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Tony Castro

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Tony Castro (full name Antonio Maria de Lancastre de Mello e Castro, Conde das Antas, Visconde de Pernes), born 1952,[1] is a naval designer, known for numerous winning designs. Born in Lisbon, Portugal, he has been designing sailing and motor yachts since about 1980, with more than 8,000 boats launched, ranging from custom boats and one-design production models to superyachts. His design firm is based in Hamble-le-Rice, England.

Career

As a Chartered Engineer, his first job came about when it was discovered that Denis Doyle's yacht Moonduster was floating above her 'marks', having been built less heavily than had been intended her designer, Germán Frers. Castro advised that lead be attached to the underside of the coachroof and had a hole drilled in the keel to reduce her stability, which gave the vessel an exceptionally good handicap for a boat of her size. Moonduster held the Round Ireland monohull record from Wicklow to Wicklow for nearly 15 years until the record was broken by a Whitbread around the World yacht. Her fastest elapsed time for the race came in 1984, when she took only 88h, 15m and 43s to complete the course.

After leaving Ron Holland’s design team in 1980, Castro's first significant racing yacht design was Justine III, for Frank Woods of the National Yacht Club in Ireland. She was the first and only yacht to win the One Ton Cup with five straight first place victories. The same owner then built Justine IV, which was crowned best Offshore Admiral's Cupper in 1983.

Then followed Iztanother Purla, a 43 footer which missed being chosen for the British Admiral's Cup Team, but then went on to win all 7 races in Cowes Week, beating all the Admiral's Cuppers, helmed by the late Sir Peter Blake and his NZ crew from Steinlager. A boat full of innovative ideas, including praddle steering, a method of steering using a vertical arm rising from below the cockpit floor.[2] [citation needed]

Later successes included the two-time Quarter-Ton Cup winner McDonald's, the Half Ton Cup winner Balthazar, and the 6mR World Championship and Coupe de France winner Thisbe.

He was appointed by a member of Royal Cork Yacht Club to redesign the J24, with the aim of producing an exciting sports boat. The client expected a bigger mainsail, a new deck moulding and an effective keel to give greater stability. The result was the 1720 sportsboat. A new era in Sportsboat racing had started: The boats were built in Co. Kerry, and about 100 were built starting with sail number 1720, and although successful, it was considered that the 1720 had shortcomings, namely too powerful a rig, which meant that the boat required too many crew. The SB20, elected Boat of the Year Overall 2008, addressed all of these shortcomings and is now to be seen worldwide.

Castro's designers work with many boatyards internationally, including the Royal Huisman, Jongert, Palmer Johnson, Neptunus, CS Yachts, Laser, and Jeanneau.

Achievements

Major achievements

His designs have won Yacht of the Year awards, a Superyacht Design award and several World championships. He has also designed yachts for use in television drama productions by the BBC.

  • 4 International Offshore Racing (IOR) World Championships
  • Designer of the only IOR boat ever to win all its races in a World Championship
  • International 6m World Champion
  • Designer of 4 "Boat of Year" awards in the UK, France and US
  • Admirals Cup Winner 1989 with "Juno IV"
  • Co-Designer for "BLUE ARROW", a British America's Cup challenger

Designs

Castro's boat designs are:[3]

Other achievements by date[4]

