Boat International Design & Innovation Awards 2018 Winners Announced

Best Exterior Styling - Motor Yachts 45m and Above Winner

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".

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 Ecological Design and Operation Innovation

Home

Length: 50m

Builder: Heesen Yachts

Naval architect: Van Oossanen/Heesen Yachts

Exterior stylist: Omega Architects

Interior designer: Cristiano Gatto Design

Just three teams were brave enough to submit projects for scrutiny in this new category seeking significant investment in design, equipment and operational procedures to reduce environmental impact. Diesel-electric hybrids are today’s most widespread environmentally friendly propulsion solution, but even this is evolving with differences in application from yacht to yacht. For a project that began on speculation by the builder, the Heesen brief was for low- and mid-speed efficiency with top priority on quiet and comfort. Sharing both its decision matrix and performance results, the yacht now known as Home combines aluminium construction and a Fast Displacement Hull Form with relatively small 840hp main engines. Two-speed diesel generators powering electric shaft motors deliver low speed cruising at 9 knots, burning just 45 litres per hour in electric mode while producing only 46dB of noise in the owner’s stateroom. The mains coupled to shaft generators can push her to 16.3 knots while still powering the house load without requiring a separate generator. While this yacht does not offer “silent mode” operation on batteries, the power train is future-proofed for this quieter option.

Best Lifestyle Feature Design

Aviva

Length: 98.4m

Lifestyle feature: Padel Tennis Court

Interior designer: Reymond Langton Design

Naval architect: Abeking & Rasmussen

Exterior stylist: Reymond Langton Design/Toby Silverton

Builder: Abeking & Rasmussen

Two of the finalists admit that the entire yacht project was driven by the desire to maximise a single activity space. While both are spectacular, one required so much research, engineering and innovation that it claimed top prize. Consider the issues of building a permanent, professional padel tennis court measuring 10m x 20m x 6.65m inside a yacht without detracting from the profile or other indoor areas. From prescribed flooring and side walls for proper bounce and regulation artificial turf including the two tons of special sand that keep it springy, to sound deadening, HVAC, damaged stability and evacuation concerns, this is a major undertaking. With such a special space, no ordinary access would do so an undulating grand staircase delivers guests from a main deck lobby two decks below to this surprising luxury sports hall.

The Judges’ Commendation Award

Seasense began as a concept sketch based on the designer’s perception that yachts have disproportionate indoor space. For an owner seeking a yacht with a big pool deck, it was the perfect start. Complete with privacy/wind/sun screens and  a misting system and located next to a full open dining room, the judges felt this pool deck deserved recognition.

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