Tony Castro

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Tony Castro

Born|

Antonio Maria de Lancastre de Mello e Castro

1952 (age 72-73)

Lisbon, Portugal

Occupation| Yacht designer

Tony Castro (full name Antonio Maria de Lancastre de Mello e Castro), Conde das Antas, Conde da Lousa, Visconde de Pernes, born 1952,[1] is a British yacht designer, known for numerous winning designs. Born in Lisbon, Portugal, he has been designing sailing and motor yachts since about 1980, with more than 10,000 boats launched, ranging from custom boats and one-design production models to superyachts. His design firm is based in Hamble-le-Rice, England.

## Career

[edit]

As a Chartered Engineer, his first job came about when it was discovered that Denis Doyle's yacht Moonduster was floating above her 'marks', having been built less heavily than had been intended her designer, Germán Frers. Castro advised that lead be attached to the underside of the coachroof and had a hole drilled in the keel to reduce her stability, which gave the vessel an exceptionally good handicap for a boat of her size. Moonduster held the Round Ireland monohull record from Wicklow to Wicklow for nearly 15 years until the record was broken by a Whitbread around the World yacht. Her fastest elapsed time for the race came in 1984, when she took only 88h, 15m and 43s to complete the course.

After leaving Ron Holland’s design team in 1980, Castro's first significant racing yacht design was Justine III, for Frank Woods of the National Yacht Club in Ireland. She was the first and only yacht to win the One Ton Cup with five straight first place victories. The same owner then built Justine IV, which was crowned best Offshore Admiral's Cupper in 1983.

Then followed Iztanother Purla, a 43 footer which missed being chosen for the British Admiral's Cup Team, but then went on to win all 7 races in Cowes Week, beating all the Admiral's Cuppers, helmed by the late Sir Peter Blake and his NZ crew from Steinlager. A boat full of innovative ideas, including praddle steering, a method of steering using a vertical arm rising from below the cockpit floor.[2] [citation needed]

Later successes included the two-time Quarter-Ton Cup winner McDonald's, the Half Ton Cup winner Balthazar, and the 6mR World Championship and Coupe de France winner Thisbe.

He was appointed by a member of Royal Cork Yacht Club to redesign the J24, with the aim of producing an exciting sports boat. The client expected a bigger mainsail, a new deck moulding and an effective keel to give greater stability. The result was the 1720 sportsboat. A new era in Sportsboat racing had started: the boats were built in County Kerry, and about 100 were built starting with sail number 1720.

Castro's designers work with many boatyards internationally, including the Royal Huisman, Jongert, Palmer Johnson, Neptunus, CS Yachts, Laser, and Jeanneau, Beneteau, Galeon, Focus, Williams, etc.

## Achievements

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### Major achievements

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His designs have won Yacht of the Year awards, a Superyacht Design award and several World championships. He has also designed yachts for use in television drama productions by the BBC.

* 4 International Offshore Racing (IOR) World Championships
* Designer of the only IOR boat ever to win all its races in a World Championship
* International 6m World Champion
* Designer of 4 "Boat of Year" awards in the UK, France and US
* Admirals Cup Winner 1989 with "Juno IV"
* Co-Designer for "BLUE ARROW", a British America's Cup challenger

### Designs

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Castro's boat designs are:[3][4]

* Arcadia 30 (Jeanneau)
* Barracuda 45
* Clipper 70
* CORK 1720
* CS 30
* CS 34
* CS 36 Merlin
* CS 40
* CS 44
* Jaguar 24
* Jaguar 265
* Laser SB3
* MG 26 (Castro)
* MG 335
* MG Spring 25
* Parker 31
* Parker 325
* Regatta 39 (Jeanneau)
* Saga 409
* SB3
* Sun Dream 28 (Jeanneau)
* Sun Fast 1/2 Ton (Jeanneau)
* Sun Odyssey 28.1 (Jeanneau)
* Sun Shine 36 (Jeanneau)
* Sun Shine 38 (Jeanneau)
* Sun Way 28 (Jeanneau)
* Sun Way 28 CB (Jeanneau)

### Other achievements by date[5]

[edit]

