Yacht Design Paul De Saint Front

In 1919 Jules Durand Couppel de Saint Front become co-owner of Chausey Island (a French Island in the British Isles), providing inspiration for four generation of renowned sailors and artists. 

 Marin Marie (pseudonym), well-known for his talent of marine painting, played a very important role in the Yachting industry, both in France and internationally. His hospitality at Chausey Island was open to famous sailors such as Eric Tabarly, Ufa Fox, and Christoph Auguin and also many other captains and fishermen. 

In 1970 Paul was born in Tahiti (French Polynesia) to Yves and Isabelle de Saint Front. Both Yves, and his wife Isabelle are renowned artists and painters, who lived in and explored Polynesia, Bora Bora, Moorea, and countless other islands and nameless atolls at a time when the world was a much larger place and tourism and time had not yet touched these virgin shores.

Paul has worked and lived with several personalities that have contributed to the maritime history of our world. It is this atmosphere and life experience that has helped to give Paul de Saint Front his understanding and interest of the sea.

Boatbuilding Experiences

     In 1985 wooden boatbuilding industry was going through a difficult period of adjustment. Modern materials and manufacturing practices were threatening the age old craft and art of wooden boat building. There was no proper classic boat building school in all of France, and opportunities to apprentice in one of the few remaining classic schools elsewhere in the world were very rare.

Lance Lee started the Wooden Boat Revival with his Apprenticeshop in the mid 70’s and by 1986 the Marine Museum of Douarnenez also launched an apprenticeship program as well (link to their museum).

In 1986 Paul was one of the first apprentices of Atelier de L’enfer, and in 1991 he joined Lance Lee in the USA for a two year apprenticeship.

On the mean time, he sailed aboard the three mast “Belem” as a Carpenter, and Sailing Instructor, and was involved in several boat building projects learning his craft from experience and the instruction of Masters. 

Since then Paul has built and restored many fine boats, while following many other boat building projects with great interest and attention. He is a contributing member of the boat building community and has participated in the social networking and development of the boat building community and its resources here in Asia

The latest boat built by Paul was the Papillon, which enjoyed great success in France. She was built in radius chine with marine plywood and strip planking. Paul was also involved with FRP and steel construction projects as a naval architect, and enjoys exploring modern techniques of boatbuilding.

In 2014, Paul own a 38ft steel ketch design by Van de Stadt, and carry some extensive restorations in order to sail with her in south pacific. In 2017, He own a new boat, a 50 ft steel schooner in Northern Borneo and carry extensive restoration.
 

Sailing Exeperiences

Paul had the good fortune to grow up in surroundings that were ideal for sailing. As part of a famous sailing family on the Archipelago of Chausey which attracted some of the best yachts of the time, Paul had the rare opportunity to see and sail on yachts like the Winibelle, the Pen Duick VI, of the late Eric Tabarly, the Bisquines La Granvillaise, La Cancalaise, and the Lys Noir, as well as many others. 

Paul’s time at the Douarnenez Maritime Museum as an apprentice allowed him to become familiar with a rich variety of classic rigs such as Lateen, Lug, Gaff, and Square riggings. In 1988, Paul embarked onboard the three masted Belem as a carpenter and sailing instructor. In 1990 Paul was hired to complete the rigging of the Bisquine “La Granvillaise” on which he sailed during her first season. 

In 1991 Paul successfully passed his Capacitaire, allowing him to become a skipper in Guyana, and the Caribbean. Since then he has often sailed as Skipper or Training Instructor on various types of boats from Bantry Bay gigs, to large schooners.  

  In 2014, Paul fly back to French Polynesia and own the ‘Skua” a Van de stadt 38 ft steel ketch, with which he will explore south pacific island from Marquis to Sydney via Cook, Fiji, Wallis and Futuna, Tuvalu, Kiribati, Marshal, New Caledonia Island. He land in Sydney The first December 2016 at Coffs Harbor.    

Boat Design Experiences

  Naval Architecture is a field which requires not only a strong knowledge of science, physics, and mathematics, but it also requires real life experience with boat building, sailing and an artistic sensibility.

Throughout his career as a boatbuilder and sailor Paul has always been interested in naval architecture, and studying boat plans and designs. For Paul the sea is not a job, but a life, a reason d’être.

Three years of study in Yacht and PowerCraft Design have given Paul de Saint Front vision and perspective in regards to modern boat building and sailing technologies.  During his three years of study he had the opportunity to build lasting and productive relationships with other talented Naval Architects and sailors, such as Axel De beaufort, and Tanguy De Lamotte.

Paul de Saint Front uses the most advanced and powerful design software, such as Maxsurf, Multisurf, Solidworks, Cosmos, and Rhino. This assures that his designs are up to date with modern technologies, and manufacturing standards. While modern technologies and process are used to great effect in the design work, Paul has not forgotten his roots, and the feel for the craft that he enjoys so much.

He still takes lines of boats that present admirable features and style. Paul feels that it is good to use modern tools and techniques to their maximum effect, but it is also important to keep the craft and feel of boat building alive as well. It is perhaps this craft and artistic feel that produces the real beauty in boat building.

In 2006 Paul made his home on the island of Bali, where he open a boat design office until 2011. The design office was very productive, with project all around Asia, from electric water taxi, sailing catamaran, to big wooden sailing ship. 

After few years in France and around South Pacific Ocean Paul landed in Australia, during this time he continue to design boat, and particularly multihull. He’s journey in Polynesian island, was a great opportunity to explore native outrigger in there context. Paul build a small outrigger in Marquise Island, and use it as prototype to explore different new design that are still in the drawing board…..

Now Paul just settle down in Killcare, with a new boat design office, just in few step form Brisbane Bay, an hours and a half north from Sydney. It is a perfect place to develop boat project with direct access to a great shelter area