Alan Payne (naval architect)

Alan Newbury Payne AM (1921 London - 20 June 1995 Sydney) was a naval architect born in England but who worked in Australia. His yacht designs were readily built by both professionals and amateurs, and remain well represented in the ocean-going and coastal yacht fleet.

Payne was born in London, England in 1921, but moved as part of his family to Australia in 1925. His father, Sidney, was a ship's master, but went to shore based activities and then emigrated with the family to Brisbane, Queensland to work for Dalgety's on the waterfront. The family moved to Sydney where Payne attended Sydney Grammar School and sailed small craft with his brother Bill and friends.

Payne worked at the Royal Australian Navy's Cockatoo Island Dockyard in Sydney during World War II and meanwhile training as a naval architect at Sydney Technical College, becoming in 1945 its first graduate, awarded a diploma that at the time was the highest level available.

Payne created a private practice in naval architecture immediately after World War II, initially designing yachts and launches, then later some fishing trawlers. Payne was a crew member on HORIZON in the 1945, first Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, and several subsequent events. An early design of this period was the Payne-Mortlock sailing canoe, a 5.8m design that is still raced, designed with brother Bill and friend Bryce Mortlock.

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