Joe Adams dead. A tribute to a great designer.

Naval architect Joe Adams (81) has reportedly been murdered in the Philippines.


Adams designed Helsal, the 1973 record-breaking Sydney-Hobart line honours winner, as well as many other famous and fast race yachts like the popular Adams 10 (released 1980).


His designs were always long, lithe, light displacement and said to be ahead of the times. He also believed cruising boats should be able to perform and to windward, not just boast off-the-wind cruising attributes.


In the Eighties, two flush-deck A10Ms competed in the Sydney Hobart Race. While deemed capable offshore sailing yachts, the 10s were very small inside and lacked for comfort with "headroom" of just 4'2"!


But Adams also designed some terrific custom boats like Buttercup, an aluminium A15.2m launched in 1984 aboard which Don McIntyre subsequently competed in the 1990/91 BOC finishing second in Class II.


Buttercup sailed twice around the world before making a quick trip to Commonwealth Bay, Antarctica 1992/93. She was sold to the USA for another circumnavigation under her new name Lightwave.


Another A15.2m, Shuten-Dohji II (sailed by legendary Minoru Saito) completed both the 1990/91 and 1994/95 BOC Races. Yet other Adams' yachts completed cruising circumnavigations.


Adams’-designed yachts include the Adams 8 Metre, Adams 10 Metre, Adams 10.6 Metre, Adams 11.9 Metre, Adams 12, Adams 13 Metre, Adams 15.2 Metre, Adams 16.4 Metre, Adams 21 (his first boat to debut in 1977), Adams 28, Adams 31, Adams 33, Adams 35, Mottle 33, Adams Traditional 36, Adams 40, Adams 42, Adams 30 (motor-sailor), Adams 36 (motor-sailor), Adams 40, Adams 45, Adams Offshore 350, Naut 40, Zeston 36 (motor-sailor) and Zeston 40 (motor-sailor), a precursor to the Buizen boats.


A spokesman for the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has confirmed an 81-year-old man, born in Sydney, was found dead in the Philippines on October 15.


A Philippines news website reports that Mr Adams had his throat slashed and his body was found by his gardener in the city of Baguio, Benguet Province, in the country's north.

 

Sad news... :'(

 

RIP Joe, will miss you mate.