# Robert Perry (yacht designer)

Robert H. Perry is a U.S. yacht designer based in Seattle, Washington. Among his designs are some of the most successful cruising yachts in modern cruising such as the Tatoosh 42, Tayana 37 and Valiant 40. Through his career he has designed boats for many well recognized names in the yachting industry, such as Tayana, Cheoy Lee, Valiant, Baba, Ta Shing, Islander, Passport and Saga. Perry has taught yacht design at Evergreen State College.

## Early life

In 1957 when Robert H. Perry was twelve, he and his family moved from Sydney, Australia to Vancouver, British Columbia. He writes that the trip made a lasting impression on him and spurred his interest in yacht design. At the beginning of his ninth-grade year, his family moved to Mercer Island, Washington, an area renowned for its school system. Here, his interest in sailboats really clicked. He met famous designer William Garden, joined the local yacht club, and excelled at mechanical drawing. Perry graduated with a 1.69 GPA from Mercer Island High School in 1964. The only local college that would accept him (and on a probationary status) was Seattle University. He enrolled as a mechanical engineering student, but dropped out after four years. Although the Vietnam War was growing and called him for enlistment, his childhood history of petit mal seizures made him ineligible.

## Career

In 1970, Jay Benford gave Perry his first job as a yacht designer. Benford was promoting ferro-cement boats in Seattle. Soon, Perry had his first published design, a 47-foot ketch in National Fisherman. Boatbuilder John Edwards who would found Hans Christian Yachts sent a letter to Perry in response to the 47-foot ketch. Eventually, this relationship would lead to Perry's first design, the CT 54, a clipper-bowed ketch. Ted Brewer consulted and helped Perry with the design. Ta Chaio Brothers, a Taiwanese yard built the CT 54 and the larger CT 65.
Simultaneously, Perry was working on what would be his landmark design, the Valiant 40. Along with Nathan Rothman and Sylvia and Stanley Dabney, he would design the first "performance cruiser." They all met at Benford's ferro-cement studio, but even as Perry moved to work for Dick Carter they continued to strategize about building a bluewater cruising boat like the Westsail 32 that would have better performance. Rothman contacted Uniflite, a Bellingham, Washington boat builder, and by 1974 the first Valiant rolled off their line. The design combined the classic canoe stern cruiser shape with a fin keel and skeg hung rudder instead of the traditional full keel.
These two starts led to more design commissions for Islander Yachts and Tayana Yachts. Perry became a popular designer for Taiwan-built boats.

## Recent

Perry designed the latest (and largest) yacht for Pacific Seacraft, the SouthSea 61, beginning work in 2007.
Perry also designed a unique long narrow 62 foot double ended daysailer built at the Northwest School of Wooden Boatbuilding in Port Hadlock, Washington, and launched in March, 2014. This design was inspired by a number of famous classic vessels including vessels designed by L. Francis Herreshoff, Bruce King and Bill Garden. Perry was selected to create the design due to his past very successful double ended designs and the recent success of a number of his designs on the race course.

## Awards

* 1979, Yacht Racing/Cruising Magazine, Medal of Achievement for Performance Cruising Design
* 1989, Cruising World Magazine, Cruising Hall of Fame
* 1995, American Boatbuilders Hall of Fame, Valiant 40 inducted into Hall of Fame
* 2023, National Sailing Hall of Fame inductee

