Dudley Dix Yacht Design is the branding for the work of Dudley Allen Dix, a respected South African-born yacht designer whose career began in the early 1970s and who is now based in Virginia Beach, USA. Dix drew his first design, a 15-foot plywood catamaran, in 1973–1974, and after winning the 1979 Cruising World Design Competition with his CW975 model, began his professional journey in yacht design. The company specializes in designs primarily intended for amateur and professional custom builders, emphasizing practical construction methods such as radius chine plywood—a technique popularized and further developed by Dix himself—for both sailing monohulls and multihulls, including catamarans and trimarans. Notable models include the Didi 38, whose prototype 'Black Cat' became a renowned offshore racer, as well as the DH550, an ocean-going 55-foot catamaran. Over the decades, dozens of boats from 8ft to over 60ft have been built from his plans in various materials, including plywood, steel, aluminum, and wood/epoxy composites, with some models produced as one-offs, others as small series, and a few licensed for production in commercial yards. While Dudley Dix is best known as a designer and not a shipyard or manufacturer, his designs have been constructed globally, particularly in South Africa and the USA. The operation remains active as of 2024, with Dudley Dix himself providing detailed technical support and regularly updating his catalog of designs for both amateur and professional boatbuilders. The company has played a major role in democratizing advanced yacht building, and Dix’s innovations—especially his methods for efficient, seaworthy, and cost-effective home construction—have earned a reputation for reliability and innovation within the global sailing community.

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