Boat International Design & Innovation Awards 2018 Winners Announced

Best Exterior Styling - Motor Yachts Below 45m

Cyclone

Length: 43.7m

Exterior styling: Tansu Yachts

Naval Architect: Diana Yacht Design

Builder: Tansu Yachts

You can’t mistake the hand of Riza Tansu in Cyclone’s bold lines, evoking comparisons with minesweepers and fast coastal patrol cutters, as this signature look has brought this designer/builder prizes on previous occasions. But on top of the sparseness of detail and clean horizontal lines, this year the judges noted a softer side to the styling with a bit more rake to the bow that reverses at the top to create a touch of tumblehome and a hint of a sheer curve as it moves aft. The design continued to impress the judges with the introduction of sloped forward glass on two decks and the absence of eyebrows altogether. The superstructure is nicely integrated within the profile and provides plenty of both open and protected outdoor living space while actually increasing the interior volume available to the owner. Finishing close behind Cyclone was Claydon Reeves’ well-received exterior styling update on the classic raised pilothouse form with the 36 metre Delta One from Mulder Shipyard.

Best Interior Design - Motor Yachts Below 399GT

TELLI

Length: 33m

Interior designer: Ferretti Group

Naval architect: Ferretti Group

Builder: Custom Line (Ferretti Group)

Motor yacht interiors drew the largest number of nominations of all categories, and even after shortlisting the best there were still enough boats for three groups based on volume. This, the smallest class, offered our judges a good mix of custom and production yachts. The judges zeroed in on a Navetta 33 model, TELLI, for the way her apparent architectural simplicity harmonised with her exterior profile. Behind the apparent simplicity of clear geometric lines, however, were clever features such as a single piece of saloon furniture designed to hide a TV and the AV system, a bar unit with a fridge and  the room’s cooling unit. Silky walnut veneer joinery with its horizontal lines in flat panels was put to use by the designers to extend space visually, and whitewashed hardwood floor timber establishes a feeling of relaxed casual living. It is  a simple backdrop, embellished by the fun chunkiness of the staircase, for a modern art collection. The lighting design also got high marks. Two of the owner’s material selections, Jerusalem marble and crystal, are used throughout to contribute just the right touch of elegance.

Best Interior Design - Motor Yachts 1,000GT and Above

Faith

Length: 96.6m

Interior designer: RWD/Chahan Interior Design

Naval architect: Feadship De Voogt Naval Architects

Builder: Feadship

Much is expected of the interiors in the largest motor yacht category and the Feadship Faith did not disappoint. From her profile, it is apparent how important endless views through large expanses of glass are to the owner and this is reflected in the arrangement of furniture within the spaces, the absence of heavy window treatments and the almost-monochromatic colour palette. Experienced British yacht designers RWD were teamed with the owner’s personal designer, Chahan Minassian of Paris, to create an interior with transparency as its theme even to such objects as a double-sided fireplace between the saloon and dining room. Horizontal lines repeat in subtle treatments on floors, walls and furnishings, but this classic motif is beautifully modernised by woven leathers, multi-textured stone and stainless steel.

Judges’ Commendation Award

Of all the interior elements of all the nominees, the imaginative interplay of elements in Barbara’s main stair column garners special note. A large oval glass elevator shaft wrapped in the beautiful, gnarled and silvered root system  of an ancient teak tree rises through two continuous decks. This sinuous, signature decorative item, which took a whole year to complete, is the ultimate expression of the design brief “no straight lines”.

Best Interior Design - Sailing Yachts

Ribelle

Length: 32.5m

Interior Designer: Rémi Tessier

Naval Architect: Malcolm McKeon Yacht Design

Builder: Vitters

The winner of this award proves once again that excellence in interior design is not predicated by yacht size. The smallest boat in the field, Ribelle has a bespoke contemporary interior reflecting considerable involvement by experienced owners. The palette is restrained in terms of materials but dramatic in its varied use of them. To counterpoint the darkly tinted glass forming the yacht’s coach roof, for example, gleaming copper bands cover the carbon frames. Easing the transition between deck and interior, the warming effect of the sun glinting on copper is stunning, its reflective qualities seeming to enlarge the space. Rarely seen on yachts, copper, sealed using a special automotive process, serves as an accent throughout. Along with creating a statement in a small space, the designer had to meet the strict weight budget of a boat conceived to win races. Rémi Tessier's answers came in strong architectural lines, a panoply of organic curves on built-in furniture and the clever reversed layout of the master suite. Of special note is the bright galley created to meet the needs of a gourmet. Ribelle is a triumph of space planning.

Best Naval Architecture - Semi-Displacement or Planing Motor Yachts

1 of 7

Length: 35.5m

Naval architect: Vripack

Builder: Dynamiq

The brief began with the typical characteristics requested of all semi-displacement yachts: optimal performance balanced with comfort. To this equation, Dynamiq added the goal of long range. Vripack created a round bilge hull with a narrow bow and small bulb for reduced resistance and lower fuel consumption while still being capable of 21 knots at top speed. The yacht scored  well on efficiency with a computed fuel burn of just 0.465 l/h/t and a range of more than 3,300 nm. To improve performance even further, the yacht is fitted with a Hull Vane, a patented horizontal foil fixed below the stern. Developed by Van Oossanen Naval Architects, it influences the stern wave pattern and creates hydrodynamic lift, which is partially directed forward. This innovation increases the yacht’s efficiency and improves seakeeping by reducing pitching and yawing motions, giving this yacht the top score among the finalists for seakeeping. An innovative electric stabiliser and interceptor system also increases comfort both underway and at anchor. Judges also noted that 1 of 7 received a RINA Comfort Class and Green Star certification.

