The full article is available to our Members and registered users. If you are a Member, please sign in to continue reading. If you are not a Member, you can access 1 complimentary article this month by registering for a free account.
Become a Member to access the full range of RINA’s technical publications, articles and professional resources.
How it's changed
24th Jun 2026
Jack has worked on a wide range of projects in his career (image: Emily Harris; outward bound trust; workTowFloat; waterbird)
Why did you choose a career as a naval architect?
A local family friend introduced me to the concept of a naval architect at the same time as I was becoming obsessed with sailing. Dinghy racing with my father, I grew to admire the classic yachts where we sailed at Aldeburgh. When I became the ‘Saturday boy’ at the local boatyard, the owner, Peter Wilson, asked me what I wanted to do when I left school. He was rather surprised when I said I wanted to be a naval architect. From then on he encouraged me to learn as much as I could about boatbuilding and design, lending me books and quizzing me about them.
How did you go about getting an education?
Solent University’s Yacht Design and Production course is the stuff of legends, providing the building blocks for most renowned yacht designers and naval architects of recent decades. It lived up to its reputation, and after three years of