Intuitively gifted


Ivor Wilkins picks a few of the key highlights of Laurie Davidson’s inspired and influential design career


Work as an accountant with a sideline in ferro-cement boats would seem an unlikely platform for yacht design stardom, yet that was how Laurie Davidson began an extra- ordinary international career that included crushing victories in back-to-back America’s Cup regattas, first as a challenger and then as defender. Davidson, who died in early October


aged 94, played lead roles in the design teams behind NZL-32, which won the 1995 America’s Cup match by 5-0, and in NZL-60, which did the same in the 2000 Cup defence against Luna Rossa. Of course, Davidson did not make the


leap from ferro-cement utility to carbon fibre star wars in a single bound. In between he demonstrated his versatility and skill in a wide range of projects, from dinghies to Ton Cup yachts, round-the-world racers, hand- some cruisers and grand prix campaigners.


44 SEAHORSE Before entering the ranks of professional


yacht design Davidson had already demon- strated a keen talent for unpicking a rule and coming up with a new and faster inter- pretation. In 1948 he caused an uproar in Auckland’s highly competitive M-Class fleet (athletic 18ft four-man clinker dinghies) with a new design called Myth. With its straight stem, acutely angled


forefoot and lightweight construction Myth proved very quick. Under grave threat from this precocious newcomer the class hit back. Some of the more vehement opponents even suggested purchasing Myth and burning it – like a witch at the stake. Following closer scrutiny by the meas -


urers Myth’s certificate was temporarily revoked while Davidson beefed up con- struction. His eyes twinkled with merriment whenever he recounted that the rebuilt, compliant Myth was actually lighter than the original. Certainly the changes did not affect its dominance and a rush of new Davidson boats followed. It took more than 30 years before a non-Davidson boat won the M-Class championship again. The Myth story not only underlined Davidson’s design talent, but also his


considerable sailing prowess. The Myth legend was so strong some thought it would flourish in anybody’s hands, yet when Davidson finally sold the boat its star never shone as brightly again. He also competed at a high level in the


Flying Dutchman class and was going well in the Olympic trials for the 1964 Tokyo Games when a northeasterly squall cap- sized most of the fleet. Davidson’s boat was damaged and could not complete the trials, which were won by Helmer Peder- sen and Earle Wells, who went on to win gold. By strange coincidence Wells died within a week of Davidson’s death. For most of the 1960s Davidson worked


as an accountant for Certified Concrete. When the company wanted to capitalise on the new trend for ferro-cement boats they immediately looked to Davidson for the design. During a research visit to the US Davidson visited Olin Stephens; an early devotee of computers, Stephens was using an Olivetti system with Fortran punch cards for his calculations. By coincidence Certified Concrete used the same system so Davidson purchased Stephens’ design package. Later when he left Certified


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