IYRS School of Technology & Trades has launched a new Yacht Design program, giving students the chance to train as yacht designers in Newport — one of the world’s foremost centers for sailing, boatbuilding, and marine innovation.
The project-based curriculum, led by veteran yacht design educator Roland Saucier, takes students through increasingly complex design projects covering naval architecture, vessel systems, engineering principles, hand drafting, and advanced 3D modeling. Graduates will leave with a workforce-ready portfolio of design work.
“There’s no better place to teach yacht design than Newport,” Saucier said. “Students are immersed in a working waterfront where world-class design, craftsmanship, and innovation are happening every day.”
The program is supported by IYRS’s extensive maritime library, which includes thousands of books, publications, and sailplan blueprints spanning yacht design, naval architecture, and maritime history. Students also benefit from proximity to boatbuilding and service yards throughout Rhode Island, with potential for internships and employment.
“The boatbuilding industry requires in-house design and technical personnel,” said David Pedrick, international sailing yacht designer and founding trustee of IYRS. “IYRS’s Yacht Design program will give students a strong foundation for entering the boatbuilding profession.”
Founded in 1993 as the International Yacht Restoration School, IYRS has grown into an accredited trades and technology institution offering programs in boatbuilding, marine systems, composites technology, and digital modeling and fabrication. More information on the new program is at iyrs.edu/programs-of-study/yacht-design.
