Renowned yacht designer and builder Ted Irwin (left) passed away in Little Rock, Arkansas on Saturday, February 7 after a long battle with cancer. Irwin is a 
legend in the sailing business and can be credited with being a seminal part of the fiberglass boat building revolution of the 1960s and 70s.
A noted Tampa Bay sailor from an early age, Irwin won the international Moth Class while still in his teens. He apprenticed with Charlie Morgan at Morgan Yachts (another pioneer in the trade) and then in 1963 went out on his own before incorporating as Irwin Yacht & Marine Corporation and in 1966.
His first boat to his own design was Voodoo, a 31-foot racer-cruiser that took an arduous six months to build. But the results were well worth Irwin’s efforts. Voodoo went out and slaughtered the Florida racing fleets, winning 26 out her first 28 races. Irwin’s early successes paved the way for him to launch Irwin Yacht & Marine Co.
Read more about the life and works of Ted Irwin at www.irwinyachts.com
And here’s an article on his passing from the Tampa Bay Times.
