Gary Mull
Encyclopedia
Gary Mull (Died of cancer
aged 55.) He was a successful yacht designer behind these popular Fibre-reinforced plastic
(FRP) boats.
as an English major, then moved to Oakland City College after taking time off for a sailboat race to Tahiti
. He finished his degree as a Mechanical Engineer with a Naval Architecture minor at UC Berkeley.
(1965) and 27 (1966), also the 37. Gary's first sailboat design, the 22, was a breakthrough design that cemented Santana sailboats and their parent, W.D. Schock, as an icon of the West Coast marine industry. The first generation of Ranger designs noted below bear a strong resemblance to these boats.
Ranger 22, 23 (1971), 26 (1969), 29
(1970), 32 (1973), 33 (1970), and 37 (1972). Most of these were cruiser-racers built to no particular handicap rule, but they rate favorably under PHRF and Portsmouth handicap and have been quite successful in local club racing. Mull himself described most of his designs as 'just nice little boats'. The Ranger 26 won the North American IOR 1/2 Ton Cup in 1970 and is still competitive today in PHRF. The Ranger 23 came in second in the North American IOR 1/4 Ton Cup in 1972 even though she wasn't designed to the IOR Rule. The Ranger 23 also won the Whitney Series in 1972, and is still very competitive in PHRF handicap racing. The Ranger 29 and 33 have always been competitive when well sailed and are still competitive in club racing. The Ranger 37 was designed to the IOR handicap rule and was the last production boat to win the Southern Ocean Racing Conference (SORC is a winter ocean race out of Miami, Florida
). The Ranger 32 is still competitive under PHRF handicap. While the Ranger 29 was designed to rate well under a number of handicap rules including the CCA and IOR, the boat does not fair so well under Portsmouth or PHRF.
The Newport 30
(and its stretched version, the 33) were another project by Mull. The 30 bears strong family resemblance to both the Ranger 29 and 33, but with more beam and displacement it leans to the cruiser side of the spectrum.
Freedom Independence, 28, 30, 36, 42, 45.
Later designs from the Gary Mull office included the somewhat revolutionary Humboldt 30 and Pocket Rocket. These designs were produced while Jim Donovan and Peter Dunsford were working for Mull. The Pocket Rocket hull and some parts of the deck have been resurrected and it is now sold as the Rocket 22. The boat has been 'turboed' a bit and is still a strong performer. A large fleet of the original Pocket Rockets carries on racing in Penticton, British Columbia
.
Other designs include: 6-Meter match racers St. Francis IV, V, and VI; 6-meter Ranger, built by Goetz Custom Yachts and raced by Ted Turner
in the 1979 6-Meter Worlds; Capri 22 designed with Catalina's Frank Butler in 1983, of which over 800 were built; Kalik 44, a large and fast cruising yacht with 25,000Lbs displacement; Half-Tonner Hotflash, built by the Gougeon Brothers in 1976; Two-Tonners like Carrot (1976), the 12-Meter USA; and the maxi-boat Sorcery. He also worked on the Golden Gate Challenge 12-Meter program for the 1987 America's Cup and designed a high-performance 30-foot, ultralight (2,000-pound) sloop for Ron Moore which featured a winged keel and deck.
From 1979 to 1987, Gary Mull chaired the International Technical Committee (ITC) of the Offshore Racing Congress
.
Gary Mull's Last Ranger design was in 1981 with Bangor Punta Yachts where 80 were made in the 26 foot length.
Carl Schumacher, best known for his Express
series, Jim Antrim, Peter Dunsford, Jim Donovan, Phil Kaiko and Ron Holland
all apprenticed under Mr. Mull.
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
aged 55.) He was a successful yacht designer behind these popular Fibre-reinforced plastic
Fibre-reinforced plastic
Fibre-reinforced plastic is a composite material made of a polymer matrix reinforced with fibres. The fibres are usually fibreglass, carbon, or aramid, while the polymer is usually an epoxy, vinylester or polyester thermosetting plastic...
(FRP) boats.
Early life and Education
Gary Mull began his college career with a year at Pomona CollegePomona College
Pomona College is a private, residential, liberal arts college in Claremont, California. Founded in 1887 in Pomona, California by a group of Congregationalists, the college moved to Claremont in 1889 to the site of a hotel, retaining its name. The school enrolls 1,548 students.The founding member...
as an English major, then moved to Oakland City College after taking time off for a sailboat race to Tahiti
Tahiti
Tahiti is the largest island in the Windward group of French Polynesia, located in the archipelago of the Society Islands in the southern Pacific Ocean. It is the economic, cultural and political centre of French Polynesia. The island was formed from volcanic activity and is high and mountainous...
. He finished his degree as a Mechanical Engineer with a Naval Architecture minor at UC Berkeley.