Date | Boat | Award/Race | Achievement

|
|
|

1981 | Justine III | One Ton World Cup | winner, (only yacht ever to win all five races)
1983 | Jeanneau Sunshine | Yacht of the year - France | winner
1983 | Justine IV | Admirals Cup | top offshore Admiral's Cupper in 1983
1983 | Sunstreaker | One Ton Cup Worlds | 2nd
1984 | Balthazar | Half Ton Cup | top production Half-Tonner
1984 | Balthazar | Tomatin Trophy Scottish Series | winner
1984 | Sunstreaker | China Sea Series Race | overall winner
1984 | Tsunami | China Sea Race | winner
1985 | Intrigue | Admiral's Cup | Top Australian Admiral's Cupper
1985 | Intrigue | Yacht of the year - Australia | winner
1985 | Whirlwind | R.O.R.C. Yacht of the year | winner
1986 | Barracuda Of Tarrant | R.O.R.C. Yacht of the Year | winner
1986 | Blade | Freeman Cup (Canada) | winner
1986 | Blade | Lake Ontario Cup | winner
1986 | C.S.40 | (Production) Yacht of the Year USA | winner
1986 | Maiden Hong Kong | China Sea Race (700 mls) | winner
1986 | Maiden Hong Kong | China Sea Series Race | overall winner
1986 | Whopper | Quarter Ton Cup Worlds | 2nd, (after protest only)
1987 | McDonalds & Scandinavian Seaways | Quarter Ton Cup Worlds | winner
1987 | MG 26 | Top Production Quarter Tonner | winner
1987 | Vento | Kiel Week Germany | winner
1988 | Blue Arrow | British America's Cup Challenge | co-designer
1988 | Jelik | China Sea Series | winner
1988 | McDonalds & Scandinavian Seaways | Quarter Ton Cup Worlds | winner
1988 | Mg 26 | Top Production Quarter Tonner | winner
1988 | Sunstreaker | China Sea Race | winner
1988 | Turkish Delight | Spi Ouest France | winner
1989 | Intrigue | 1989 Sydney-Hobart Race | winner, Class II
1989 | Juno IV | Admiral's Cup | winner - British 3 yacht team
1989 | Juno IV | Southern Cross Cup 1989 series, Australia | winner - British 3 yacht team
1990 | Blade | Freeman Cup (Canada) | winner
1990 | Juno IV 45'AC | Kings Cup Spain | 2nd
1990 | Juno IV 45'AC | Sardinia Cup | 2nd
1990 | Juno IV 45'AC | Setimana Del Boque Race, Sardinia | winner
1990 | Miss Piggy | Mini Admiral's Cup | winner
1990 | Red Stripe 45'AC | Britannia Cup | winner
1990 | Red Stripe 45'AC | Coronation Cup | winner
1990 | Red Stripe 45'AC | New York Cup | winner
1991 | Bimblegumbie | Fastnet Race | 3rd, Two Ton Class
1991 | Flair (MG335) | COWES WEEK | winner, Class IV
1991 | Miss Piggy (1/2 Tonner) | Burnham Week | winner, Class II
1991 | Red Stripe 45'AC | Coronation Cup | winner
1991 | Red Stripe 45'AC | Rocking Chair | winner
1992 | Intrigue | Maria Island Race- Tasmania | winner
1992 | Jelik | China Sea Race | winner, CHS overall
1992 | Red Source | Commodore's Cup | fifth, IMS
1993 | Blade | Centennial Race, Canada | winner, IMS overall
1993 | Blade | Freeman Cup, Canada | winner, IMS overall
1993 | Espirito De Madeira | AMERICA 500 (Transatlantic Race) | winner
1993 | Flair (MG346) | Britania Cup | winner
1993 | Miss Piggy | Patison Cup - East Anglia | winner
1993 | Miss Piggy | Patison Cup - East Anglia | winner
1993 | Red Source | Winter Series - Solent | six-times winner
1994 | Blade | Boat of the Year, Canada | winner
1994 | Blade | Centennial Race, Canada | winner, IMS overall
1994 | Blade | Freeman Cup, Canada | winner, IMS overall
1994 | Blade | Lake Ontario Cup | winner, IMS overall
1994 | Flair (MG346) | CORK WEEK ClassIV | winner
1994 | Millennium | China Sea Race | winner, CHS overall
1994 | Red Source | Autumn Series Lymington UK | seven-times winner
1994 | Red Source | Rocking Chair -Cowes Week | winner
1994 | Red Source | Spring Series - Solent | winner
1995 | Cordon Rouge (MG345) | NECRA CHS95 | winner, CHS overall
1995 | Intrigue | King of Derwent -Tasmania | winner, IMS overall
1995 | MG26 | Tour of Portugal | winner, CHS overall
1995 | Miss Piggy | Buckleys Goblet - EAORA | winner, Class IV
1995 | Miss Piggy | Cork Sand Race | winner
1995 | Miss Piggy | COWES Week | winner, Class IV
1995 | Miss Piggy | EAORA CHS95 | winner, CHS overall
1995 | Miss Piggy | Sunk Race - EAORA | winner
1995 | Miss Piggy | Walton Trophy | winner
1995 | Mota Galiza | Tour of Portugal | winner, IMS overall
