Ronald John Holland is a renowned yacht designer who rose to fame in the 1970s for his exceptional racing yacht designs. He is particularly recognized for his work on superyachts, including the iconic Mirabella V and Ethereal. Currently residing in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, Holland continues to be a prominent figure in the world of yacht design.
Ron Holland was born in Auckland, New Zealand in 1947.
In 1966, Ron Holland designed and built his first boat, the 26' sloop named White Rabbit, in Auckland.
Ron Holland's design, Eygthene, won the Quarter Ton Cup in 1973. This win led to a commission for a One-Ton class yacht, marking a turning point in his career.
Holland designed the 30' Golden Shamrock for the Half Ton Cup in 1974.
Holland followed up with the Golden Leprechaun, another Half-ton Class design, in 1975.
Holland's Nicholson 33 design, Golden Delicious, won the 1975 Fastnet Race.
Silver Shamrock, a variation of Holland's Shamrock design, won the Half-ton Cup in Trieste, Italy in 1976.
Holland designed Silver Shamrock III, built for the Half Ton Cup in Sydney in 1977. Despite losing its mast, the design was successful.
Holland's 40-footer design, Imp, won the 1977 Fastnet Race, leading to commissions for larger yachts.
Ron Holland's designs were prominent in the 1977 Admiral's Cup races.
Holland's 'Nicholson Half Tonner' design, SV Grimalkin, competed in the challenging 1979 Fastnet Race. The boat was abandoned at sea but later salvaged.
Holland continued to see success in the Admiral's Cup series in 1979.
A Holland 30, Screw Loose, emerged victorious in the 1979 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.
The Maxi Class yacht Condor, built in 1981 to a Ron Holland design, is now a passenger boat in Australia's Whitsunday Islands.
Nolan Bushnell commissioned the 67-foot sloop Charley from Ron Holland in 1982.
Production of the Freedom 39 PH, a Holland-designed pilothouse cat-schooner, commenced in 1982.
Charley secured Line-Honors victory in the 1983 Transpacific Yacht Race.
Lion New Zealand, a 78-foot maxi designed by Holland, took line honors in the 1984 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.
Lion New Zealand achieved second place in the 1985-86 Whitbread Around the World Race.
The 103-foot Whirlwind was launched in 1986, marking Holland's largest design at that time. It represented a shift towards high-performance superyachts.
Holland designed a series of yachts for Finnish yacht builder Nautor's Swan between 1979 and 1990.
Ron Holland designed the 247-foot Mirabella V, which launched in 2003. This was not only Holland's largest design to date but also the largest single-masted sailing yacht ever built at that time.
Another Nicholson 33, Iromiguy, won the 2005 Fastnet Race, showcasing the longevity and success of Holland's designs.
Ron Holland published his memoir, "All The Oceans, Designing by the seat of my pants", in 2018.
Ron Holland was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the Design and Innovation Awards in Cortina, Italy in January 2019.