Blue Peter Marine Systems arose in the aftermath of the 1986-1987 America's
Cup in Fremantle, Western Australia. Peter Rye (self, the director of the
company) was involved as meteorologist and software developer, alongside
a team of oceanographers and naval architects at Curtin University,
assisting the Kookaburra syndicate which was the selected (unsuccessful!)
defender of the cup.
After the cup, the university team stayed together, involved in several
contracts arising from the cup, or won because of the experience gained.
We needed a hull design program for some work, and I was disgusted at the
cost and limitations of what was then available. Most of what it did could
be done by tools I already had.
So Hullform grew, and Blue Peter Marine Systems was born to market it. There were also several other marketable items, left over from the cup (e.g., a full meteorological - tactical analysis system), but Hullform demand has been so strong that it has been the core of development ever since.
The company remains a small enterprise, part of a very rich life for the director which extends from environmental air quality modelling to laser dinghy sailing and competitive roller skating.