The BOAT Artistry & Craft Awards 2027, in association with Parkway England, celebrate the artisans behind the incredible interiors and standout pieces on superyachts. Every designer’s secret weapon, these craftspeople can make ideas come alive with techniques that elevate the ordinary into the extraordinary - a humble wall panel or treatment becomes a work of art, for example, a light fitting transforms into a statement piece, a chair into a future heirloom, and so much more.
This year’s esteemed panel of judges comprises acclaimed designers and experts from both in and outside the marine industry, all with expert knowledge in their specific fields and passionate custodians of craft and artistry in their own right.
Chair
Christopher Whale: group creative director of BOAT International Media
Judges
Deborah Pocock LVO, CEO of QEST
Jay Rushton, CEO of Parkway England
Adrian Sassoon, art dealer and collector
Daniela Zulli, director of Terence Disdale
Christopher Whale (chair)
Christopher Whale has worked in editorial design on a range of high-end luxury titles for more than two decades. Having launched his career at Harpers & Queen, he went on to art direct for some of the UK’s most prestigious luxury magazines, including the London Evening Standard Magazine, Tatler and Harper’s Bazaar. He has also worked with commercial clients such as Graff and Mercedes-Benz. As group creative director at BOAT International Media, Whale has overseen the rebrand and redesign of the company’s print and digital portfolio.
Deborah Pocock LVO
Deborah has been the CEO of QEST (Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust) since 2018, and immediately before that, the development director of the Royal Warrant Holders Association for five years. Deborah is passionate about ensuring that, regardless of background or circumstance, everyone should have the opportunity and access to craft skills training to pursue a career as a professional maker, whether as a sole trader or within the industry.
QEST supports and champions excellence in British craftsmanship by funding the training and education of talented and aspiring makers. Since 1990, the charity has awarded almost £5.5 million to some 700 makers working in a broad range of traditional and contemporary craft skills. In addition to financial support, QEST provides its alumni with business skills development, as well as opportunities for exhibitions, collaborations and commissions through its networks and other partnerships.
Jay Rushton
Jay Rushton has spent over three decades immersed in the world of high-end bespoke furniture manufacturing and unique interior fit-out, spanning prestigious homes and interiors, yachts, luxury hospitality and unique spaces. His passion for bespoke luxury furniture and love of the industry led him to the takeover and expansion of elite British manufacturer Parkway England.
With strong foundations and long-term collaborations in the superyacht sector, Parkway has an established team of over 55 highly skilled craftspeople, artisans, designers and market-leading professionals, based out of their 17,000-square-metre headquarters in Hampshire.
Having produced bespoke furniture for some of the most iconic yachts, prestigious homes and luxury interior and exterior spaces around the world, Parkway is a seasoned professional in delivering an unrivalled comprehensive service in all aspects of bespoke furniture of the highest quality, for any environment, scale or complexity.
Jay’s drive and vision for Parkway have seen the company experience the most exciting period of exponential growth in its two-decade history, soon to be recognised as one of the leading bespoke furniture manufacturers in the world.
Adrian Sassoon
Adrian Sassoon has been studying, collecting, curating and selling works of art for more than 40 years. In the last 25 years, he has become the leading UK dealer in contemporary works of art – ceramics, glass, silver, gold, lacquer and hardstone objects. His other professional field is French 18th-century works of art, primarily in the French royal porcelain factory of Vincennes and Sèvres.
Adrian started his career as a junior curator in European decorative arts of the 17th and 18th centuries at the J. Paul Getty Museum and has a deep interest in other fields, including old master and later paintings, Asian works of art and 20th-century photography. He has worked as the art advisor to various collectors and museums, as well as superyacht designers and owners.
The BOAT Artistry & Craft Awards will return to the Superyacht Design Festival in 2027, with nominations now open until 21 October 2026. If you have any questions about the awards, please contact the events team.
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