David Marlow, founder of Marlow Yachts, died earlier this month at the age of 82. Marlow was a native of Florida and lived in Sarasota County at the time of his passing.
He founded Marlow Yachts in the early 2000s, and the company operates in Palmetto, Fla.
The Marlow website describes the early genesis of his designs:
“In 1998, having settled on the basic design and direction, some of these sketches were furnished to a prominent naval architect for comment and opinion, paying for and receiving a variety of interpretations using both his styling ideas, my suggestions and original sketches. After a period of time, I elected to continue development alone. I soon had the good fortune to hear of a very talented young designer who thought outside the box of conventional styling and design. Typically, naval architecture follows fairly well-trodden paths of development, which assures you that you will receive a pretty generic evolution or copy. This young and talented naval architect was Douglas Zurn from Marblehead, Mass. Initial talks revealed a bright mind with an eye for details, necessary criteria for the selected designer.”
Marlow sales director Eric Gervais had this to say about the industry icon (reposted from PassageMaker, a sister magazine to Soundings Trade Only):
“David Marlow was a maritime titan whose passion for yachting profoundly impacted everyone at Marlow. His unwavering dedication to excellence in yacht design inspired countless individuals and deepened our appreciation for the beauty and science of yachting. We are grateful for the time we shared with him, as he generously imparted his knowledge and guided us through the intricacies of the industry, skillfully blending tradition with modernity to redefine luxury cruising. As we navigate our journeys ahead, we will carry his lessons in our hearts, honoring his legacy and striving to emulate his passion and dedication. Smooth sailing, David; your influence will forever shape our path. Thank you for teaching us how to sail.”
Marlow’s obituary can be found here.
