[bolger] Design evolution [Was AS 29 - Dirty Little Secrets]

><<
>I've also recently taken the lines off a no-name dinghy that's been
>around
>here for years. I can't divine the origin of this boat, but I can tell
>you
>that it's the best performing yacht tender and general dinghy that I've
>ever
>seen. Moreover, it's got the cargo capacity of a small pickup truck.
>>>
>
>This, of course, is a traditional way to get good boat plans.

Some wonderful words of wisdom there from Chuck and Craig. Just to add my
tuppence worth and reinforce the argument, I have the following tale to
tell:-

Last September I visited well known designer Iain Oughtred at his shop in
Findhorn, NE Scotland. He had recently bought a boat which was NOT of his
own design. It is an Orkney yoal - a double ender similar to the better
known Shetland yoal but beamier and with rather harder bilges, I think.
This particular example is about 16 feet long and is gunter rigged. He
bought it from Iain Richardson - the best known builder of these craft, in
Orkney. Richardson designed these boats himself, at one time, and asked
some of the local old guys what made a good hull - hardness of bilges? -
depth of keel? - the run? - the entry? He was told that he should just
copy old 'Puffin' because she was the best yoal in the fleet. Richardson
tried umpteen variations to try and get a better boat for the job, but in
the end conceded that straight copies of 'Puffin' couldn't be bettered.
Oughtred (whose mother was Orcadian) now races one of these in the
traditional boat regattas, and is very pleased with it.

I'd conclude that design evolution can be a powerful force in the pursuit of
excellence.

Bill