William H. Tripp Jr.

Tripp (1920-1971), trained under Philip Rhodes and Sparkman & Stephens, revolutionized larger cruiser-racer designs with sleek, performance-oriented hulls that influenced the shift to fiberglass production. He collaborated with Pearson on early hits like the Electra (1959, a 23-ft one-design) and Invicta, and created icons such as the Bermuda 40, Block Island 40, and Columbia 50—known for their seaworthiness and speed under IOR rules. His son, Bill Tripp III, continues the family firm (Tripp Design), bridging classic and modern superyacht architecture.