Roger Marshall’s experience as a writer spans many years. Since 1972 he has been a contributor to various magazines and has written more than 600 magazine articles. His work has appeared worldwide as well as the New York Times, Daily Telegraph, Sports Illustrated, Sail, Yachting World, Seahorse, Kazi (Japan), Yachting, and many other newspapers and magazines. In 2004 he won first place in the technical writing category in the Boating Writers International writing competition adding to his five other awards in this competition.
Marshall is also a designer of sailing and powerboats. After completing a program in small craft design at Southampton College in England, Marshall moved to the United States in 1972 to take a position at Sparkman & Stephens, Inc. in New York. He worked there as a designer for over 5 years and then left to establish his own yacht design studio. As an independent designer he has designed boats ranging from 15-foot dinghies to a 55-foot powerboat and an 85-foot schooner. He was project manager for the Courageous Challenge for the 1987 America's Cup campaign in Australia. Before going with the Courageous group he lectured a six-semester program leading to a minor in small craft design at Roger Williams University. In 1999 one of his designs was selected for inclusion in Ocean Cruising magazine's American Yacht Review. A 24 production bass boat is currently under construction.
Marshall has extensive sailing and boating experience. He has sailed at all levels including 12 meters and Admiral’s cup boats (once with the British team on Quailo III, another time for the British team aboard Prime Minister Heath’s Morning Cloud, and once with the Japanese team). He has also sailed in many world and national championships, in the half-ton worlds as the lone British entrant, 11 Bermuda races (twice with the British Onion Patch team), and 5 Fastnet races (twice with the British Admiral’s Cup team), and the 1997 Atlantic Challenge from New York, to Falmouth, England, placing third. He has cruised on both power and sailboats in many parts of the world, especially the European, Mediterranean, and North American coastlines.
He is former president of Boating Writers International and former chair of the BWI Innovation Awards committee at National Marine Manufacturers Association boat shows, is also a member of the jury for the Dame Awards held at the METS show in Holland. He is a member of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, Garden Writers Association, the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, and the Storm Trysail Club.
