Yacht Designer and Naval Architect, Philippe Briand
Buyer, Buying, Creativity, Environment, Owner, Sustainability
London-based Philippe Briand has been conceiving high-performance yachts since his La Rochelle childhood, and his technical excellence and precision - accompanied by a strong artistic flair - have continued to evolve over what is arguably the most prolific career of any yacht designer today.
Early insights into naval architecture, advanced hydrodynamics and production engineering during an internship with Swedish designer Pelle Petterson armed Briand with the skills to create dozens of successful production yacht models, of which over 12,000 vessels have been built.
His portfolio spans four decades, starting with his first IOR Quarter Ton design at the age of 16. His designs for competition have included eight yachts for six America’s Cup campaigns; two of the vessels for the French team that won the Admiral’s Cup in 1991; and countless high-performance offshore racing yachts. An accomplished sailor himself, Briand has won the Half-Ton Cup in 1993 and the One-Ton Cup in 1994, in yachts of his own designs.
Briand’s first foray into superyachts came in 1995, with a winning submission for the design of the groundbreaking, award-winning 44.7m S/Y Mari Cha III, and then Mari Cha IV. The success of these lightweight, high-performance cruising racers propelled him into the world of superyachts, where he has enjoyed considerable success.