Edward A. "Ted" Fontaine

Edward A. "Ted" Fontaine
Edward A. “Ted” Fontaine (Born 1957 in New Bedford, Massachusetts) is a yacht designer and boat builder in Portsmouth, RI, known for his sailing and motor yachts ranging from 40-160 feet. Every one of his 100’ plus designs have been nominated for, or received, an award from the International Society of Super Yachts.

Fontaine grew up with his eight siblings sailing Beetle Cats, a Rhodes 19, an Ensign and a Laser at the Low Tide Yacht Club in New Bedford, MA.

He gained an understanding of the trade at a young age while employed at Concordia Boat Yard, Fortier Boats and the O’Day Corp. He then trained as a traditional plank on frame wooden boat builder at the former WCVTI (Washington County Vocational Technical Institute) in Lubec, Maine. The first sailboat he built as a graduation project still sails in Martha’s Vineyard, MA today.

Directly following school, Fontaine went to work for Ted Hood as a drafting intern at the Ted Hood Design Group. Throughout the 1980’s their collaboration resulted in the successful line of Little Harbor sailing yachts ranging from 38-75 feet, building 12-15 boats a year.

In following years their innovative designs developed steadily, and in 1985, Ted Fontaine was appointed Chief Designer of the Ted Hood Design Group. The next decade saw his design concept refined, with a strong emphasis on the offshore cruising sailor seeking the optimum in both performance and comfort.

Fontaine continued to lead the refinement of the Hood hull forms until 2001, when a consolidation of the Hood and Hinckley Companies created an opportunity for him to purchase the assets of the Ted Hood Design Group and begin a new company under his own name, Fontaine Design Group.

Fontaine’s designs have been built by many yacht builders, among them Royal Huisman Shipyard, Holland Jachtbouw, Alloy Yachts, Hodgdon Yachts and Royal Denship. Locally his designs have been built at New England Boatworks, Little Harbor Custom Yachts, Goetz, Lyman Morse Boatbuilding and Morris Yachts.

Fontaine has won the International Superyacht Design Award for his Sailing Yachts Savannah, Chimera, Pamina, and Paraiso. He has won Showboats Awards for his Sailing Yachts Surama, Teel, Anakena, and Whisper.

In 2004 Fontaine started the Friendship Yacht Company, designing and building high quality sailing yachts with moderately heavy displacement, a decent beam that is taken well aft, internal ballast, and a centerboard that retracts to create minimal draft. Due to the additional displacement, the boat has more stability and can carry more sail.

Fontaine has designed and built 20 Friendship 40’s, a Friendship 53 and in 2009 the Friendship 75 was launched.

Fontaine continues to create new designs including the sailing vessel Friendship 48, Friendship 65 as well as the motor vessel, the Friendship 40cc.

Awards

 * Winner - “Best Sailing Yacht Under 40M”, Whisper, the Showboats Award, 2004


 * Winner - “Best Sail 23-36M”, Paraiso, International Superyacht Design Award, 2004


 * Finalist - “Best Sail 23-36M”, Chimera, International Super yacht Design Award, 2002


 * Finalist - “Best Sail 23-36M”, Pamina, International Superyact Design Award, 2000


 * Finalist - “Best Sail 23-36M” Savannah, International Superyacht Design Award, 1998


 * Winner - “Best Sailing Yacht Interior”, Surama, the Showboats Award, 1997


 * Winner - “Best Sailing Yacht Over 36M”, Anakena, the Showboats Award, 1996


 * Winner - “Most Innovative Sailing Yacht”, Teel, The Showboats Award, 1995