About
We have been designing boats for almost forty years.
The yacht design business started with Roberto Barros (Cabinho) designing boats for his own boatyard, growing steadily and finally becoming a full-time yacht design office in 1986, Roberto Barros Yacht Design, with a team of Naval Architects and Designers. Since then, the business has kept growing and expanding. Today it is managed by Luis Gouveia that has worked with Roberto Barros and Astrid Barros since 1992.
Experience
With the experience from hundreds of successful designs and thousands of boats produced from them, built in several different countries and navigated in the most extreme conditions, we can say we know what it takes to design and build a successful boat.
Design
Our designs extend a long range, including sailboats, powerboats, catamarans, trawlers, rowing boats. Many of these are available as stock plans and are suitable for either professional or amateur construction.
Custom
As we evolve from the era of mass production, we have seen significant growth in the demand for customised designs. The customisation ranges from small adaptations of the stock plans to entirely new designs, developed in partnership with the customer so that the boat will be perfectly fit for purpose.
Partners
Our compromise with the builder does not stop when the plans are purchased. We will be available for support during construction, what results in very satisfied customers all over the world. Since 2007 we moved our headquarters to Western Australia and we work remotely with partners in Europe and in Brazil.
OUR TEAM
Roberto and Eileen Barros
Founders
Our office started in Rio de Janeiro and was called Roberto Barros Yacht Design. Roberto and Eileen brought their extensive experience in racing and cruising as well as their boatbuilding experience to their designs. The designs were ahead of their time and revolutionised amateur boatbuilding.
Luis Gouveia
Principal Naval Architect
Naval Engineer graduated by Rio de Janeiro Federal University (UFRJ), Luis Gouveia is the G from B&G Yacht Design. The B is from Barros, Roberto Mesquita Barros, known also by his nickname Cabinho to his fans all over the world. Luis takes the relay on the long tradition of high level boat designs initiated by his father-in-law. His skill encompasses boats and yachts of the most varied applications, a really eclectic portfolio of designs.
Luis Manuel Pinho
Yacht Designer
Metallurgical and Materials Engineer graduated by Rio de Janeiro Federal University (UFRJ), Luis Manuel Pinho brought his experience of decades of offshore sailing, boatbuilding, and engineering formation to the team at B&G Yacht Design, with new solutions in 3D modelling to produce complete boat kits in several existing designs and also in the creation of new designs.
Astrid Barros
Contributor
PHD in Ocean Engineering by Rio de Janeiro Federal University (UFRJ), Astrid has participated in several designs and in a way she was born together with the design office, in Tahiti, during her parents epic voyage from Rio to Polynesia. She was an active sailor in her youth and participated in many more offshore adventures with the family. It was only natural to have an education in naval engineering and then go on to acquire a PHD in the area.
Bookshelf
Our team has been in the water, with thousands of sea miles logged that gave them the hands on offshore sailing experience that can add invaluable insight to our designs. Some of their exploits are recorded in books, available for sale online. Click on the covers to buy.
Rio to Polynesia
Roberto and Eileen Barros leave Rio de Janeiro bound for New Zealand, and reach Tahiti in 1968, where they stop because their daughter Astrid arrives in this world. This is a truly pioneering voyage for their time, recounted with incomparable humour by Roberto Barros in this delightful book. Portuguese edition availble also.
As Fantásticas Aventuras do Maitairoa
In the 1980s, at the height of the cold war, the Barros family built a "Day After Refuge Boat", and as the nuclear hecatombe thankfuly never came, the boat they named Maitairoa was used for an incredible aventure crossing the Southern Atlantic, with many exploits and a near catastrophe in the Falkland Islands. A great adveuture that is captured in this book. Portuguese only.
Todos os Mares do Mundo
Luis Manuel Pinho was born in Mozambique and immigrated to Brazil, where he built his first ocean going sailboat, Green Nomad, who took him on a new migration path to Australia. Then he decided to repeat the dose and built another Green Nomad, continuing to explore the seas of this world, sharing time with environmental activities as captain of direct-action group Sea Shepherd. Thirthy years of life at sea are told in this dense book. English edition available soon.