Michael Peters Yacht Design
Michael Peters was born in 1953 in Santa Monica, California.
At the ripe age of 14 when he designed his first boat — the 8-foot sailing dinghy Miss Take — Michael Peters launched a career that would establish him as a legend in yacht design.
He got his professional start at Halter Marine in New Orleans, where his projects ranged from custom yachts and patrol boats to surface effect ships with Bell Aerospace.
In 1980, Michael was awarded a U.S. patent for a “hydroplane boat” with a continuous chine and ventilated transverse step, which led directly to establishing Michael Peters Yacht Design in Sarasota, Florida, in 1981.
Originally a one-man shop, Michael specialized in designing high-speed boats and quickly developed a reputation for style, performance, and quality. His designs have won 17 UIM Offshore World Championships, and over 200 more worldwide wins, including a sweep of 13 consecutive world championships from 2000 through 2012. In 2002, the former Jolly Motor 43′ Tencara catamaran became the first offshore boat in history to break 200 MPH.
The intense competition of international racing demands unwavering focus and commitment and measurable, quantifiable performance. And while it was race boat design that first introduced Michael Peters to the international boating world, those same standards apply to the design of every boat that bears the name of Michael Peters Yacht Design.
Over the years, Michael has expanded his focus to include the complete design and engineering of motor yachts and production boats. Since 1981, his firm has produced over 400 designs which have led to the building of more than 30,000 custom and production boats.
One of the only firms in the world with expertise in metal, composite, and wood construction, Michael Peters Yacht Design continues to set high standards for performance, style, and quality. As the studio of choice for selective yachtsmen and builders worldwide, the firm has won numerous awards, including the 1995 and 1996 Showboats International Awards, the 2005 Superyacht Award and the 2012 World Yachts Best Design trophy.
Michael Peters Yacht design has worked with private clients to produce breathtaking, yet classic yachts, as well as with brands like Hinkley, Bertram, and Viking to build production boats with a reputation for style, performance, and quality.
At Outback Yachts, we share Michael Peters’ fundamental belief that all design should exemplify the fusion of art and science, blending advanced technology and engineering with clean, efficient design.
And Outback Yachts are the embodiment of that design philosophy.