Andre Hoek at RHKYC- ‘Sailing Design driven by Scientific Research’
by Sail-World Asia on 5 Mar 2015
Andre Hoek SW
Founded in 1986, Hoek Design is one of the world’s leading offices for yacht design, naval architecture and engineering.
André Hoek was raised in a sailing family and began helming small dinghies from the age of five. He is till an enthusiastic sailor, cruising long distances with his family every year.
André graduated in Naval Architecture in 1980 and went to work with C&C yachts in Canada. Engineering expertise was acquired working for as a salvage and heavy lift engineer for ITC, a company specialising in the transportation of offshore drilling rigs over the ocean on submersible ships and barges.
The Hoek range of classic yachts consists of custom-designed and custom-built projects developed in close partnership with owners. Ranging in size from 33 to 262 feet, these sloops, schooners and ketches all have their own distinctive interiors, sail plans and layouts. All Hoek classics have in common a classic hull shape and above-water styling with a modern underwater configuration. The first designs with a wing keel and spade rudder were the 70-foot sloop Joss and the 70-foot ketch Kim; their unprecedented performance and manoeuverability were seen as a true breakthrough in yachting. Hoek Design quickly became the frontrunner in the ‘classic above/modern below’ approach.
Hoek also gained invaluable know-how by joining the 180 ft ketch Adele on trips to the Arctic, Antarctic and Fiji Islands. He is often part of the race crew on board superyachts such as Elfje, Adele, Marie, Eleonora and J Class Yacht Lionheart acting as helmsmen, tactician and/or sail trimmer.
André will talk about research, development and design, focusing on the development of hull shapes of classically styled yachts with modern underwater configurations, and the use of Computational Fluid Dynamics and Velocity Prediction Programmes which are used to optimise their hull shapes. He will also briefly explain the hull shape research for J Class yachts and various other designs.
5 March 2015, RHKYC Kellett Island, Main Lawn 1930h
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