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Catch up on all the action from the Superyacht Design Festival 2026 in Kitzbühel

3 February 2026 • Written by Holly Margerrison

Bringing you all the action from the slopes...

The Superyacht Design Festival, in association with Metrica, returned to Kitzbühel from 1-3 February 2026, bringing together the best in design, technology and innovation. BOAT International reported live from the conference hall, covering the BOAT Design & Innovation Awards, the BOAT Artistry & Craft Awards and the Young Designer of the Year, plus panels, workshops and social events – not forgetting the famous Ski Cup finale.

This year's festival was made possible thanks to the support of event partners KMF, Feadship, Oliveri, Lürssen, Benetti, ICE International, Videoworks, Sleipner, Ocean Alexander, F/YACHTING, Sherle Wagner, Deo Juvante, MB92 Group and SHADOWCAT, as well as trophy design partner Lasvit.

Check out the action as it happened, below...

Superyacht Design Festival 2026: The Highlights

The Superyacht Design Festival 2026 brought together a diverse lineup of speakers exploring the future of yacht design from multiple perspectives. Keynote speaker and Gen Z consultant Jenk Oz shared insights on the expectations and values shaping next-generation design. Industry legend Henk de Vries reflected on the milestones and lessons from his remarkable career, while Ferrari’s Hypersail team unveiled a groundbreaking new project focused on innovation and bold technological ideas, set to inspire the wider yachting industry.

Elsewhere, Derek Munro, director at Divergent Yachting, introduced an ambitious new nuclear-powered concept, and Mia Sundstrom of the National Institute for Play encouraged designers to rediscover creativity by embracing the mindset of their ten-year-old selves. The programme was rounded out by presentations and panel discussions examining the role of neuroscience and artificial intelligence in the future of yacht design.