Alan Mummery designed this 45-foot (13.72m) GRP racing yacht, Ice Fire, in 1987. Ice Fire raced regularly in New Zealand and scored top placings in two Sydney–Hobart races. She is now based in Australia.

Photograph by and courtesy of Gary Caulfield / Portrait: Photograph by and courtesy of Maryanne Mummery

Tiama, owned and operated by Henk Haazen, on an expedition to the Balleny Islands, Antarctica, 2006. Haazen commissioned Alan Mummery in 2000 to design a yacht to cruise and operate in any sailing conditions and region throughout the world.

Photograph by and courtesy of Henk Haazen

Ponsonby Scow, a 16-metre GRP schooner designed by Alan Mummery in 1985. The hull features a shallow ballast fin keel with a deep dagger centreboard for windward sailing and reaching.

Photograph by and courtesy of Will Calver / www.oceanphotography.co.nz

ALAN MUMMERY

(1938–)

For over 40 years, Alan Mummery has forged a successful career designing fast, good-looking yachts.

A passion for boats

Alan Mummery was born in Hastings. His family weren’t boating enthusiasts, but his own passion became obvious early on.

As a boy, he spent much time exploring local rivers in a canoe he built with his father. While still a boy he built an 11-foot (3.35m) centreboard yacht, using kahikatea wall lining for planking and an old kauri washtub for the transom. He sailed this on Hawke’s Bay, hoisting the sails after launching the boat through the surf.

In his early teens he helped an adult friend build a 28-foot (8.53m) keelboat, then helped sail it.

ALAN MUMMERY

Building a boating career

Mummery qualified in architecture at Auckland University. It was while working in that field that he clearly realised which direction his career should take. He then studied yacht design and set up practice as a yacht designer.

Mummery soon became known for his wide knowledge of materials and construction techniques. This led to many challenging commissions in glass-reinforced plastic, steel and other metal alloys, as well as wood.

ALAN MUMMERY

Specialisation and precision

Mummery has designed vessels of many types, sizes and functions. Some are motor-sailers or launches, but most are sailing yachts for cruising or racing.

He developed a reputation for producing yachts to meet special requirements. He became particularly interested in design for moderate draft conditions.

This led to many commissions for large, stable sailing yachts with a shoal fin keel and centreboard. A special achievement was designing an adventure yacht with a fully retractable ballast keel, suitable for wintering-over in Antarctica.

A number of Mummery’s yachts have been built to survey, and he is known for the precision of his hand-drawn documents – each a technical and artistic masterpiece.