University researcher named as new editor-in-chief of prestigious sailing journal

An Aston University researcher has been named as the new editor-in-chief of the Journal of Sailing Technology.

Dr Jean-Baptiste Souppez (pictured) is a senior lecturer in mechanical, biomedical and design engineering. He is the recipient of multiple medals and awards from the Royal Institution of Naval Architects for research excellence and his contributions to the advancement of marine technology and naval architecture.

The Journal of Sailing Technology is published by the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME) and was founded in 1893 to ‘advance the art, science, and practice of naval architecture, shipbuilding and marine engineering’.

It is the leading peer-reviewed international journal for sailing-related research, ranging from high-performance racing yachts to wind-assisted ships to support maritime decarbonisation.

The journal works closely with the yearly international sailing conferences organised on rotation by the Chesapeake Sailing Yacht Symposium in the US, the International Conference on Innovation in High Performance Sailing Yachts and Sail-Assisted Ship Propulsion in Europe and the High Performance Yacht Design Conference in New Zealand.

Dr Souppez is a leading expert in yacht design and leads the development of all small craft regulations for yacht structures. He is a fellow of the Royal Institution of Naval Architects, a member of the Institute of Marine Engineering, Science and Technology, a member of the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers and a chartered engineer.

He has been deputy editor-in-chief since 2019, and now will join Prof. Ignazio Maria Viola, professor of fluid dynamics and bioinspired engineering at the University of Edinburgh, as editor-in-chief.

Dr Souppez said: “I am honoured to be appointed as editor-in-chief for the Journal of Sailing Technology which is the world's leading peer-reviewed journal for all sailing-related research, from wind-assisted ships to high-performance yachts, from hydrofoil design to advanced composite materials.

“The invaluable support from SNAME means that we can offer a cutting-edge research journal and open-access publishing at no cost to institutions, authors, or readers. Our strategic partnership with the most prominent sailing conferences also places the journal at the heart of the sailing community, and I am immensely grateful to the editorial team for their continued and invaluable support.”

Craig Tulk vice-president of knowledge management at SNAME said: “We are delighted to welcome Dr Jean-Baptiste Souppez as our new editor-in-chief for the SNAME Journal of Sailing Technology.

“The Journal stands out by its esteem in the field, its strong involvement with the sailing community across academia and industry, and the value it brings to the world of sailing. SNAME is very much looking forward to the Journal of Sailing Technology’s continued growth under Dr Souppez’s leadership, particularly given the potential for sailing technologies to contribute to clean maritime thanks to wind assisted ship propulsion.”