Jackett Joins Niche Watercraft as Chief Designer and Director of Design & Production
MARCH 18, 2026 - ANACORTES, WA — Niche Watercraft announces that renowned yacht designer Tim Jackett has joined the company as Chief Designer and Director of Design & Production as the company prepares to relaunch two premier North American heritage brands — Blue Jacket Yachts and Bruckmann Yachts — and introduce Whitacre Catamarans, a new American multihull brand.
With nearly five decades in yacht design, Jackett is one of the most accomplished figures in Ameri- can sailing. As Chief Designer at Tartan Yachts for 48 years, his designs encompassed the Tartan, C&C and Legacy lines, creating 35 models resulting in over 4,000 boats built. His designs have earned 14 Cruising World Boat of the Year awards, 6 Sailing World Boat of the Year awards and 4 Sail Magazine Top Ten Awards.
Jackett previously designed the Blue Jacket 40 in collaboration with Island Packet Yachts, which earned Cruising World’s Domestic Boat of the Year and Best Mid-Sized Cruiser awards - demonstrat- ing the versatility and industry-wide respect that made him one of sailing’s most sought-after designers.
That breadth maps directly onto the Niche Watercraft portfolio. Blue Jacket Yachts and Bruckmann Yachts draw on his sailboat and Downeast express cruiser mastery, while Whitacre Catamarans ben- efits from a designer with instincts for how people actually live aboard — regardless of hull form.
“Niche Watercraft represents exactly the kind of opportunity I’ve been looking for — a chance to take everything I’ve built over nearly five decades and apply it to brands with real heritage and a future worth building toward. What excites me most is the range of this portfolio. Designing across Blue Jacket, Bruckmann+Ellis, and Whitacre means I get to bring my full experience to bear — offshore performance, interior livability, Downeast powerboat, multihull design — all of it. This is the work I want to be known for in this chapter of my career, and I intend to see it through,” said Jackett.
“Tim’s career reflects not only extraordinary design talent but a deep understanding of boatbuild- ing, engineering and the boating community,” said Mike Mullenberg, Founder and Managing Princi- pal of Niche Watercraft. “His leadership strengthens our foundation as we prepare for launch — and his commitment to this portfolio, across every brand we are building, is exactly the kind of long-term design vision that Niche Watercraft is built to support.”
Jackett will guide design direction across the Niche portfolio, ensuring that innovation, craftsman- ship and offshore capability remain central to every model. His role spans the full arc of each brand — from initial concept through production — as Niche Watercraft moves toward its 2026 spring market launch.
About Niche Watercraft LLC:
Niche Watercraft is a marine development, sales and marketing company dedicated to acquiring and reviv- ing proven legacy boat brands, developing new models with world-class designers, and producing them through partnerships with select premium North American boat builders — delivered factory-direct to qualified buyers. The company’s growing portfolio — currently Blue Jacket Yachts, Bruckmann Yachts, Whitacre Catamarans and X-Yachts of Denmark — spans offshore performance sail, premium power, and custom liveaboard catamarans, serving the sophisticated semi-custom buyer who demands exceptional craftsmanship, personalized service and uncompromising quality.