Laurie Davidson.

Photographer unknown, Sea Spray Collection, New Zealand Maritime Museum Hui Te Ananui a Tangaroa

Laurie Davidson’s Myth (1947) was the first modern M Class yacht. She looked different from the traditional M Class and was designed purely for racing.

Photographer unknown, New Zealand Maritime Museum Hui Te Ananui a Tangaroa (9999.595.1)

Laurie Davidson’s Waverider (1977) won the Half Ton Cup in 1978 and 1979, the first boat to achieve this twice.

Photographer unknown, New Zealand Maritime Museum Hui Te Ananui a Tangaroa

Starlight Express, a Davidson 55 yacht built in 1985, won the gruelling Sydney–Hobart race in 2002.

Photographer unknown, Sea Spray Collection, New Zealand Maritime Museum Hui Te Ananui a Tangaroa

LAURIE DAVIDSON CNZM

(1926–)

Laurie Davidson is one of New Zealand’s most prolific, versatile and successful boat designers, with two America’s Cup-winning boats to his credit.

Top of the class

Laurie Davidson was born in Dargaville, Northland, but was schooled in Auckland.

His sailing career began as a teenager, racing Silver Fern and later M Class yachts. He reached the top of both classes.

Davidson learned boat design from books and sailing experience. His mentor was Bob Stewart, who was in turn coached by Arch Logan.

But design wouldn’t be Davidson’s career for years – he qualified as an accountant instead.

LAURIE DAVIDSON

M Class revolutionary

Davidson’s first design was the controversial Myth (1947), which ‘tore the M Class apart’ and greatly influenced its future. His later 18-footers Marlin (1949) and Mystery (1954) caused similar ‘havoc’.

The innovative Daniel Boone (1952) – ‘the high-powered eggshell’ – was another successful 18-Footer from this period.

LAURIE DAVIDSON

Accounting for yachts

In 1969, Davidson swapped accounting for yacht design at Ferro Cement Ltd. He went out on his own three years later, designing world-title winners like three-quarter-tonner Pendragon and half-tonner Waverider (1977), along with boats for factory production.

LAURIE DAVIDSON

America’s Cup winners

Davidson first became involved in America’s Cup design in 1985, preparing for the first New Zealand challenge. The combined design team of Davidson, Bruce Farr, Russell Bowler and Ron Holland produced the world’s first fibreglass 12-metre yachts – KZ3, KZ5 and KZ7.

Davidson later co-designed the 1995 Cup winner NZL32, masterminding the shape of its hull. He was lead designer of the 2000 winner NZL60, which he called a ‘breakthrough boat’. The ‘Davidson bow’ became an influential form among designers.

Despite his success, Davidson remains modest. ‘There’s nothing new in hull shapes … since the 19th century,’ he once said. ‘Guys who were designing racing yachts [then] knew all the things that make a boat go fast … their only disadvantage was they didn’t have the technology and materials we have … these days.’

ON DISPLAY

See NZL32 and accompanying displays for accounts and examples of Davidson’s work in the Race for the Fastest Boat and America’s Cup sections.