The Truly Gifted Guys...

.. and I wish I could start my life over again and become apprentice to one of them!

This is not the full and exhaustive "where-to-get-your-boatplans" list for the eager shopper. There are other link-lists for that purpose. This is just a list of selected designers that I like personally very much, for very different reasons, and that you should have a look at.

• Yves-Marie de Tanton - One of the most productive and innovative designers I have ever found. I have spend already many hours browsing his design, always discover new things that surprise me and regularly return there for fun and meditation ;-) He seems completely open, and his designs are of such an overwhelming diversity that I always wonder how he can give each and every single one so much of his personal touch. There is always and in each design something "tantonesque" that will make you question your own preconceived ideas, it tickles and bothers you, and when you finally discover the reason behind it, you have become a little bit richer.. like us frenchies say: enchanting ;-)
• Thomas E Colvin, for his GAZELLE that made me dream already some quarter of a century ago. I never built one, but she still touches me. Also for his great work on JUNK RIGS. 20 years ago we built a junk rig on to a 10 m in France, and the boat handled not bad at all. The owner later changed it to a marconi sloop. Still, Junk Rigs have a lot going for them, and you sure can't beat that for tradition and years of successful refinement!
• Paul Gartside - for his superb, beautiful designs. This designer has an aesthetic approach that will make his "traditional" boats look even nicer than the real thing and still incorporate lots of current modern ideas.
• John Hesp - another great artist. Have a look at ROSEBUD or the HOPE 27 Gaff Cutter, just lovely.
• Iain Oughtred - for smaller boats, mostly wooden clinker built. Great designs, Could not find his web site but you can find some pics at Duck Flat Wooden Boats site
• Ever seen "African Queen"?? Have alook at Tug Yachts, Fantails and so on at Jay R. Benford, also all sorts of other very nice designs.
• Don't miss out on Dudley Dix, not only for his very nice designs, but also for his nice examples of the "radius chine" building method.
• ZIS IS FRENCH at it's best; PHILIPPE HARLÉ was the father of the french yachting revolution, thousands of boats have been built to his designs, from amateur to JEANNEAU mass production, always called after some booze, MUSCADET; SANGIA, PUNCH; AQUAVIT and so on and so on. Give me any of his boats, even the smallest one, anytime, and I go anywhere! He did it himself, at the age of sixty something if I remember right, when he took one of his own 6.50 meters and sailed it in the MINI TRANSAT.