1995 | Rocio | Ruta de la Sal -Spain | winner
1996 | Blaze | Falmouth Week | overall winner
1996 | Circuiteer | CHS Nationals | winner, CHS Class II
1996 | Circuiteer | CORK Week | 2nd, Class II
1996 | Circuiteer | Plymouth Spring Series | winner, CHS overall
1996 | Cork One Design -1720 | Red Funnel Easter Challenge | winner, CHS overall
1996 | Cork One Design -1720 | Warsash Spring Series | winner, Sportsboat Class
1996 | Flair II | Cork Week | 2nd, Class III
1997 | Circuiteer | Cowes Week | winner, Class III
1997 | Circuiteer | Hamble Week -Weekend | four-times winner, Class I
1997 | Cork One Design -1720 | Round the Island Dinghy Race | winner, Sportsboat Class
1997 | Cork One Design -1720 | Rover Series | winner, Sportsboat Class
1997 | Fend-La-Bise (ILC30) | RIAS (Spain) | winner, IMS overall
1997 | Fend-La-Bise (ILC30) | Tour of PORTUGAL | winner, IMS overall
1997 | Flair II | Round the Island Race | winner, Class III
1997 | Red Source | Lymington Spring Series | winner, Class I
1998 | Circuiteer | Easter Regatta | winner, Class III
1998 | Circuiteer | Round Island Race | winner, Classes 1 to 4
1998 | Cork One Design -1720 | Spi Ouest - (France) | overall winner
1998 | Miss Carol | Rio Circuit (Brasil) | overall winner
1998 | Red Source | Lymington Spring Series | winner, Class I
1998 | Shoot The Bar | North Sea Race | winner, Class II
1999 | 1720 One Design | Easter regatta - UK | overall winner
1999 | Circuiteer | UK National Championships | winner, CHS Class II
1999 | Cork One Design -1720 | Spi Ouest - La Rochelle- (France) | winner, sportsboat Class
1999 | Fend-La-Bise | Asturias Trophy | winner, IMS Class II
1999 | Number One | International Superyacht design Awards | one of the five sailing yacht candidates over 36m
2000 | Cork One Design -1720 | Spi Ouest -La Rochelle- (France) | 1st, 2nd and 3rd sportsboat Class
2000 | Williams 30 | Motorboat & Yachting 'Cameron Diaz Award' |
2001 | Fidel | International Superyacht design Awards | one of six 23-36m sailing yacht candidates
2001 | Passe Partout | International Superyacht design Awards | one of six sailing yacht candidates over 36m
2004 | Simeron | International Superyacht design Awards | one of the five 23-36m sailing yacht candidates
2005 | Ameena | Showboats international Awards | best sailing yacht under 40m
2006 | Arcadia | International Superyacht design Awards | candidate, 32-43m power yachts
2010 | Galeon 700 Raptor Skydeck | World Yachts Awards - best design | winner
2010 | Galeon 700 Raptor Skydeck | World Yachts Awards - most innovative design | winner
2010 | Scorpione Dei Mari | Superyacht Cup Palma (Regatta) | winner
2014  | Velasco 43  | European Motorboat Of The Year  | winner
2014  | Elan 30 Power  | European Motorboat Of The Year Under 35 ft  | winner
2015  | Gunfleet 58  | Sail Magazine's Best Boat  | winner
2016  | Galeon 500 Fly  | European Motorboat Of The Year Under 45 ft  | winner
2016  | Galeon 510 Skydeck  | Most Innovative Yacht Under 24M  | winner

## Memberships

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* Member of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects ( UK - RINA)
* Member of the Society of Naval Architects ( USA - SNAME)
* Member of FEANI
* Member of the Royal Cork Yacht Club
* Member of the Royal Ocean Racing Club
* Member of the Royal Southern Yacht Club
* Member of the Associacao Naval de Lisboa
* Member of the Clube Naval de Cascais

## References

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1. ^ Geneall [dead link]
2. ^ Seen at Wicklow Sailing Club before competing in Round Ireland Yacht Race as 'The Famous Grouse'.
3. ^ McArthur, Bruce (2022). "Tony Castro". sailboatdata.com. Archived from the original on 7 December 2021. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
4. ^ Sea Time Tech, LLC (2022). "Tony Castro". sailboat.guide. Archived from the original on 17 October 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
5. ^ Yacht Design Awards we have won www.tonycastroyachts.com, accessed 7 November 2019

* Yachts designed by Tony Castro