BOAT International is delighted to announce the finalists for the Young Designer of the Year Award 2026, sponsored by Feadship. The award showcases the ingenuity and foresight of aspiring yacht designers and students worldwide, challenging them with a rigorous brief that assesses their technical prowess and delivery capabilities.
For the 2026 award, entrants were tasked with envisioning themselves as a recent graduate working at Feadship. The challenge was to design a yacht for an experienced Feadship explorer yacht client who has spent years hosting scientific missions around the globe but is now turning their attention to the Mediterranean. Rather than commissioning a new build, they’re looking to repurpose an existing yacht - delivered faster, but tailored with the same level of excellence and imagination.
The new yacht, to be named Amiche (Italian for “friends”), will serve as a floating social hub for day trips and relaxed coastal cruising. It must be optimised for entertaining large groups of friends while also offering an intimate setting for occasional voyages with just their husband. They don’t want something conventional - Amiche should reflect how they truly spend time on board.
Following a thorough evaluation of the submissions, which included an incredible variety of entries from all over the world, the judges of the Young Designer of the Year Award have identified six finalists.
Arturo Carbajal Alvarez
Nationality: Mexican
Education: Politecnico di Milano
Configured across four decks, the designer places the master suite on the bridge deck aft, granting direct access to an expansive terrace for private open-air living. The main deck is tailored for grand entertaining, featuring a 20-seat dining table alongside a generous lounge. The lower deck is dedicated to wellness, with a comprehensive spa that includes a wellness lounge, yoga room, hammam, sauna and fully equipped gym. At the waterline, the beach club opens onto the swim platform through the transom for close connection to the sea.
At the centre of the wellness lounge, a sculptural pendulum is suspended above a shallow sand basin. As the yacht moves gently with the motion of the waves, the pendulum traces evolving patterns across the sand, creating a dynamic and meditative visual experience that "reflects the natural rhythm of the sea".
Arthur Colle
Nationality: Belgian
Education: IED Torino
Guided by a "reuse-first approach", this refit project preserves what truly matters, upgrading only where it brings clear performance gains. By reducing waste and prioritising substance over novelty, it delivers a future-ready vessel that remains faithful to its origins.
Wherever possible, the original hull is preserved to honour the yacht’s heritage, while the enclosed sundeck is removed to streamline the superstructure, reduce weight and create a private owner’s area. Structural changes are deliberately restrained: the stern is subtly reshaped and the bow raised using lightweight PE-foam composite elements. Key functional spaces, including the emergency generator room and wing stations, are relocated or added to meet RINA requirements, optimising the layout, maintaining stability and ensuring full regulatory compliance. This low-impact approach minimises demolition, reduces rebuild complexity and accelerates the construction schedule. Propulsion is upgraded with compact 12-cylinder engines prepared for future green methanol, supported by a battery pack that enables quiet, low-emission operation in Mediterranean waters.
Abhishek Dama
Nationality: Indian
Education: IED Torino
The yacht's exterior takes inspiration from the precision of a tailored three-piece suit, with meticulously crafted entertainment spaces. Reflecting the owner’s flair for effortless hospitality, every deck invites conversation, celebration and connection.
The main saloon is a welcoming hub for entertaining. Bathed in natural light, it frames panoramic vistas through expansive glazing. It is the perfect setting for aperitifs, relaxation and intimate socialising. In the spa, clean teak-and-marble detailing cultivates a calm, restorative atmosphere, while a biophilic glass installation draws the natural world indoors to deepen the sense of tranquillity. Thoughtfully lowered exterior bulwarks create uninterrupted sightlines, forging a visual connection between the open decks and the interior, and amplifying the yacht’s feeling of openness.
Finn Lortan
Nationality: South African
Education: Coventry University
The designer has opted for a superstructure with sweeping curves, counterpointed by crisp geometric glazing that sharpens the yacht’s silhouette. An overhanging upper deck integrates a helipad, while the foredeck is raised on a pointed bow to unlock uninterrupted, panoramic views.
Unusually, the master suite is positioned on the sundeck, imparting a penthouse-like ambience with sweeping, wraparound views. Versatility is woven into the layout, with a family room that converts into an entertainment lounge. Comfort is further elevated by an innovative rotation beam: a gyro-stabilised frame that allows the master suite to maintain a level orientation, ensuring constant stability and minimising roll at sea.
Simone Pessina
Nationality: Italian
Education: Politecnico di Milano
On this design, openable side terraces blur the boundary between interior and sea, while a lower-deck master suite enjoys a private flow directly to the spa and beach club. The main deck aft remains open and generous, and the main saloon is framed by floor-to-ceiling windows on both sides, flooding the space with light and uninterrupted views.
Continuous walk-around decks enhance circulation and conviviality. In the bow on the main deck, a distinctive, open-sided lounge becomes a vibrant party zone with a dedicated DJ set.
Jeremi Roland
Nationality: French
Education: Politecnico di Milano
A notable feature of this design includes relocating the two tenders to the lower deck, allowing the ship’s office to shift to port and freeing space for a well-appointed pantry and a versatile, multi-purpose guest room. The result is a more efficient, guest-focused layout that enhances service flow and flexibility.
On the upper deck, an exclusive retreat sets the stage for relaxed socialising with up to 20 guests. A modern, symmetrical arrangement features fixed sofas that transform into sunbeds while aft, a welcoming fire pit forms an intimate focal point for 10. A Jacuzzi completes this floating oasis, and the design plays with crisp lines and material contrasts to balance aesthetics and functionality for a luxury experience.
The winner of the Young Designer of the Year Award will be announced at the annual Superyacht Design Festival in Kitzbühel on 1-3 February 2026 - a limited number of tickets are still on sale. For more information on the Young Designer of the Year Award, please contact the BOAT International events team.
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