2014 ShowBoats Design Awards superyacht design winners announced

24 February 2014 • Written by Risa Merl

The winners of the 2014 ShowBoats Design Awards have been announced in a gala evening at the stunning setting of the Swarovski Crystal Worlds in Wattens, Austria. This year, 18 coveted golden Neptune awards were presented in front of an audience of international superyacht owners, designers and icons of the megayacht industry.

Some superyachts – such as Palumbo’s Columbus 40m Sport Hybrid 40S and the sailing superyacht Inukshuk – took awards in multiple categories for her designers and builders. The Columbus was the big winner of the night with three awards in total, winning the Environmental Protection Award, the Holistic Design Award – Motor Yachts and the Interior Design Award – Semi-displacement Motor Yachts. Andrew Winch Designs also won multiple awards – two awards for two different tenders and the Exterior Design & Styling Award – Displacement Motor Yachts 60m+ for the Feadship mega yacht Madame Gu. Read about all the winners below.

ShowBoats Design Awards Judging Process:

In order to decide these awards in as fair a manner as possible, we have adopted the same completely transparent judging procedures that have distinguished the World Superyacht Awards and set them apart from others. In this respect, we have assembled a wholly independent jury comprised of yacht owners, senior yacht crew and acclaimed designers and stylists from within as well as outside the marine industry, all with expert knowledge in their specific fields.

Prizes:

Winners of ShowBoats Design Awards receive a golden version of the coveted silver Neptune trophy created especially for Boat International Media. Now synonymous with excellence, the Neptune trophy is striking but conceptually simple: As the god of all seas in Roman mythology, Neptune takes centre stage at our events, honouring the beauty and power of the finest yachts plying the world’s oceans.

This year, taking inspiration from the unique location of the ShowBoats Design Awards, Steve Keeling and Vitaly Moiseev of DKT Artworks have worked together to design and produce a custom-made award to honour Judges’ Commendations. Stylised in the form of a well-known vista in the Karwendel mountain range close to Wattens, the carving is a remembrance of the beautiful surroundings in which the ceremony takes place. The mountain range is set beyond a foreground of typical Alpine flowers including edelweiss, gentian, dandelion, mountain daisy, buttercup, and primrose.

Thank you to our sponsors:

Special thanks are extended to our gracious gala evening hosts and gold sponsor, Swarovski, and to silver sponsors Hodgdon Yachts and Blohm+Voss. Thank you to returning sponsors RINA Group, Greenline Yacht Interiors and to Oceanco, who continue to support the yacht designers of the future with the presentation of the Young Designer of the Year Award. Our gratitude also goes to our new bronze sponsors for 2014; Boutsen Design, Fincantieri Yachts, JFA Yachts, Front Street Shipyard and to DKT Artworks who has supplied the beautiful Judges’ Commendation prize.

Sponsored listings