16 ShowBoats Design Awards 2016 winners

Sibelle

Exterior Design & Styling Award - Motor Yacht Below 500GT winner

Exterior Styling: AB Studio - Omega Architects

Builder: Heesen Yachts

The ShowBoats Design Award for exterior design and styling on motor yachts below 500GT had nine finalists featured yachts from 32 meters to 50 meters and styles from raised pilothouse to expedition.

The runaway winner was the second longest yacht in the group – Sibelle – whose radical styling combined a slight reverse or destroyer bow with a hard chine and a knuckle to broaden the bow above the waterline and blunt it at the sheerline. The spray rails at the bow were envisioned as part of a strong, deliberate horizontal design vocabulary that includes dark bands of glass that although stepped, appear continuous and help make the yacht appear longer than her actual 49.9-meter length.

The bullnosed shape of the side and aft deck overhangs reinforces the powerful look of the exterior while mirroring the curves of the built-in aft deck seating areas. Symmetry is a strong secondary design theme and this is particularly noticeable on the mast and sun deck. The surprise of skylights in the sun deck hardtop, however, and the picture window opening onto the aft swim platform add a light touch and remind us that Sibelle is a yacht of delightful, engaging contrasts.

This award is sponsored by MAST.

Savannah

Exterior Design & Styling - Motor Yacht Above 500GT winner

Exterior Styling: CG Design

Builder: Feadship, De Vries

The nine finalists in the exterior design styling category for yachts over 500GT ranged from 55 meters in length to nearly double that, which gave considerable real estate for exterior stylists to exploit.

This is the first exterior design for CG Design, a Paris-based architectural firm, although principal Cristina Gherardi designed the interior of the owner’s previous semi-custom yacht. This relationship and a thorough grounding in contemporary architecture established a design envelope for Savannah that deviated little from the first sketches brought to Feadship and De Voogt Naval Architects.

The key design exercise is to allow guests to maintain a functional relationship with the sea. In fact, there is an unbroken cascade of main deck living areas from the dining room, through the open salon, across the pool deck and down to the sea. In other places, huge expanses of glass link the interior with the world beyond, from her partially submerged “Nemo” room at the stern to the bow’s hidden observation room.

The slim, smooth silhouette and plumb bow convey a sense of speed while the metallic silver-green exterior finish extending even to the exterior deck overheads magically reflects the changing colours of sea and sky.

This award is sponsored by Blohm+Voss.

Nikata

Exterior Design & Styling - Styling Award winner

Exterior Styling: Nauta Design

Builder: Baltic Yachts

Of the six sailing yachts chosen as ShowBoats Design Awards 2016 finalists for their exterior looks, two were very traditional. While the judges appreciated their adherence to iconic style and gleaming brightwork, it was the efforts the balance of the designers made to distinguish their projects among the fleet of modern yachts that captured their interest, especially considering that the same combination of naval architect Judel/Vroljik and exterior stylist  Nauta Design had two remarkably different yachts in the running.

The judges chose to make  Nikata the winner because of Nauta Design’s sympathetic response to the owner’s brief to not compromise the yacht’s regatta-style performance in delivery of an attractive profile and a high level of comfort at sea.

The very low deckhouse is a masterwork of joined geometric shapes that create a single line and subtle contrast between the smooth, iron grey hull and the light silver top. The fact that the pale teak deck is splined with grey caulking showed a comprehensive approach that took the styling that extra step. From the opening transom that will create a grand entrance for guests to the well-designed crew access point aft, her functionality is beautifully designed.

This award is sponsored by Cantieri di Pisa

Savannah

Interior Layout & Design Award - Motor Yacht Above 500GT winner

Exterior Styling: CG Design

Builder: Feadship, De Vries

The rarefied air of exclusivity pervades the category for interiors of the largest motor yachts. It is the world where knowledgeable and sophisticated owners challenge their design teams to produce beautiful and personalised statements. Such is the case with Savannah, and although it is only this architectural team’s second yacht, the owner was well known to them and made clear his interest in continuity of indoor and outdoor entertaining spaces, visual contact with the sea and having a variety of living spaces for different activities.

