Boat International Design & Innovation Awards 2018 Winners Announced

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.

Jubilee

Length: 110m

Exterior styling: Lobanov

Naval Architect: Azure Naval Architects/Oceanco

Builder: Oceanco

Once in a blue moon is a phrase that acknowledges something of rare occurrence, and with the plentiful entries in the motor yacht exteriors category, the judges were not looking for the merely beautiful, they sought what is extraordinary and innovative. Igor Lobanov’s cerebral design for Jubilee delivers on all counts. The trompe l’oeil treatment of deck perimeters engages both the senses and curiosity with imaginative glazing that calls into question the true number of decks above main. But it is Lobanov’s vision for seeing Jubilee from the sky as an island and the undulating patterns of light and shadow created by her curvaceous deck shapes and long flattening overhangs that make this yacht breathtaking and unique. The surprising reversed metallic blue and white paint scheme is also appreciated for its freshness and for keeping the visual height of the profile in check. The innovation of seamless exterior deck overheads and continuous LED strip lighting are significant. Finally, the judges believe this styling – even with its debated sharp step in the forward sheerline – while innovative today will “age beautifully”, making Jubilee the sort of design that comes along "once in a blue moon".

Ngoni

Length: 58.2m

Exterior stylst: Dubois Naval Architects

Naval architect: Dubois Naval Architects

Builder: Royal Huisman

The final project from the team at Dubois Naval Architects, Ngoni’s exterior styling shows the impressive results of pushing builders and glass manufacturers to the limit in pursuit of beauty, aerodynamics, and blurring exterior and interior environments. The effort to bend glass to the designer’s will that began with the substantially larger and deeper Aglaia (now Anatta) launched in 2012 sees its zenith with Ngoni showing proportionately more glass in the deckhouse, skylights and hullsides. The profile of the boat from plumb bow to open stern is low and exciting and accented by the fact the sheer is inflected to add stiffness to the hull. The foredeck contains a large spa tub that can be sheltered by a modern version of an Arabian tent. The indoor/outdoor lounge aft of the saloon offers a perfect spot for outdoor living underway or at anchor and the stepped stern with its raised sunbed creates a useful and unique experience. Showing that size isn’t everything, finishing just two points behind was the smallest of the finalists, 32.5 metre Ribelle, whose lovely profile, glass deckhouse and waterfall transom are by Malcolm McKeon.

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.

Razan

Length: 47m

Interior designer: H2 Yacht Design

Naval architect: Camuzzi Engineering

Builder: Turquoise Yachts

For the first yacht issued after a change in the majority ownership of the yard, Turquoise Yachts had something to prove. To shorten delivery time, this vessel was purchased mid-build as a bare hull and superstructure and brought to Turquoise for total rethinking, including upping the guest accommodation with an additional stateroom and Pullman berths. British-based H2 Yacht Design was tasked to deliver a balance between wow factor and wide market appeal, a challenge our judges felt they  met with flair. The ability of H2’s designers and the yard to deliver a sense of spaciousness within a fixed envelope is noteworthy with recessed ceilings featuring undulating gloss panels, while mother-of-pearl, Swarovski crystals and polished stainless surfaces reflect light. Low furniture and window seats preserve views through enlarged windows and reduced mullions, while smart architecture, floating  furniture and hidden lighting makes rooms appear larger. Knowing the yard’s capability with stone, H2 emphasised this feature to great effect, especially in the lightly veined Turkish ivory marble central staircase. Obviously in full agreement with our judges, new owners purchased this vessel shortly after her debut appearance.

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”.

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.

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.

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.

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.