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Owen Clarke provide consultancy services to the marine industry in the following disciplines; Design, Naval Architecture and Engineering. Work is carried out by OC's experienced design team and/or by our associates with our oversight. Work is undertaken independently or as part of the client's team, from our offices in the UK, New Zealand and through our associates in the United States. The four projects highlighted below are representative of the diversity of design, naval architecture and engineering consultancy work undertaken between 2010 and 2018 in terms of scale/budget, complexity and size/type of vessel. OC also have experience in a range of associated sectors including: composite manufacturing consultancy, materials testing support, expert witness/dispute resolution and as owners’ technical representatives and project managers. Owen Clarke offer these services to:

  • Designers and naval architects
  • Shipyards
  • Owners
  • Project management and yacht management companies
  • Skippers and teams
  • Yacht surveyors and insurance companies
  • Legal and professional service groups

Fundamental to the quality and range of consultancy services OC provide to our racing and cruising client’s is our diverse offshore sailing experience and expertise. Both of the office’s founding partners are experienced yachtsmen who have completed several dozen trans-oceanic passages between them. Allen Clarke and Merfyn Owen have over sixty years of practical cruising and racing miles to back up their decades of experience in yacht design and naval architecture. Since the beginning when hiring OC have prioritised candidates with sailing, particularly good competitive racing and offshore backgrounds as well as time served in boatyards. OC staff continue to stay current with developments and race competitively in local, Class 40, superyacht and other regattas. Both partners sail their own yachts, one in the UK the other based between Newfoundland and Greenland. While time on the water is invaluable to developing our new designs, our practical experience combined with technical know-how is critical to delivering a range of consultancy services. Whether that be by assessing a problem in the office or when necessary undertaking site visits and/or sailing trials.

Allen Clarke and Merfyn Owen (in pic) have over sixty years of practical cruising and racing miles to back up their decades of experience in yacht design and naval architecture. Fundamental to the quality and range of consultancy services OC provide to our racing and cruising client’s is our diverse offshore sailing experience and expertise. Both of the office’s founding partners are experienced yachtsmen who have completed several dozen trans-oceanic passages between them.

OC provided consultancy services to the builders of the 5.6m SK2, currently the smallest sailing yacht OC have been involved with. We had a small part to play as consultant naval architects and designers, refining the keel design and engineering after the initial prototype of this one design sport boat / dinghy had been built.

LOA: 5.62m
Beam: 1.56m
Draft: 1.35m
Displacement: 190kg
SA upwind: 19.6 m2
SA downwind: 53.6 m2

Acting as a design consultancy the 5.6m, the SK2 is the smallest keel boat design we’ve been. We had a small part to play as consultant naval architects and designers, refining the keel design and engineering after the initial prototype of this one design sports boat / dinghy was built.

This 75m three masted schooner is the largest project as designers and naval architects that OC have been involved with. It was more than a consultancy in that OC were engaged to design this superyacht as a stripped-out ocean record breaker and future proof the design for conversion to a sail training tall ship. On behalf of the commissioning shipyard Owen Clarke completed all aspects of the preliminary design, stability, rig design, load and the aluminium engineering of this impressive futuristic vessel to Lloyds SSV. Unfortunately, just prior to build commencement funding was halted.

LOA: 78.9m
Beam: 13.3m
Draft: 8.19m
Displacement: 267 t (racing) 416 t (sail training)

This 75m three masted schooner is the largest project as designers and naval architects that OC have been involved with. It was more than a consultancy in that OC were engaged to design this superyacht as a stripped-out ocean record breaker and future proof the design for conversion to a sail training tall ship.

Owen Clarke’s involvement in grand prix racing yacht design has required us to specialise in the design and engineering of complex carbon and metal components. OC are particularly experienced in the design of deck hardware in all materials. OC have also produced a range of bowsprit types from 0.6m to 3m in length, including numerous rotating sprits for yachts between 6.5 and 18m. The carbon ‘floating’ rotating bowsprit shown here is an original concept created by Owen Clarke for our Open 50 Artforms. The latest development is shown here on our USA based Class 40 #143 Longbow. The sprit rotates on a spherical bearing with the rear of the Y floating in space. The sprit is more reliable and lighter because there is no bending moment in the vertical plane. The Y shape allows the removeable inner-forestay tack of the staysail to be further forward which is a significant advantage as this sail is a working headsail for a Class 40 in TWS 25 kts and above. The end of the pole is set up for a 2:1 for code sails and a 1:1 for spinnakers, both tack lines run through carbon ZS jammers integral to the structure.

Owen Clarke’s involvement in grand prix racing yacht design has required us to specialise in the design and engineering of complex carbon and metal components. OC are particularly experienced in the design of deck hardware in all materials. OC have also produced a range of bowsprit types from 0.6m to 3m in length, including numerous rotating sprits for yachts between 6.5 and 18m.

Our involvement in the design of wind propulsion assist technology for the commercial shipping sector stretches back twenty-five years. OC were the engineers of an early carbon wing sail with potential ship applications that was built in the UK in the early 90s. During the last decade we consulted on the aero-dynamics as well as the engineering for a London based start-up to develop the concept for vessels between 50,000 And 400,000 GRT. OC were contracted for our experience in aero-dynamics, sailing vessel design and as naval architects with in-house experience of merchant vessel operations. OC added new team members who created an overall design concept focusing on the development of performance prediction software as well as wing sail hardware design. There has in the last decade been growing pressure on the shipping industry to reduce emissions. Allied to fuel savings, carbon reduction is now a fact with the IMO stipulating a 50% reduction of CO2 emissions by 2050. OC continue to be interested in the fields of renewable energy and wind assisted propulsion. We offer our knowledge, skills and those of our colleagues to organisations who are looking to a future where wind propulsion technologies, hybrid propulsion and the use of hydrogen fuel cells are the norm, rather than the exception.

Owen Clarke Design have been involved in the design of wind propulsion assist technology for the commercial shipping sector for twenty-five years. OC were the engineers of an early carbon wing sail with potential ship applications that was built in the UK in the early 90s.

To review previous consultancy projects: From the menu above select; Consultancy and then; Design. then use the sub-menu to review projects.

For an explanation of the technology behind the design process go to: NAVAL ARCHITECTURE

For an insight into our engineering and detailed design work go to: ENGINEERING

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