## Boat designs

| Name | Length | First Built |
| ALOHA 26 | 26.50 ft / 8.08 m | 1979 |
| Aloha 27 | 26.50 ft / 8.08 m | 1984 |
| ALOHA 271 | 26.75 ft / 8.15 m | 1987 |
| ALOHA 8.2 | 26.50 ft / 8.08 m | 1980 |
| Baba 30 | 30.00 ft / 9.14 m | 1976 |
| BABA 35 | 34.83 ft / 10.62 m | 1979 |
| BABA 40 | 39.83 ft / 12.14 m | 1980 |
| BABA 40 PILOT HOUSE | 39.83 ft / 12.14 m | 1980 |
| BYSTEDT 30 | 30.00 ft / 9.14 m | 1975 |
| CHEOY LEE 35 | 34.83 ft / 10.62 m | 1979 |
| CHEOY LEE 43 MS | 42.78 ft / 13.04 m | 1981 |
| CHEOY LEE 44 | 43.80 ft / 13.35 m | 1979 |
| CHEOY LEE 48 | 47.83 ft / 14.58 m | 1980 |
| CT-37 | 36.67 ft / 11.18 m | 1976 |
| CT-54 | 54.00 ft / 16.46 m | 1975 |
| CT-56 | 55.50 ft / 16.92 m | 1986 |
| CT-65 / SCORPIO 72 | 64.83 ft / 19.76 m | 1983 |
| EO 36 | 35.83 ft / 10.92 m | 1978 |
| ESPRIT 37 | 37.00 ft / 11.28 m | 1977 |
| FLYING TIGER 10M | 32.66 ft / 9.95 m | 2005 |
| GOLDEN WAVE 42 | 42.00 ft / 12.80 m | 1981 |
| HANS CHRISTIAN 34 | 34.00 ft / 10.36 m | 1974 |
| ISLANDER 26 | 25.83 ft / 7.87 m | 1976 |
| ISLANDER 28 | 27.92 ft / 8.51 m | 1975 |
| ISLANDER 32-2 | 31.96 ft / 9.74 m | 1976 |
| ISLANDER 32-3 | 31.96 ft / 9.74 m | 1977 |
| ISLANDER 34-2 | 34.33 ft / 10.46 m | 1983 |
| ISLANDER 38 C | 38.00 ft / 11.58 m | 1983 |
| ISLANDER BAHAMA 26 | 26.00 ft / 7.92 m | 1976 |
| ISLANDER BAHAMA 28 | 27.92 ft / 8.51 m | 1981 |
| ISLANDER FREEPORT 36 | 35.75 ft / 10.90 m | 1976 |
| ISLANDER FREEPORT 38 | 38.00 ft / 11.58 m | 1983 |
| ISLANDER FREEPORT 41 | 41.00 ft / 12.50 m | 1974 |
| LAFITTE 44 | 44.33 ft / 13.51 m | 1978 |
| LAFITTE 66 | 66.00 ft / 20.12 m | 1982 |
| LANDFALL 39 (C&C) | 38.75 ft / 11.81 m | 1985 |
| MARINER 39 (PERRY) | 38.83 ft / 11.84 m | 1981 |
| MIRAGE 25 (PERRY) | 25.17 ft / 7.67 m | 1982 |
| MIRAGE 26 (PERRY) | 26.17 ft / 7.98 m | 1976 |
| Mirage 27 (Perry) | 27.92 ft / 8.51 m | 1982 |
| Mirage 30 | 30.00 ft / 9.14 m | 1983 |
| Mirage 32 | 32.00 ft / 9.75 m | 1987 |
| Mirage 33 | 33.50 ft / 10.21 m | 1982 |
| MIRAGE 35 | 35.50 ft / 10.82 m | 1983 |
| NASSAU 45 | 44.92 ft / 13.69 m | 1984 |
| NORDIC 34 | 34.33 ft / 10.46 m | 1985 |
| Nordic 40 | 39.70 ft / 12.10 m | 1982 |
| NORDIC 44 | 43.83 ft / 13.36 m | 1980 |
| NORDIC 45 RS | 45.33 ft / 13.82 m | 1988 |
