered by a team of expert professionals with ongoing industry consultancy expertise.

What does this course lead to? Course graduates have gone on to various industry roles, including naval architect or design engineer, at companies such as Laurent Giles Naval Architects, Sunseeker Yachts, Humphries Yacht Design, Monaco Marine, Viareggio Shipyards in Italy and Incat Crowther Design in the USA.

Who is this course for? This course is aimed at those who want to design smaller leisure craft such as sailing boats and powercraft.

Students learn the fundamentals of yacht design alongside the latest construction methods to gain a solid grounding for roles in yacht design, naval architecture or equipment design.