Alfred Edward "Bill" Luders, Jr. (December 31, 1909 – January 31, 1999) was an American

naval architect This is the top category for all articles related to architecture and its practitioners. {{Commons category, Architecture occupations Design occupations Occupations Occupation commonly refers to: *Occupation (human activity), or job, one's role ...

, who designed all but one of the Sea Sprite Sailing Yachts. Born in Stamford, Connecticut, Luders attended

The Hill School The Hill School (commonly known as The Hill) is a coeducational preparatory boarding school located on a campus in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, about northwest of Philadelphia. The Hill is part of the Ten Schools Admissions Organization (TSAO). ...

in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, then forwent further education to undertake an apprenticeship in naval architecture. Luders later became the director of the family business, Luders Marine Construction Company in Stamford, which was founded by his father, A.E. Luders, Sr., in 1908.Bill Luders Has Them Crying: Beat The Bird!
''Sports Illustrated'', July 27, 1964. In 1946, Luders was one of a committee of five boat designers (including George Hinman, Arthur Knapp, Emil "Bus" Mosbacher and Cornelius Shields) who codified and regulated the

International One Design The International One Design (IOD, International) is a class of sail boat developed in 1936 for yacht racing. It is a 33-foot open-cockpit day sailer used for day racing, rather than for overnight or ocean races. Popularised prior to the Second ...

class of yachts.Wallace, William N.
Alfred E. (Bill) Luders Jr., 89; Designed and Raced Sailboats
''The New York Times'', February 3, 1999. With the revival of the America's Cup yacht race with 12-meter yachts in 1958, Luders built the yacht '' Weatherly'' to a design by

Philip Rhodes Philip Leonard Rhodes (1895–1974) was an American naval architect known for his diverse yacht designs. Life Rhodes designed a wide variety of vessels from 7' dinghies to 123' motor-sailors, from hydrofoil racers to America's Cup winners - h ...

. Although the yacht was not selected that year, it successfully defended the Cup at the 1962 America's Cup against the Australian yacht '' Gretel''.

Designs

Sea Sprite 27 The Sea Sprite 27, also called the Sea Sprite 28 and the Luders 28, is an American sailboat that was designed by Bill Luders as a cruiser and first built in 1960.Sherwood, Richard M.: ''A Field Guide to Sailboats of North America, Second Editi ...

* Sea Sprite 34

References

1909 births 1999 deaths Engineers from Connecticut American yacht designers The Hill School alumni {{Design-bio-stub