For
Immediate Release
Contact: Caroline Chetelat, (410) 956-1050, x22
cchetelat@abycinc.org
DETC (Distance Education
and Training Council)
December-2004 Global
Report Spotlights Westlawn
Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology
A Design School With Global Reach
From DETC Global Report, December 2004: The only distance learning school in the world that
teaches boat design—the design of yachts and small craft (vessels under 200
feet or 60 meters)—and one of only two schools in the world dedicated to
teaching specifically small-craft design, Westlawn is celebrating its 75th
anniversary. During it’s three-quarters of a century of operation, Westlawn has
trained more practicing small-craft designers than many of the other
institutions in the world combined. Indeed, Westlawn alumni comprise
some of the most prominent names in the marine industry, and have been employed
by most of the principle design offices and boatbuilders throughout the world.
(Visit Success Stories to
see a list of successful Westlawn alumni and Alumni Gallery to see a
photo gallery of alumni-designed boats.)

Originally named the
Westlawn School of Yacht Design, the Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology
was founded in 1930 and accredited by DETC in 1971. The boating industry’s need
for trained designers prompted the National Marine Manufacturer’s association
(NMMA) to acquire Westlawn in the 1960s, and ownership of the school was
transferred to the American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) in April, 2003.
ABYC creates the safety standards for small craft used by industry, including
for NMMA certification. (Visit www.abycinc.org.)
Westlawn’s Oldest
Student
From the very beginning,
Westlawn’s reach has been global. Some 35 percent of Westlawn students are
located outside the U.S., and—though the percentage has fluctuated over
Westlawn’s 75 years of operation—an international student body has always been
part of the Westlawn picture. Indeed, Westlawn’s oldest known living graduate
lives and works in New Zealand. Thomas C. (Tim) Windsor recently wrote:
“It has been interesting for me to look at your Web site and
to know that after over 70 years that Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology,
as it is now named, is still operating. In 1930, I enrolled as a student with
the Westlawn School of Yacht Design and earned my
Diploma in Advanced Yacht Design on June 15, 1939 and signed by Gerald Taylor White.
It was the start of the Second World War and I was seconded into essential
industry where I was the Draughtsman Designer with Shipbuilders Ltd. This firm
was engaged in the building of Minesweepers and Fairmile Patrol Boats for the
N.Z. Navy. Then, when the U.S. entered the war after the attack on Pearl Harbor, we were building 114 foot Powered
Lighters for the U.S. Army and the Navy. At the age of 92,
I would probably be the oldest living past student of Westlawn.”
After the war, Tim
continued his a long design career with his first commission a 27-foot (8.3 m)
patrol launch for the New Zealand Coast Guard. This was followed with a wide
variety of sail and power boats.
Over the years,
Westlawn’s international alumni have had long, varied, and successful careers,
and have lived in nearly every country in the world. The list of international
alumni is extensive, but we can give a brief overview:
America’s Cup
In 1987, three Westlawn
alumni competed against each others in the very top level of worldwide boat
design—as designers for the America’s cup. Ultimately, it was Westlawn grad John
Swarbrick, co-designer of Australia’s Kookaburra III, against U.S. alumni
Britt Chance’s Stars and Stripes. (Westlawn alumnus Gary Mull’s USA made
it to the final elimination round the same year.) Few if any schools have had
three alumni competing simultaneously for the America’s cup, and Westlawn
alumni’s involvement in the America’s cup has been ongoing.
Westlawn grad, Eric Ogden
was on the French America’s Cup 12-meter Challenge France team, and
Westlawn alumni have been and are still involved with Team New Zealand, Team
Alinghi, and the BMW Oracle Racing Team, just to name a few.
Designing for
Production in Canada
Turning north and away
from the Cup scene, Westlawn grad Luc St. Onge, is the chief designer for the
Canadian production boatbuilder Doral. The Doral-line of express cruisers is
known for crisp contemporary styling and reliable performance.

Italian Luxury Yachts
Luxurious motoryachts,
built for some of the world’s most demanding clients, have been a staple of
Westlawn grad Massimo V.L. Gergori’s design practice in Italy—Yankee Delta
Italian Yacht Design.

A Variety of Designs
from South Africa
From his home base in South Africa,
Westlawn graduate Dudley Dix has designed a wide assortment of vessels and
pioneered some new wood-epoxy construction methods. Dudley only
recently moved his office the U.S.
Yachts and Commercial
Vessels in New Zealand
Flitting over to the
Pacific again, we find Westlawn graduate Richard McBride, whose design office
has worked on everything, from sailing yachts, to charter boats, to commercial
fishing vessels.

A Passion for Boats in
Croatia
Small-craft design is not
simply a job but a passion, and many Westlawn students have gone to
extraordinary lengths to complete their studies. There may be no better example
then that of Westlawn grad Ivan Erdevicki. Located in Croatia, he
took the Westlawn program during the height of the recent Balkan war. In many
instances, it was necessary for him to virtually smuggle his lessons out to a
relative in Italy to get them to Westlawn for grading. Ivan has set up
his design office in Vancouver, British
Columbia, where he is busy on a wide
array of projects. He recently contacted Westlawn in search of a graduate or
advanced student to employ in his rapidly expanding practice.
Students Win Design
Competitions Across the Globe
Though some 60 to 70
percent of Westlawn students are U.S. based, Westlawn’s international student body and
global reach have always been an important aspect of the program. Our overseas
students continue to be active and successful. In fact, current UK-based
Westlawn student Charles Magnan won honorable mention in the 2004 Bluewater
Sailing Magazine design competition. (U.S. Westlawn grad Doug Frolich took
first prize). U.S. Westlawn students have been successful overseas was well. In
fact, 2004 Westlawn grad Ben Dodarell won the 2004, United Kingdom,
Camper & Nicholson design competition in the 46-60 m motoryacht category
(130-200 ft.). International students, international competitions, and the
recognition made possible by DETC accreditation are and will remain an integral
part of Westlawn’s educational program
Dave Gerr, director of the Westlawn Institute of Marine
Technology, is President of the design firm Gerr Marine, Inc. He is the author
of Propeller Handbook, The Nature of Boats, and The Elements of Boat
Strength, published by International Marine Publishing Co./McGraw-Hill.
Go to www.detc.org to learn more about DETC.
Founded in 1930, the
Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology is the only nationally accredited and
state certified distance-learning school of small-craft design in the United States.
As the not-for-profit educational affiliate of the American Boat and Yacht
Council, Westlawn’s primary function is to assure a continual source of highly
skilled designers to the marine industry. To learn more about Westlawn, please call
(410) 956-7100 or visit the Westlawn website at www.westlawn.edu.