| NORSEMAN 447 | 44.58 ft / 13.59 m | 1980 |
| NORSTAR 40 | 39.67 ft / 12.09 m | 1995 |
| NORSTAR 44 | 43.83 ft / 13.36 m | 1995 |
| PANDA 40 | 39.91 ft / 12.16 m | 1983 |
| PASSPORT 37 | 37.00 ft / 11.28 m | 1984 |
| PASSPORT 40 | 40.67 ft / 12.40 m | 1980 |
| PASSPORT 41 | 41.33 ft / 12.60 m | 1987 |
| PASSPORT 44 | 45.50 ft / 13.87 m | 1995 |
| PASSPORT 456 | 45.50 ft / 13.87 m | 1995 |
| PASSPORT 47 | 46.58 ft / 14.20 m | 1983 |
| PASSPORT 470 AC | 47.00 ft / 14.33 m | 1997 |
| PASSPORT 50 | 50.00 ft / 15.24 m | 1994 |
| PERRY 41/ALOHA 41 | 40.83 ft / 12.44 m | 1981 |
| PERRY 47 | 46.58 ft / 14.20 m | 1977 |
| PH 41 | 41.00 ft / 12.50 m | 1975 |
| POLARIS 43 | 42.67 ft / 13.01 m | 1979 |
| RELIANCE 37 | 37.00 ft / 11.28 m | 1981 |
| SAGA 35 | 36.50 ft / 11.13 m | 2000 |
| SAGA 43 | 43.25 ft / 13.18 m | 1996 |
| SAGA 48 | 52.30 ft / 15.94 m | 2003 |
| SCORPIO 72 | 65.00 ft / 19.81 m | 1982 |
| SEAMASTER 46 | 46.00 ft / 14.02 m | 1981 |
| SOUTH PACIFIC 42 | 41.92 ft / 12.78 m | 1988 |
| SUN 27 | 27.50 ft / 8.38 m | 1977 |
| SUN 28 | 28.00 ft / 8.53 m | 1977 |
| SUN 838 | 27.50 ft / 8.38 m | 1977 |
| TASHIBA 31 | 31.19 ft / 9.51 m | 1986 |
| TASHIBA 36 | 36.00 ft / 10.97 m | 1986 |
| TASHIBA 36 PH | 36.00 ft / 10.97 m | 1986 |
| TASHIBA 40 | 39.87 ft / 12.15 m | 1984 |
| TATOOSH 42 | 41.83 ft / 12.75 m | 1980 |
| TATOOSH 51 | 50.58 ft / 15.42 m | 1983 |
| Tayana 37 | 36.67 ft / 11.18 m | 1976 |
| TAYANA 47 CC | 47.00 ft / 14.33 m | 1991 |
| TAYANA 47 DS | 47.00 ft / 14.33 m | 1991 |
| TAYANA 52 | 52.42 ft / 15.98 m | 1983 |
| UNION 36 | 36.67 ft / 11.18 m | 1977 |
| VALIANT 32 | 32.00 ft / 9.75 m | 1976 |
| VALIANT 37 | 37.00 ft / 11.28 m | 1977 |
| VALIANT 39 | 39.33 ft / 11.99 m | 1995 |
| Valiant 40 (101-199) | 39.92 ft / 12.17 m | 1973 |
| Valiant 40 (200-235) | 39.92 ft / 12.17 m | 1978 |
| VALIANT 40 PH | 39.82 ft / 12.14 m | 1981 |
| VALIANT 40-2 | 39.82 ft / 12.14 m | 1981 |
| VALIANT 42 | 42.00 ft / 12.80 m | 1992 |
| VALIANT 42RS | 42.00 ft / 12.80 m | 1992 |
| VALIANT 47 | 47.00 ft / 14.33 m | 1981 |
| VALIANT 50 | 50.67 ft / 15.44 m | 1997 |
| VALIANT ESPRIT 37 | 37.00 ft / 11.28 m | 1978 |
| WESTSAIL 39 | 38.67 ft / 11.79 m | 1979 |
| WHITE WING 35/36 | 35.93 ft / 10.95 m | 1980 |
| YACHTCRAFT 32 | 31.92 ft / 9.73 m | 1976 |