Elegant engineering.

World-class yacht design from the first sketch to sea trial.

Composite
Aluminum
Wood

Bill Prince Yacht Design, Inc. has established itself as one of the most accomplished yacht design offices in the United States.

With a clientele spanning the globe, BPYD has earned a reputation for infusing each project with inspired design style and deep technical expertise.

Portfolio

Thirty years of design leadership.

Spanning the full spectrum from classic to contemporary, BPYD’s range of style is unparalleled.

Sport boat running at speed, seen from above the aft quarter

Varnished wooden helm station of a custom launch

Wooden commuter yacht running, bow quarter

Center console yacht running in open water

Overhead render of a day boat cockpit in teak

78 meter yacht concept with raised decks, rendered at sea

Paneled saloon with leather seating and harbor view

90 meter yacht concept, helipad deck rendering

Deckhouse interior with galley and joinery

Classic motor yacht from above, running in a harbor

Sport boat running along a hillside coastline

Sportfishing yacht moored in front of the Huckins yard

Red launch running beneath a suspension bridge

90 meter yacht concept, superstructure detail at night

Motor yacht saloon with white seating and wood paneling

Scope

A global leader in custom yacht design, production boat engineering and historically significant refits.

CustomWheeler 55 Syntax, Brooklin Boat Yard, 2024
ProductionCobalt
RefitAvocette III, 1931 Huckins 48

01 — Custom

Custom yachts, expertly engineered from the keel up.

Elegant engineering and disciplined naval architecture for those seeking pedigreed custom yacht design.

Wheeler 55 Syntax moored at Brooklin Boat Yard

Wheeler 55 Syntax at the dock on launch day

02 — Production

A go-to resource for the industry’s leading production builders.

Specialists in safe, high-speed hull design, we are problem solvers for production builders.

A molded structural grid being set into a hull mold

03 — Refits

Seasoned yachtsmen call on BPYD to carefully reimagine historically significant yachts.

“You will not find a more technically competent and talented yacht design office.”
F. Todd Warner, owner of POSH

Classic varnished launch running past a lighthouse

Galley of a classic motor yacht, varnished mahogany with Art Deco cabinet fronts

Engineering

Yacht design essentials, elevated.

Whether in advanced composites, aluminum or contemporary cold-molded wood construction, our award-winning office has the boat-building experience and engineering expertise to ensure each project is designed to be as seaworthy, efficient and elegant as the laws of nature allow.

3D mill files for 5-axis tooling
Tooling models cut on five-axis mills, so plugs and molds reach the shop floor ready to use.
Propulsion engineering
Propulsion, steering and systems designed with the hull, down to the rudder bearings.
Design for production
Layouts and details resolved for the line: how a boat is tooled, assembled and finished before it is built.
Structural design
Complete structures in advanced composites, aluminum and wood, using the best practices for each material and builder.
Computational fluid dynamics
Flow around the hull and appendages studied before the boat is built.
Systems integration
Machinery, thrusters and their supporting structure drawn together, so the systems and the hull agree.

The perspective

Acclaimed design rooted in marine engineering.

Avocette III, 1931 Huckins 48

Clients

A sampling of the yards that have built from Bill Prince’s work.

About

A yacht designer and marine engineer.

Bill Prince holds a degree in mechanical engineering from the Milwaukee School of Engineering. In 1996, his junior year there, Bill won the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) Yacht Design competition, besting professional naval architects from the United States and Europe. Bill worked for Michael Peters and Ted Hood before opening his own design office in 2007.

Today five of the world’s finest naval architects and engineers comprise the core of Bill Prince Yacht Design, Inc. Some have come from successful America’s Cup campaigns. All are focused on one goal: creating the finest modern yachts possible for each individual client.

Bill is a recipient of the Joseph Burr Bartram Lifetime Achievement Award for leadership in the preservation of historically significant classic yachts and a member of the inaugural class of the Wisconsin Sailing and Maritime Hall of Fame.