Turning convention on its head, Paris-based CG Design responded with a layout where walls, ceilings, furniture and surface patterns are developed on curved lines to accentuate fluidity via natural and organic forms – there are no boxes. The window architecture is fresh and inspiring and from the interior, draws less attention to window shape and structure than to the views outside. This, plus a semi-underwater lounge and cinema, a secret observation room in the bow, stunning lighting design, a floating catwalk, and a main deck living area that is one continuous space from salon to swim platform left the judges applauding.

This award is sponsored by Tai Ping.

Nikata

Interior Layout & Design Award winner

Exterior Styling: Nauta Design

Builder: Baltic Yachts

Because Nikata is the third custom Baltic build involving Nauta Design, the firm was well aware of the yard’s capabilities for lightweight construction. In fact, to meet the performance characteristics and speed required by her owner, the overall light displacement of the yacht was kept to just 88 metric tons, yet he was not interested in compromising on modern conveniences or comfort.

Another of the interior constraints was that the design needed to accommodate a lifting keel, which meant designing the owner and VIP guest accommodation around a large, vertical keel box. The layout smartly places crew cabins, navigation station, galley and access to machinery spaces aft with direct access to the helm area on deck.

The use of pale oak paneling and furniture keeps the four-stateroom (plus crew) interior light, while an innovative T-shaped coachroof skylight offsets the small window area of the deckhouse and brings plenty of light to the open plan living space below that features a separate TV area off the salon. The contemporary theme is matched by the smooth and simple interior décor style distinguished by consistent use of natural materials.

This award is sponsored by Videoworks.

Rüya

Naval Architecture Award - Displacement Motor Yacht Below 500GT winner

Naval Architect:  Van Oossanen Naval Architects

I__nterior Design: Sorgiovanni Designs

Builder: Alia Yachts

Rüya’s owner wanted to focus on cruising comfort rather than speed. While the brief insisted on keeping gross tonnage under the 500 GT limit, he nevertheless envisioned the amount of living space typically associated with yachts of 45 to 50 meters.

The solution was a clever exploitation of the benefits of advanced composite construction, which allowed significantly more accommodation on the main and upper decks without compromising weight and stability. An ample waterline beam of 8.7 meters enhances seaworthiness and comfort. A relatively deep forefoot allowing a surprising tank deck under the crew area forward trails to a long, comparatively deep 2.4m keel protecting the running gear, which is set in slight tunnels.

The lines of the displacement hull flatten aft for stability and added buoyancy. Able to cruise very quietly at 10 knots and with enough range to cross the Atlantic at 11 knots, the yacht’s 750 kW Caterpillar C32 ACERT engines can deliver top speeds of between 14 to 15 knots thanks to the weight savings of the construction.

This award is sponsored by Clyde & Co.

Madame Kate

Naval Architecture Award - Displacement Motor Yacht Above 500GT winner

Naval Architecture: Amels and Damen Group

Builder: Amels

Pictures can be deceiving when it comes to naval architecture. The Amels Limited Editions 199 Madame Kate presents such a big, bold face to the world that her efficiency numbers were run twice to make sure they were correct.

The magic, of course, resides under water and in the long waterline length that begins with Tim Heywood’s scimitar bow. This innovation from Damen’s Axe Bow commercial concept was developed and tested in partnership with Delft University and the MARIN tow-test facility to provide the owners with a dry, comfortable, stable ride and minimal vertical acceleration.

Two pairs of short bilge keels augment the beam for stability but not at the expense of excessive drag. The yacht measures 1,140 GT and has a full-load displacement of 1,145 metric tons, yet relatively modest 1500kW diesels deliver a top speed of 16 knots. Together with one genset, she consumes 320 litres per hour at 13 knots. Of equal interest is that putting that much volume forward brought about new crew pathways and technical spaces that enhance owner privacy.

