From the multitude of names, makes and brands inhabiting the marine ecosystem, few attract such universal acclaim as the Nelson hull. Much loved by pilots, port authorities, the military, police, commercial operators and leisure boat owners alike, this semi-displacement masterpiece has been making waves (literally and figuratively) since its creation in the early 1960s.
The man behind the original design was Peter Thornycroft, a third-generation member of the family whose eponymous company eventually became part of British Shipbuilders. Following a distinguished career in the British Navy, Peter Thornycroft formed two companies, Keith, Nelson & Company Limited in 1955 and, a decade later, TT Boat Designs. Incidentally, the Nelson name has nothing to do with the one-armed chap in Trafalgar Square – it comes from Arthur Nelson who, together with Keith Butt, was building boats locally when Thornycroft arrived and employed them. Their operating name of ‘Keith, Nelson’ was retained in the new firm’s title on becoming a limited company.
The story of the Nelson hull itself can be traced back to a 29-footer of 1959 vintage built for amateur yachtsman and scion of the banking dynasty Leopold de Rothschild. The success of this vessel led to the Nelson 32, followed by the best-selling Nelson 34 in 1962 and, two years later, the Nelson