Date Boat Award/Race Achievement
1981 Justine III One Ton World Cup winner, (only yacht ever to win all five races)
1983 Jeanneau Sunshine Yacht of the year - France winner
1983 Justine IV Admirals Cup top offshore Admiral's Cupper in 1983
1983 Sunstreaker One Ton Cup Worlds 2nd
1984 Balthazar Half Ton Cup top production Half-Tonner
1984 Balthazar Tomatin Trophy Scottish Series winner
1984 Sunstreaker China Sea Series Race overall winner
1984 Tsunami China Sea Race winner
1985 Intrigue Admiral's Cup Top Australian Admiral's Cupper
1985 Intrigue Yacht of the year - Australia winner
1985 Whirlwind R.O.R.C. Yacht of the year winner
1986 Barracuda Of Tarrant R.O.R.C. Yacht of the Year winner
1986 Blade Freeman Cup (Canada) winner
1986 Blade Lake Ontario Cup winner
1986 C.S.40 (Production) Yacht of the Year USA winner
1986 Maiden Hong Kong China Sea Race (700 mls) winner
1986 Maiden Hong Kong China Sea Series Race overall winner
1986 Whopper Quarter Ton Cup Worlds 2nd, (after protest only)
1987 McDonalds & Scandinavian Seaways Quarter Ton Cup Worlds winner
1987 MG 26 Top Production Quarter Tonner winner
1987 Vento Kiel Week Germany winner
1988 Blue Arrow British America's Cup Challenge co-designer
1988 Jelik China Sea Series winner
1988 McDonalds & Scandinavian Seaways Quarter Ton Cup Worlds winner
1988 Mg 26 Top Production Quarter Tonner winner
1988 Sunstreaker China Sea Race winner
1988 Turkish Delight Spi Ouest France winner
1989 Intrigue 1989 Sydney-Hobart Race winner, Class II
1989 Juno IV Admiral's Cup winner - British 3 yacht team
1989 Juno IV Southern Cross Cup 1989 series, Australia winner - British 3 yacht team
1990 Blade Freeman Cup (Canada) winner
1990 Juno IV 45'AC Kings Cup Spain 2nd
1990 Juno IV 45'AC Sardinia Cup 2nd
1990 Juno IV 45'AC Setimana Del Boque Race, Sardinia winner
1990 Miss Piggy Mini Admiral's Cup winner
1990 Red Stripe 45'AC Britannia Cup winner
1990 Red Stripe 45'AC Coronation Cup winner
1990 Red Stripe 45'AC New York Cup winner
1991 Bimblegumbie Fastnet Race 3rd, Two Ton Class
1991 Flair (MG335) COWES WEEK winner, Class IV
1991 Miss Piggy (1/2 Tonner) Burnham Week winner, Class II
1991 Red Stripe 45'AC Coronation Cup winner
1991 Red Stripe 45'AC Rocking Chair winner
1992 Intrigue Maria Island Race- Tasmania winner
1992 Jelik China Sea Race winner, CHS overall
1992 Red Source Commodore's Cup fifth, IMS
1993 Blade Centennial Race, Canada winner, IMS overall
1993 Blade Freeman Cup, Canada winner, IMS overall
1993 Espirito De Madeira AMERICA 500 (Transatlantic Race) winner
1993 Flair (MG346) Britania Cup winner
1993 Miss Piggy Patison Cup - East Anglia winner
1993 Miss Piggy Patison Cup - East Anglia winner
1993 Red Source Winter Series - Solent six-times winner
1994 Blade Boat of the Year, Canada winner
1994 Blade Centennial Race, Canada winner, IMS overall
1994 Blade Freeman Cup, Canada winner, IMS overall
1994 Blade Lake Ontario Cup winner, IMS overall
1994 Flair (MG346) CORK WEEK ClassIV winner
1994 Millennium China Sea Race winner, CHS overall
1994 Red Source Autumn Series Lymington UK seven-times winner
1994 Red Source Rocking Chair -Cowes Week winner
1994 Red Source Spring Series - Solent winner
1995 Cordon Rouge (MG345) NECRA CHS95 winner, CHS overall
1995 Intrigue King of Derwent -Tasmania winner, IMS overall
1995 MG26 Tour of Portugal winner, CHS overall
1995 Miss Piggy Buckleys Goblet - EAORA winner, Class IV
1995 Miss Piggy Cork Sand Race winner
1995 Miss Piggy COWES Week winner, Class IV
1995 Miss Piggy EAORA CHS95 winner, CHS overall
1995 Miss Piggy Sunk Race - EAORA winner