Best Naval Architecture - Displacement Motor Yachts

Home

Length: 50m

Naval architect: Van Oossanen/Heesen Yachts

Builder: Heesen Yachts

Rather than review a shortlist of finalists selected by the senior editorial team at Boat International Media, all of the entries for naval architecture go straight to the pros on the naval architecture subcommittee. In this category, that meant crunching numbers on 13 candidates to present finalists to the full jury. Along with the objectivity of statistics, the subcommittee also compared the brief for the boat with the designer’s statements, thoroughness of design methods and images, including video of the yacht underway. This year’s winner was clearcut on nearly all the categories under scrutiny and showed clear determination by the originator of the project, in this case the shipyard, to excel in this arena. Van Oossanen’s task this time was to take its fast displacement hull form and optimise it for displacement speed economy with small engines and a hybrid propulsion package plus deliver comfort characteristics in waves. Thirty hull forms were tested via computational fluid dynamics with the top contender model tested at the Wolfson Unit. The vertical stem with modest flare, fin stabilisers and interceptors at the transom showed the best results for reducing roll and pitch. Everything else was created in support of controlling weight and drag to allow Home to achieve 16 knots or better with the least horsepower of any of the finalists.

Best Naval Architecture - Sailing Yachts

Ngoni

Length: 58.2m

Naval architect: Dubois Naval Architects

Builder: Royal Huisman

The naval architects who lead the judges’ discussion on this category said they felt like they were splitting hairs to choose a winner. The yachts are extremely different in appearance and brief, yet all the finalists are superb designs and each received top marks in at least one of the sub-categories used to determine the winner. Ngoni pulled out the win by one point largely  on the basis of innovation, complexity of the vessel, demands of the brief — including class requirements – investigation of keel and rudder options and testing of hydrodynamics. While Ribelle posted top numbers for sheer performance, as her 2017 regatta results support, the judges felt at she was an evolution of her naval architect’s winning approach to performance cruisers, whereas Ngoni innovated solutions with an approach to stiffness via hull structure not seen before. Also innovative are her general arrangement and myriad design and engineering solutions for managing this sloop's tremendous sail power.

Best General Arrangement & Deck Design

Faith

Length: 96.6m

Naval architect: Feadship De Voogt Naval Architects

Interior designer: RWD/Chahan Interior Design

Exterior stylist: RWD

Builder: Feadship

In this complex category, judges surveyed not just the arrangement of guest areas but the space and layout for crew service, tender operations, maintenance and safety. Faith shines on all counts thanks in part to a clear owner’s brief to create a yacht for intensive use with private spaces and open areas for friends and family gatherings. Driving length and layout was the helicopter hanger; when the air tender is stored, the deck can be used for netted games. The beach club nearly doubles in size when transom and side terraces are open, its sloping ceiling being the bottom of a nine metre pool. Ease of movement is highlighted with separate elevators for crew and guests plus multiple staircases. Guests are treated to a hair salon and pantry next to their cabins, while the owner has a full private deck. His office is cleverly one deck below on the bridge/helideck next to staff cabins and the captain’s office. A portside loading bay, separate crew mess and lounge, dedicated hospital, crew gym and lower deck tender bays are top features. Proving size isn’t a precursor to good layout, tying for second place were sailing yachts Pink Gin and Ribelle.

Best Lighting

Seven

Length: 60m

Interior designer: Dante O Benini & Partners

Exterior stylist: Perini Navi

Builder: Perini Navi

Lighting design was added to the awards programme in 2017 after our judges commented that lighting lagged behind other achievements in large yachts. By focusing on this area, the awards programme hopes to elevate the quality of lighting design across the range. Of those who submitted their yachts for scrutiny, by far the most complex lighting plan was presented by Dante O Benini & Partners and Perini Navi for Seven. Not coincidentally, the owners are experienced yachtsmen. Benini notes he approached the interior commission as “an architect trying to interpret the human spirit”. As seven is the owner’s number of grandchildren, the team was aware there would be three generations living on board, each with needs and activities. As with a fine home, on Seven some lighting functions are automatic and anticipatory, others highlight architecture or illuminate art, and some provide safety at night or support specific activities or tasks using  the latest technology. Even chromotherapy is considered. Much use is made of backlit onyx and elsewhere the programmable, dimmable light is tuned to warm tones.

Young Designer of the Year - Professional Designer

Damien Bovie

Concept Name: Mirage

Nationality: France

Current Employer: Freelance Designer

This professional division saw a sizeable entry of 18 professional designers from 13 different countries. The task given to this category was the same as that for the students, but was made more complex by entrants being given a very specific set of realistic technical guidelines by the sponsor shipyard, Oceanco. The judges experienced little difficulty in refining this entry to eight, but only three finalists were needed and selecting these required a great deal of further work. In due course, just five entries were put under the most detailed scrutiny and, somewhat reluctantly, the judges eliminated Dani Santa and Katarzyna Tarczon. This left Damien Bovie, Francesco Conte and Yilin Huang as finalists, and prompted more lively discussion before 26-year-old Bovie from France was recognised as the winner. In view of the closeness of this decision, it was decided that Yilin Huang should receive  a Judges' Special Mention for his work.

The judges chose Mirage, Bovie’s entry for its combination of excellent presentation, practical ideas, and a nicely drawn general arrangement plan. While the exterior looks could be mistaken for a Mediterranean cruiser, its lines conceal well thought out interior storage for the helicopter; a good range of tenders and toys that, most practically, include a snowmobile; and excellent crew facilities.

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