The International School of Yacht Design – ISYD AB is owned by Lars Larsson, a Professor of Hydrodynamics at Chalmers University of Technology in Gothenburg, Sweden, since 1982. He is a member of the Royal Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) in Sweden, the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) in the USA, Schiffbautechnische Gesellschaft (STG) in Germany, Japan Society of Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers (JASNAOE) in Japan and the Yacht Designers Association (SYR) in Sweden. For a link to his professional activities click here.
ISYD’s business idea is to offer courses in Yacht Design, based on the book “Principles of Yacht Design” by Lars Larsson, Rolf E Eliasson and Michal Orych. Course material, like Power Point presentations, is developed by the authors and used in all education. In English speaking countries (and Sweden) lectures are given by the authors, while in other countries the lectures are given by natives of the country.
ISYD’s courses are lectured to the public. No technical background education is requested. Although all concepts and theories presented in the courses are based on scientific evidence, the theoretical level is adopted for the interested layman, regardless of his or her previous education. This is ascertained through discussions with yachtsmen at all levels both in racing and cruising from many countries worldwide.
At each course ISYD has a well-known co-organizer. Most often a yachting magazine, but it could also be a University, a professional society or a yachting association. The number of participants in a course is expected to be at least 100. to be at least 100. In the Swedish courses given between 1985 and 2010 the magazine Segling was a partner. From 2014 the Swedish partner is Search Magazine (www.searchmagazine.se). In Finland we cooperate with Vene (www.venelehti.fi) and in Germany with Segeln (www.segeln-magazin.de). In England we have two partners The Royal Yachting Association (RYA) (www.rya.org.uk) and the Southampton Solent University (www.solent.ac.uk). The course is accredited by the Royal Institution of Naval Architects (RINA) (www.rina.org.uk).
Normally the teaching is organized as an evening course, one evening per week for 6 weeks. Altogether 24 hours of lectures are given. There is also a possibility to concentrate the course to two week-ends with 6 lecture hours per day. This could be of interest in connection with, for instance, a boat show.