1995 Miss Piggy Walton Trophy winner
1995 Mota Galiza Tour of Portugal winner, IMS overall
1995 Rocio Ruta de la Sal -Spain winner
1996 Blaze Falmouth Week overall winner
1996 Circuiteer CHS Nationals winner, CHS Class II
1996 Circuiteer CORK Week 2nd, Class II
1996 Circuiteer Plymouth Spring Series winner, CHS overall
1996 Cork One Design -1720 Red Funnel Easter Challenge winner, CHS overall
1996 Cork One Design -1720 Warsash Spring Series winner, Sportsboat Class
1996 Flair II Cork Week 2nd, Class III
1997 Circuiteer Cowes Week winner, Class III
1997 Circuiteer Hamble Week -Weekend four-times winner, Class I
1997 Cork One Design -1720 Round the Island Dinghy Race winner, Sportsboat Class
1997 Cork One Design -1720 Rover Series winner, Sportsboat Class
1997 Fend-La-Bise (ILC30) RIAS (Spain) winner, IMS overall
1997 Fend-La-Bise (ILC30) Tour of PORTUGAL winner, IMS overall
1997 Flair II Round the Island Race winner, Class III
1997 Red Source Lymington Spring Series winner, Class I
1998 Circuiteer Easter Regatta winner, Class III
1998 Circuiteer Round Island Race winner, Classes 1 to 4
1998 Cork One Design -1720 Spi Ouest - (France) overall winner
1998 Miss Carol Rio Circuit (Brasil) overall winner
1998 Red Source Lymington Spring Series winner, Class I
1998 Shoot The Bar North Sea Race winner, Class II
1999 1720 One Design Easter regatta - UK overall winner
1999 Circuiteer UK National Championships winner, CHS Class II
1999 Cork One Design -1720 Spi Ouest - La Rochelle- (France) winner, sportsboat Class
1999 Fend-La-Bise Asturias Trophy winner, IMS Class II
1999 Number One International Superyacht design Awards one of the five sailing yacht candidates over 36m
2000 Cork One Design -1720 Spi Ouest -La Rochelle- (France) 1st, 2nd and 3rd sportsboat Class
2000 Williams 30 Motorboat & Yachting 'Cameron Diaz Award'
2001 Fidel International Superyacht design Awards one of six 23-36m sailing yacht candidates
2001 Passe Partout International Superyacht design Awards one of six sailing yacht candidates over 36m
2004 Simeron International Superyacht design Awards one of the five 23-36m sailing yacht candidates
2005 Ameena Showboats international Awards best sailing yacht under 40m
2006 Arcadia International Superyacht design Awards candidate, 32-43m power yachts
2010 Galeon 700 Raptor Skydeck World Yachts Awards - best design winner
2010 Galeon 700 Raptor Skydeck World Yachts Awards - most innovative design winner
2010 Scorpione Dei Mari Superyacht Cup Palma (Regatta) winner
2014 Velasco 43 European Motorboat Of The Year winner
2014 Elan 30 Power European Motorboat Of The Year Under 35 ft winner
2015 Gunfleet 58 Sail Magazine's Best Boat winner
2016 Galeon 500 Fly European Motorboat Of The Year Under 45 ft winner
2016 Galeon 510 Skydeck Most Innovative Yacht Under 24M winner

Memberships

  • Member of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects ( UK - RINA)
  • Member of the Society of Naval Architects ( USA - SNAME)
  • Member of FEANI
  • Member of the Royal Cork Yacht Club
  • Member of the Royal Ocean Racing Club
  • Member of the Royal Southern Yacht Club
  • Member of the Associacao Naval de Lisboa
  • Member of the Clube Naval de Cascais

References

  1. ^ Geneall [dead link]
  2. ^ Seen at Wicklow Sailing Club before competing in Round Ireland Yacht Race as 'The Famous Grouse'.
  3. ^ Browning, Randy (2017). "Tony Castro". sailboatdata.com. Retrieved 31 January 2017.
  4. ^ Yacht Design Awards we have won www.tonycastroyachts.com, accessed 7 November 2019
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