This award is sponsored by Fincantieri.

Iron Man

Naval Architecture Award - Semi-displacement Motor Yacht winner

Naval Architecture: Azimut Benetti SpA

Builder: Benetti Shipyard

Benetti’s 38.1m Vivace model _Iron Man _presents an interesting application of azimuthing propulsion in a relatively small motor yacht and an innovative hull designed to transition smoothly from displacement speeds to semi-planing and a sprightly top end of 24.5 knots — two knots faster than predicted.

An 18-month development period of what Azimut Benetti calls its D2P hull utilised CFD to refine every element and appendage, evolving a hull shape with a pair of asymmetrical chines and a wave-piercing bow. Its smooth underwater profile and reduced forward resistance result in a 20 percent higher cruising speed. At 11.5 knots Iron Man burns 100 litres per hour. A weight control budget utilising carbon fibre in the hull resulted in 40 percent less weight when compared to traditional structures. Azimut Benetti chose pod drive propulsion with a forward pulling propeller for increased efficiency and enhanced maneuvering.

The ShowBoats Design Awards judges were also impressed with the efficient design of Palumbo Group’s 40.1-meter motor yacht, Divine, with naval architecture by Hydrotec. This all-aluminum yacht achieved nearly the same efficiency rating as Iron Man, but, it should be noted, with diesel/electric power and traditional shaft propulsion.

This award is sponsored by JFA Yachts.

Nikata

Naval Architecture Award - Sailing Yacht joint winner

Exterior Styling: Nauta Design

Builder: Baltic Yachts

The ShowBoats Design Award judges felt as if they were comparing apples and oranges among the finalists in this category and quickly opted to judge the modern yachts separately.

The owner’s brief for Nikata described a boat to not just enter regattas but to “race successfully”, which we all know means “podium finishes”, a result he experienced with his previous yacht.

To achieve this same performance on a larger boat, Judel/Vrolijk began with what they already know about high performance hulls and then refined it through CFD study to match the owner’s equally important demands for an attractive profile and for comfortable cruising in all sea conditions.

For racing stiffness with realistic harbor draft, Rolf Vrolijk chose a lifting keel with stainless steel fin and lead bulb extending from 3.65 meters in the up position to 5.85 meters in full extension. The sail plan developed with the help of extensive VPP studies led to a bow sprit and a special flat-top main for racing that adds 73 square meters of sail area, both of which are removed for cruising.

The deck is well laid-out for safe and efficient racing with good separation between the helm stations and jib/gennaker sheet winches and the guest seating areas.

This award is sponsored by RINA Services.

Topaz

Naval Architecture Award - Sailing Yacht joint winner

Naval Architecture: Andre Hoek to original lines by Frank Paine

Builder: Holland Jachtbouw

Because redrawing a classic yacht to meet a modern racing rule is a rare task, the jury chose to award a second naval architecture prize to Topaz. J-8, as she is known in her class, is a so-called Super J because of her 88-foot waterline.

She was designed by Frank Paine for the 1937 America’s Cup but never built. Topaz’s owner tracked her plans to MIT in Boston and bought the package. Included in the documents was a hand-drawn lines plan that was neither symmetrical nor fair. From this baseline Andre Hoek re-designed the yacht and rig in 3D, optimized to perform under the current J Class Association handicap system.

Mast position, stability, sail area and hull stiffness were extensively researched and compared with all existing J Class hulls. The hull and deck structure was augmented to take very high runner loads in order to reduce head stay sag.

The yacht’s deck layout suits both top-end racing and easy handling when cruising with good visibility for the helmsman and most importantly direct communication between the trimmers and the helmsman. The main cockpit can accommodate eight people for dining in comfort, something never imagined aboard a J in 1937!

This award is sponsored by RINA Services.

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