gcarter
01-25-2007, 05:11 AM
I was one of the fortunates who just received a NOS copy of "Searace" offered elsewhere.
In the sections covering the "60's and "70's, Sonny Levi is mentioned repeatedly. Particularly for his design of "Surfury".
Sonny Levi is an absolute genious. In the European world of ocean racing he's long been considered the "Old Man" of inovative design, and maybe the only designer who has a hull form named for him. Also, if I'm not mistaken, he's the mentor of Fabio Buzzi.
Whether its hull forms, or surface drives, Sonny Levi was a leader. He was developing deep vee hulls with lifting strakes concurrently, but independantly of Ray Hunt in the '50's. He started designing boats in his teens and is still working in his eighties.
Take a look at http://www.surfury.co.uk/design.htm and be sure and download the interview.
In the sections covering the "60's and "70's, Sonny Levi is mentioned repeatedly. Particularly for his design of "Surfury".
Sonny Levi is an absolute genious. In the European world of ocean racing he's long been considered the "Old Man" of inovative design, and maybe the only designer who has a hull form named for him. Also, if I'm not mistaken, he's the mentor of Fabio Buzzi.
Whether its hull forms, or surface drives, Sonny Levi was a leader. He was developing deep vee hulls with lifting strakes concurrently, but independantly of Ray Hunt in the '50's. He started designing boats in his teens and is still working in his eighties.
Take a look at http://www.surfury.co.uk/design.htm and be sure and download the interview.