David Giles, son of the famous yacht designer, Jack Laurent Giles, first discovered the possible benefits of a hull's 'lifting' properties in a racing dinghy, and from his father's explanation with a teaspoon dangled under an open tap. After National Service as a submarine officer, he learnt the principles of advanced wing design for increasing the size and speed of jet airliners while working for the de Havilland Aircraft Company. Then in 1976, he formed a partnership with the naval architect, Peter Thornycroft, whose success with the design of small lifting hulls convinced him that these could be scaled up and applied to larger faster vessels as had been proved with aircraft .
