The 18 winners of the ShowBoats Design Awards 2017

Joy

Length: 70m

Exterior styling: Bannenberg & Rowell Design

Builder: Feadship

There is a lot of talk about the increase in outdoor living spaces aboard modern yachts and Joy sets a new benchmark in this area. Shaded and open exterior spaces abound and lengthening the bow during the design phase created a family hang-out space for basketball and other diversions. The chiselling and nipping into the traditional superstructure forms give the yacht a unique look – “like a block of snow and ice that has been shaped by the wind”, said one judge. The chamfered edges of the overhangs create an illusion of more space between decks. The profile, originally drawn by Feadship’s De Voogt Naval Architects, was reimagined by Bannenberg & Rowell and, believe it or not, Joy is its first exterior styling project.

My Song

Length: 39.6m

Exterior styling: Nauta Design

Builder: Baltic Yachts

The owner’s brief was for “elegant, intriguing and sexy deck lines, where a full set of the most advanced racing gear and hardware had to find places to hide in the most discreet possible way”. Designed by Nauta as a racer/cruiser for use in the Med and Caribbean, the goal was an eye-catching yacht with proportions so balanced that it is impossible to judge the yacht’s length from a distance. The small, glass-enhanced coachroof is almost hidden by 30cm high gunwales, a welcome feature that certainly improves crew footing. Crew deck access is well placed aft of the guest cockpit. At anchor, the wide stern creates a sheltered sunbathing area that features hydraulically operated seating integrated into the flush decks.

Sexy Fish

Length: 39.3m

Interior design: Tansu

Builder: Tansu

Beach house ease, pure and simple, won the day. The yacht’s layout and décor is a follow on from the original Tansu yachts in the Mothership series, the 35.2m Ceylan and the 36.4m Preference. Designer Riza Tansu took this yacht a step further by adding a central interior stair column from the wheelhouse to the main deck to facilitate service to the upper bar area, which can be either an open or protected space with sliding roof and louvred side panels. Beds and cabinets that appear to float off the wide-planked, natural floor timber appealed to the judges as did the round portholes in the cabins. The shapes of the rooms and the built-in furnishings created a harmonious match to the exterior design and profile.

Sybaris

Length: 70m

Interior design: PH Design

Builder: Perini Navi

While the layout of sailing yachts is more constrained by necessity, their designers have to be more cognisant of using available space to its best advantage and recognise that the yacht is rarely level when the boat is underway. None of the finalist yachts this year had what could be described as a traditional interior, which set the judges to happily evaluating contemporary, minimalist and avant garde design ideas on their own merits. All of the yachts had strong owner input and the three top contenders also had the challenge of showcasing and lighting modern art collections. The winner of the secret ballot was not the contender with the greatest area but the one the judges felt was the most cohesive and elegant in design and showing the greatest attention to details. As one of the judges put it: “On Sybaris, the furniture, the lighting and the materials are all relative to the design intent.”

Gipsy

Length: 35.3m

Naval architect: Umberto Tagliavini

Builder: Otam

While there were no radical designs among this group’s 2016 launches, three finalists stood out among the contestants. In the objective analysis, Gipsy moved to the front for her efficiency. This 35 metre tri-deck design is a well-considered upsizing of a 28 metre sister drawn by Umberto Tagliavini for Otam several years ago and developed through a tow-tank review. For Gipsy, the builder specified a hull shape capable of a comfortable ride in sea conditions likely to be encountered by a yacht with 2,000 nautical mile range.The brief also specified a 20-knot top speed for the relatively large volume yacht. The naval architect responded with a deep-V bow that transitions to an asymmetrical aft section with 14-degree deadrise, short, sharp chines and propeller semi-tunnels. CFD analysis further refined the bow and stabiliser fins’ position to best advantage. The yacht achieves her 14.1-knot fast cruising speed at just 51 per cent power.

AQuiJo

Length: 86m

Naval architect: Tripp Design Naval Architecture

Builder: Vitters Shipyard & Oceanco

This yacht moves into new territory. A ship by virtue of her equipment and gross tonnage and certainly comparable to a large motor yacht in size, displacement and appointments, this is nevertheless a true sailing yacht for safely circumnavigating the globe. In fact, she will have to, as her masts are too tall for passage through Panama. Two hulls were developed through CFD and 1:15 models tested in towing tanks produced the final shape. Wind tunnel simulations refined the superstructure and sailplan. Twin rudders to boost feedback and control and a lifting keel minimise her harbour draft to 5.23 metres. At full draft of 11.66 metres, the ballasted foil provides ample stability. With a sail area to displacement ratio typical of smaller racer/cruisers, she performs remarkably in light air – 10.5 knots close hauled in 8 knots of breeze – while she can exceed 20 knots reaching with reefed sails in a 30-knot blow. As the leader of the naval architecture panel aptly put it: “She’s an amazing piece of work”.

My Song

Length: 39.6m

Naval architect: Reichel-Pugh Yacht Design

Interior design: Nauta Design

Exterior styling: Nauta Design

Builder: Baltic Yachts

This was a strong category and the top three finishers were separated by just four points. With My Song, Nauta, Reichel-Pugh and Baltic triumph with things you don’t see: a sophisticated, fully retractable, azimuthing propeller, hydraulic and line runs hidden in the bulwarks to reduce deck thickness, a “crush nose” on the keel bulb to reduce impact and damage of a grounding, and a construction weight-shaving program by the yard that rendered even small parts such as electrical cable trays in carbon fibre. Even the interior has some weight-saving tricks with resin-coated linen used for floors, countertops and bulkheads. In three hours the rig can be switched from a typical cruising mainsail to a flat-topped main and split running backstays for racing. For stowing the 400kg Code Zero racing headsail, a very large drum hidden in the forepeak coils the 55m sail. For cruising, the wide stern creates a sheltered sunbathing area that features hydraulic seating integrated into the flush decks.