Peter Ibold

Peter A. Ibold (August 1, 1936–August 20, 2010) was an American naval architect renowned for reviving traditional yacht aesthetics in modern fiberglass and ferrocement construction, founding his Paris-based design office in 1970 after his groundbreaking Endurance 35—a heavy-displacement, full-keel cruiser—won an international amateur boatbuilding contest sponsored by the Amateur Yacht Research Society, spurring a career that yielded over 50 versatile designs including sailboats, powerboats, motoryachts, and workboats built by yards like Belliure (Spain), Stratimer (France), and Colvic Craft (UK). Educated with a BSc in Civil Engineering from the University of Maine, an MSc in Economic Planning from Stanford, and urban planning studies at UC Berkeley, Ibold transitioned from California engineering roles (1960s freeway bridge design) to maritime passion, influenced by a round-the-world voyage; his enduring portfolio features seaworthy cruisers like the Endurance 38 (with clipper bows and semi-flush decks for bluewater stability), the Triangle 32 (adapted as Grampian's 34 Ketch), and collaborations yielding the Albacore motoryacht series, emphasizing durability, balance, and classic lines that blended old-world charm with practical offshore performance. A member of the Yacht Club de Monaco and CSS Alabama Association, Ibold's legacy endures through widely cloned designs like the Endurance series, still prized by voyagers for their tank-like hulls and forgiving handling, as noted in reviews from Cruising World and Sailing Magazine.