Alan Buchanan

Alan Buchanan (1922–2015) was an English naval architect and sailor. He designed over 2400 vessels, including yachts that won the Admiral's Cup, Cowes Week, and the Fastnet Race.

Biography Buchanan started his career as a draftsman and aircraft engineer at the De Havilland Aircraft Company. His family having a summer house in West Mersea, he was a regular visitor from a young age. After he left de Havilland, he started as a boat designer firstly from his home in Enfield and then at his office which he established in Burnham-on-Crouch.

In the early years many of his designs were built by the boatyard of William Wyatt in West Mersea. By 1950 he had a busy design office in Burnham employing about ten staff. Bonito 35 Brabant Buchanan Dragonfly Buchanan Nantucket Clipper 32 Buchanan Queen 38 Buchanan Spartan-1 Buchanan Spartan-2 Buchanan Viking 30 Coypu Crystal 23 Diamond 27 Yawl Marken III East Anglian 28 Halcyon 23 Halcyon 27 Halcyon Clipper 26 Hilbre One Design Holliwell 22 Neptune 33 Neptunian 33 Prior 37 Saxon 34 Wild Duck 19 Yeoman Junior