The Young Designer of the Year Award celebrates the original concepts of student and trainee yacht designers from around the globe. Sponsored by Feadship, this highly regarded award tasks young designers with a realistic client request to challenge their ideas, technical ability and aptitude for delivery. The brief is set to provide valuable and authentic insight into the reality of working as a designer within the superyacht industry.
Nominations for the Young Designer of the Year Award are now open until 16 November 2026.
ENTER NOWThe task
Each year entrants are tasked with a realistic client request to challenge their ideas, technical ability and aptitude for delivery.
The full task will be shared along with supporting materials and the general arrangements at the end of May. In the meantime, the brief involves designing a fully customised 65-metre catamaran motor yacht for two young families — twin brothers, their wives, and six children — who will use the vessel primarily as a shared holiday home.
The design must prioritise practicality, beauty, and a strong connection between indoor and outdoor living, while supporting an active, sport-focused lifestyle centred on water activities. The families value simplicity over opulence, preferring a “beach house” feel, and have specific rules such as no noisy motorised water toys and no personal screens, aside from a communal cinema setup. The layout must be flexible to accommodate future needs as the children grow, while also enabling shared family experiences, efficient movement, and ample storage for equipment.
Crucially, the design should challenge traditional yacht layouts by fully exploiting the advantages of a catamaran, delivering an original, elegant solution that reflects how the families will actually live onboard.
The entry requirements
The Young Designer of the Year Award 2027 is open to designers who will be 28 years old or younger on 1 January 2027. Entrants must not have been employed for more than living expenses in a yacht design studio.
Read More/The entry requirements of the Young Designer of the Year Award 2027The judges
The Young Designer of the Year Award is judged by a panel consisting of internationally known yacht designers. This year, entrants were reviewed by representatives from the likes of Winch Design, Reymond Langton Design and Harrison Eidsgaard.
Read More/Meet the judges of the Young Designer of the Year Award 2027The prize
The winner of the Young Designer of the Year Award 2027 will be offered an internship at Feadship as well as a cash prize of €3,000.
This year, successful finalists will be invited to Feadship’s design office, Studio De Voogt, in the Netherlands, with all expenses paid (including travel and accommodation).
The winner of the Young Designer of the Year Award will be announced at the Superyacht Design Festival 2027. For more information, please email the events team.
Read More/Finn Lortan wins Young Designer of the Year Award 2026