The Peter van Oossanen Interview 🚩
We had the honor of spending nearly two hours in conversation with Dr. Peter van Oossanen — a world-renowned naval architect and scientist whose pioneering work has profoundly shaped modern yacht and ship design. But beyond his remarkable achievements, Peter is also a friend of Navalapp.
Peter earned both his master’s and Ph.D. degrees from Delft University of Technology, and went on to spend more than two decades at the Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (MARIN).
In the late 1970s and early 1980s, his groundbreaking research on yacht performance led him to join the design team of Australia II — the yacht that famously won the 1983 America’s Cup, ending the United States’ unprecedented 132-year winning streak.
In 1992, Peter founded Van Oossanen Naval Architecture, a firm celebrated for its innovation and excellence in high-performance vessels and advanced marine design.
Over the course of his remarkable career, he has published more than a hundred papers, contributed to the Principles of Naval Architecture series, and received numerous international awards recognizing his contributions to naval architecture.
Today, in retirement, Peter continues to share his vast knowledge through The Science of Sailing — a multi-volume series that beautifully captures both the art and science of yacht design, while also pursuing his passion for writing as the author of several fiction books.
We’re currently finalizing the editing of the conversation, which will be published soon on our YouTube channel.
