Sonny Levi

[rbcoomer]

Sad to see this morning that Sonny Levi has passed away at 90. More here: http://www.powerboatracingworld.com...r-of-modern-powerboat-design-has-passed-away/

 

[PowerYachtBlog]

Yes it is sad. RiP Renato.

You brought much technological innovation in our World (deep Vee, tunnels, surface drives, variable deep Vee hull etc etc). You will be missed.

 

[Bajansailor]

He was a true legend, and his book ''Dhows to Deltas' has to be THE bible of fast powercraft design.

It would be wonderful if one of the publishing houses could consider reprinting it - the few available on the second hand market sell for gold dust.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dhows-Deltas-Renato-Levi/dp/0245599568

I would not question in the slightest Renato's influence on deep vee design, but I am just wondering whose boats were designed first - Renato's or Ray Hunt?
http://www.bertram31.com/ray_hunt.htm

Ray Hunt's Moppie convincingly won the 1960 Miami - Nassau race.

 

[PowerYachtBlog]

I would not question in the slightest Renato's influence on deep vee design, but I am just wondering whose boats were designed first - Renato's or Ray Hunt?
http://www.bertram31.com/ray_hunt.htm
Ray Hunt's Moppie convincingly won the 1960 Miami - Nassau race.

Renato did a deep Vee some seven months before Ray Hunt did it in 1960, somewhere in Southern Africa where his family was residing.
But officially the Ray Hunt deep Vee was the first conceived. Presenting a deep Vee in Florida at the time was a hit of notice in South Africa no.

 

[burgundyben]

Sonny's hulls are a much deeper Vee than the Hunt hulls, regardless of the hull form, the Levi whale back deck does it for me. And let's not forget Surfury!

 

[Omano]

For those of us who are, have been or aspire to be Triana owners, Sonny Levi was a genius; RIP.

 

[jhr]

Incredibly sad news. I actually met him in the 60s, when I was a kid - he was a very cool dude.

The YBW report has achieved the usual legendary standards of accuracy for which they are noted. I have left the following comment below the article, though I don't know if I have managed to get through the positively Fort Knox levels of security.

"His great contribution to design and innovation was later recognised by his election as a Royal Designer for Industry, the highest Italian accolade in engineering"
The title of Royal Designer for Industry is awarded by that well-known Italian institution the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce, located Just off the bustling Italian thoroughfare of the Strand, London WC2. It's awarded to designers of all kinds - Ian Proctor was one, for example - and has nothing to do with engineering.
What unbelievably sloppy journalism, and how insulting to the memory of a great man that you can't be bothered to check your facts when writing about his death.
In the words of most of my teachers at school "Could try harder"

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr.............

 

[gordmac]

Sad news.

 

[PowerYachtBlog]

Sonny's hulls are a much deeper Vee than the Hunt hulls, regardless of the hull form, the Levi whale back deck does it for me. And let's not forget Surfury!

The Ray Hunt Bertram 31 which won the Miami Nassau has a 24 degrees deadrise.
Renato Sonny Levi's where nearly almost around 24-26 degrees. He experimented with deeper 27/28 degrees hull, but to cut a long story short he kept on going with the 26 template on his race boats.
Also Sonny levi hull although sharper in exit had an which entrance had less a deep entry then the initial Ray Hunt deep vees which used to be about 45-50 degrees to fore.
Sonny deep Vee hull entry is about 40 (or a bit less) and went over time decreasing settling later on at about 35 degrees.
His designs also used to be Convex against the Ray Hunt which used to be Concave.
He went in this direction to avoid the spinning effect which was becoming increasingly common in deep Vee (never happened in his hulls) with speeds above 50 knots.
But it did happen on a prototype Cigarette designed Jim Wynn and Walt Walters in a race some time in early seventies which actually killed its drivers.