ANDREW WINCH

Founder and Trustee Director

Andrew Winch’s love of yachts was ignited in childhood, during long summers spent sailing the Solent in 12ft dinghys to his father’s 42ft (12m) Beneteau. He completed a foundation degree at Central Saint Martins followed by degree in 3D Design at Kingston College of Art and then went on to gain experience as a skipper in the Caribbean, followed by an apprenticeship for acclaimed yacht designer, Jon Bannenberg. His love of yachts persisted through adulthood and informed his entire life’s work, leading him and his wife Jane, as designer and company manager, to establish Andrew Winch Designs in 1986. 

Andrew Winch Designs first project was to design the interior and exterior of a Swan 36ft sailboat, which soon led to the creation of other, bigger projects, such as the interior design of the 140ft Cyclos III, completed in 1989, and the 160ft White Rabbit motor yacht, in 1994. In the three decades since Andrew Winch Designs was established, and evolved to Winch Design in 2016 the business has grown exponentially. The architecture portfolio spans interiors, exteriors, chateaux, beach villas and mountain retreats and the yachts and aviation departments have produced sailing yachts, motor yachts and aircraft ranging from helicopters to the first-ever private Boeing 787/9 Dreamliner. During this time, Winch Design has won over 50 prestigious design awards and come to be recognised as one of the leading international design studios in the world.

With the move to employee ownership and the creation of the Winch EOT (Employee Ownership Trust) in 2021 Andrew joined the Trustee Board as Winch Design’s Founder. Beyond Winch, Andrew is deeply passionate about craftsmanship and enabling opportunities for designers and artisans of all kinds across the UK. He is a Trustee of the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST), and a Trustee for Chichester Harbour, helping to preserve the Solent and the harbour area where he grew up. Additionally, he sits on the judging panel for the BOAT International Artistry & Craft Awards.