The engineer who turned yacht design into a science, built every winning America's Cup defender from 1893 to 1920, and devised the Universal Rule that governed the Big Class.
- Firm
- Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, founded 1878 with his blind brother John Brown Herreshoff
- Method
- Tank-tested hull forms, light steel framing, bronze and aluminium fittings — engineering rather than eye
- Rule-making
- Devised the Universal Rule, 1902
- Museum
- Herreshoff Marine Museum, Bristol, founded 1971
- 1876Amaryllis — catamaran
- 1893–1903Vigilant / Defender / Columbia / Reliance — America's Cup defenders; Reliance carried 16,000 sq ft of sail
- 1914Herreshoff 12½ — still actively raced
- 1919Herreshoff S-Class — built to 1941
Sourcing notes & unresolved questions
- Boats are often listed simply as 'Herreshoff'. That name covers at least two distinct designers — Nathanael and his son L. Francis — and also HMCo-built boats designed by others. Do not assume which is meant without checking the individual boat's documentation.
Wooden Boat Atlas v3.0 · built 30 July 2026 · a project of the Golden Gate Wooden Boat Foundation · licensed CC BY-SA 4.0 · open data · corrections