John Laurent Giles

Who was John Laurent Giles?

John Laurent Giles was a famous yacht designer. He and his company designed more than 1000 boats from cruisers and racing yachts to "megayachts". He is best known for his design of displacement sailing yachts like the famous 7.6 meter Vertue of which 230 boats made, or Wanderer III. His famous Myth of Malham, a revolutionary small displacement yacht, was inspired by developments in aeronautics; the novel design helped win the Fastnet race in 1947 and 1949. The updated Miranda IV of 1951 had a rudder mounted separately from the aft of the keel which heralded the arrival of the modern period of yacht design.

Laurent Giles described as part of his design philosophy that a yacht should have

the utmost docility and sureness of maneuvering at sea, in good or bad weather

His boats were designed to maintain a steady course with minimal action by the helmsman but respond instantly to the helm if the need arose.

He was awarded the honour of Royal Designer for Industry in 1951.