Dr Dubois

Lymington-base designer awarded by Southampton Institute

In recognition of his influence on the design and setting new international standards for large cruising sailing yachts, Lymington-based yacht designer Ed Dubois is being awarded with an honorary degree at Southampton Institute's graduation ceremonies this week.

This year's ceremonies will be taking place from 2-5 November where the Institute will welcome back its successful 2003-04 students and their parents, relatives and friends to celebrate their achievements. Graduating students are receiving First Degree, Certificate, Diploma and Postgraduate awards during eight ceremonies. Once they have graduated, they automatically become a member of the Alumni Association, which currently has 20,000 members worldwide.

On Thursday, 4 November, Ed Dubois will be made a Doctor of Design (Honoris Causa) at Southampton's Guildhall joining over 2,000 students attending graduation ceremonies throughout the week to celebrate their achievements.

In the early 1970s Ed Dubois successfully completed a Diploma in Yacht and Boat Design at Southampton College of Technology (now Southampton Institute). Ed set up his own company, Dubois Naval Architects Ltd, in Lymington. He received commissions for several racing yachts and diversified into production cruising yachts. The company has moved into the Superyacht industry and as that side of the market has grown the company has grown with it.

He worked as a yacht designer for a couple of years before joining the yachting journal Yacht and Yachting as Technical Editor. During this period he was designing in his free time and was able to attract his first customer with a design for a 34-foot racing yacht. The yacht was launched in 1976 and was sufficiently successful to be noticed by other buyers.

Ed was then invited to join another company to set up a design department. In 1977, three successful racing yachts were designed and produced, one of which competed in the Admiral's Cup.

Ed set up his own company, Dubois Naval Architects Ltd, in Lymington. He received commissions for several racing yachts and diversified into production cruising yachts. The company has moved into the superyacht industry and as that side of the market has grown the company has grown with it. A sister company, Dubois Yachts, was founded specialising in the sale and charter of existing Dubois designed yachts.

Ed Dubois now has close business links with Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand and his company is established as one of the leading international design offices.

Several other distinguished people will also receive honorary degrees or fellowships at the graduation ceremonies, including Professor Lord Robert Winston, whose ground-breaking BBC TV science programmes have made complex scientific and ethical issues accessible to the public.