Design Career
Santana 22Santana 22
The Santana 22 was the first sailboat design of naval architect Gary Mull and yet proved to be very successful commercially. Commissioned and built by W.D. Schock of Fibre-reinforced plastic , the first production began with 747 boats in 1965. The boat arose from a desire for a craft faster than a...
(1965) and 27 (1966), also the 37. Gary's first sailboat design, the 22, was a breakthrough design that cemented Santana sailboats and their parent, W.D. Schock, as an icon of the West Coast marine industry. The first generation of Ranger designs noted below bear a strong resemblance to these boats.
Ranger 22, 23 (1971), 26 (1969), 29
Ranger 29
The Ranger 29 is a twenty-nine foot fiberglass production sailboat designed by Gary Mull in or around 1970.-Hull:The hull is constructed of a solid fiberglass laminate. The keel is molded as part of the hull and the ballast is poured in. The hull is a moderate displacement design. The rudder...
(1970), 32 (1973), 33 (1970), and 37 (1972). Most of these were cruiser-racers built to no particular handicap rule, but they rate favorably under PHRF and Portsmouth handicap and have been quite successful in local club racing. Mull himself described most of his designs as 'just nice little boats'. The Ranger 26 won the North American IOR 1/2 Ton Cup in 1970 and is still competitive today in PHRF. The Ranger 23 came in second in the North American IOR 1/4 Ton Cup in 1972 even though she wasn't designed to the IOR Rule. The Ranger 23 also won the Whitney Series in 1972, and is still very competitive in PHRF handicap racing. The Ranger 29 and 33 have always been competitive when well sailed and are still competitive in club racing. The Ranger 37 was designed to the IOR handicap rule and was the last production boat to win the Southern Ocean Racing Conference (SORC is a winter ocean race out of Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
). The Ranger 32 is still competitive under PHRF handicap. While the Ranger 29 was designed to rate well under a number of handicap rules including the CCA and IOR, the boat does not fair so well under Portsmouth or PHRF.
The Newport 30
Newport 30
The Newport 30, or N30, was designed by marine engineer Gary Mull. Originally manufactured by Lindsey Plastics in Santa Ana, California from 1967 to about 1971. Later models were manufactured by Capital Yachts in Harbor City, California as the Newport 30 Mark II or Phase II and later as the Mark...
(and its stretched version, the 33) were another project by Mull. The 30 bears strong family resemblance to both the Ranger 29 and 33, but with more beam and displacement it leans to the cruiser side of the spectrum.
Freedom Independence, 28, 30, 36, 42, 45.
Later designs from the Gary Mull office included the somewhat revolutionary Humboldt 30 and Pocket Rocket. These designs were produced while Jim Donovan and Peter Dunsford were working for Mull. The Pocket Rocket hull and some parts of the deck have been resurrected and it is now sold as the Rocket 22. The boat has been 'turboed' a bit and is still a strong performer. A large fleet of the original Pocket Rockets carries on racing in Penticton, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
.
Other designs include: 6-Meter match racers St. Francis IV, V, and VI; 6-meter Ranger, built by Goetz Custom Yachts and raced by Ted Turner
Ted Turner
Robert Edward "Ted" Turner III is an American media mogul and philanthropist. As a businessman, he is known as founder of the cable news network CNN, the first dedicated 24-hour cable news channel. In addition, he founded WTBS, which pioneered the superstation concept in cable television...
in the 1979 6-Meter Worlds; Capri 22 designed with Catalina's Frank Butler in 1983, of which over 800 were built; Kalik 44, a large and fast cruising yacht with 25,000Lbs displacement; Half-Tonner Hotflash, built by the Gougeon Brothers in 1976; Two-Tonners like Carrot (1976), the 12-Meter USA; and the maxi-boat Sorcery. He also worked on the Golden Gate Challenge 12-Meter program for the 1987 America's Cup and designed a high-performance 30-foot, ultralight (2,000-pound) sloop for Ron Moore which featured a winged keel and deck.
From 1979 to 1987, Gary Mull chaired the International Technical Committee (ITC) of the Offshore Racing Congress
Offshore Racing Congress
The Offshore Racing Congress is an international body for the sport of competitive sailing and is responsible for the establishment and maintenance of rating and classification standards used to define offshore, that is marine as opposed to inland, yacht racing handicap categories.-Ratings and...
.
Gary Mull's Last Ranger design was in 1981 with Bangor Punta Yachts where 80 were made in the 26 foot length.
Carl Schumacher, best known for his Express
Express 27
The Express 27 is an ultra-light displacement sloop designed by Carl Schumacher. It was built by Terry Alsberg at Alsberg Brothers Boatworks in Santa Cruz, California from 1981 to 1988.- External links :****...
series, Jim Antrim, Peter Dunsford, Jim Donovan, Phil Kaiko and Ron Holland
Ron Holland
Ronald John Holland is a yacht designer, who came to prominence in the 1970s with his successful racing designs, and is now best known for his superyachts such as Mirabella V and Ethereal...
all apprenticed under Mr. Mull.