Press Releases
 
Westlawn Graduate Wins Bluewater Sailing Magazine
Design Competition
March 17, 2004, Edgewater, MD: The Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology is excited to announce that Westlawn graduate, Doug M. Frolich is the winner of the current Bluewater Sailing Magazine design competition.
Judged by former Sparkman & Stephens Design Chief Bill Langen and Designer Rodger Martin (former Chief Naval Architect at Derecktor Shipyards, as well as a Westlawn alumni), the Bluewater Sailing competition's brief was for a serious cruising sailboat that could store a Walker Bay Rigid Inflatable Dinghy; and in addition, launch and retrieve it easily. Doug's design (a 45-foot Bluewater Cruiser) solved the dinghy issue with a unique approach using a cantilever jib boom to double as an electro-hydraulic dinghy-launch crane.
Dave Gerr, Director of Westlawn said, "As you can see from Frolich's renderings, the design is also handsome, well proportioned, and incorporates additional unique features." *See photo below.
Doug Frolich credited his success in the competition to his Westlawn training. Frolich stated, "I completed the Yacht Design program in 1998…. [and] I wanted to thank you [Westlawn] for posting the information regarding the Bluewater Sailing Magazine design competition." "I was recently contacted by the Editor and informed that my design was chosen as the winner. Thank you Westlawn!," Frolich continued. "I would have never noticed this competition without your [the Westlawn] web site, and certainly would not have been capable of developing the design without the know-how your course provided - Thanks again," concluded Frolich.
Working for North Sails for many years, Frolich found that the Bluewater Sailing competition gave him an opportunity to develop an idea for a cruising boat he had conceived last Spring while delivering a 52-foot raceboat from Puerto Vallarta to San Francisco. No longer with North Sails, Doug has recently been in charge of projects like refits and repowers, for boats such as a 21-foot 70-mph bass boat, and a 30-foot whale boat. He is currently working on a proposal for a 58-foot long-range motor yacht for a long-time client.
Dave Gerr, Director of Westlawn said, "Westlawn graduates can be found working in almost all sectors of the boating industry." "They have designed everything from small production runabouts to passenger ferries," continued Gerr. "We can look forward to more unique and exciting designs from Doug Frolich and other Westlawn alumni in the future.," concluded Gerr.
Founded in 1930, the Westlawn Institute of Marine Technology is the only nationally accredited and state certified distance-learning school of small-craft design in the United States. As the not-for-profit educational affiliate of the American Boat and Yacht Council, Westlawn's primary function is to assure a continual source of highly skilled designers to the marine industry. To learn more about Westlawn please call (410) 956-7100 or visit the Westlawn Web Site at www.westlawn.org.
For more information on the 45-foot Bluewater Cruiser, you may contact Doug M. Frolich - Marshall Yacht Design, located in Larkspur, CA at (415) 250-5412 or via email at dmfrolich@comcast.net
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