Philip Christian Hercus (20 December 1942 in New Zealand – 3 September 2017) was a naval architect and marine vessel designer in Sydney Australia.
He left New Zealand to attend the faculty of engineering at the University of New South Wales, Australia where in 1967 he gained a Bachelor of Science (Technology) degree in naval architecture.
This combination of Philip Hercus and Bob Clifford made significant advances in fast powered catamaran technology culminating in the introduction of wave piercing catamarans.
Early in 1988, the shipyard partnership was mutually terminated and a design-only company, International Catamaran Designs Pty Ltd (renamed Incat Designs (Sydney)) was formed as part of the Hercus Marine Group.
[5] Philip Hercus and Robert Clifford received the Order of Australia (AO[6]) in 1995 for service to the shipbuilding industry.