At last month’s Monaco Yacht Show, BOAT International and Feadship once again welcomed the next generation of yacht designers to the Feadship VIP Lounge for the annual Young Designer Networking Breakfast. The event brought together entrants of the 2026 Young Designer of the Year Award for a morning of inspiration and networking and with fellow competition entrants, members of the judging panel and Feadship’s own design team.
The Young Designer of the Year Award celebrates original yacht concepts from students around the globe. The winner will be announced during the Design & Innovation Awards ceremony at the Superyacht Design Festival in February 2026, earning international recognition in front of superyacht owners, leading designers and industry figures.
As the official sponsor of the award, Feadship is committed to nurturing new talent and providing aspiring designers with meaningful opportunities to launch their careers. Over coffee and a buffet breakfast, attendees had the chance to discuss the 2026 award task. This year’s brief challenges entrants to step into the shoes of a newly hired Feadship designer, tasked with envisioning a yacht for the owner of an existing Feadship explorer vessel - this time designed specifically for Mediterranean cruising.
“You are the future of yacht design”
Guests were welcomed by Tanno Weeda, judge and head of design at Feadship, who addressed the young designers alongside Roger Lean-Vercoe, chairman of the Young Designer of the Year judging panel. “Thank you all very much for joining us. It’s fantastic to have you here,” said Weeda. “I see some familiar faces, and also a lot of new ones – and that’s exactly why we’re doing this: you are the future of yacht design.”
Lean-Vercoe encouraged the attendees to seize the opportunity to speak directly with judges and gain insights that could shape their entries. He also reflected on how shifting technologies are driving new approaches to both interior and exterior layouts, referencing Feadship’s recent advancements in green power and how these will influence future yachts. “This year’s task is designed to make you think differently,” he said. “We’re entering an era of radical change in yacht design – new propulsion systems, new power sources, evolving client expectations – all of which affect design profoundly. You can’t just follow the templates of the past 15 years.”
After breakfast, attendees collected their complimentary day passes to the Monaco Yacht Show and made their way to Feadship’s 65-metre Wedge Too, built in 2002 and still turning heads with its original Philippe Starck interior. The yacht served as a fitting source of inspiration to the young designers as an example of original thinking that has stood the test of time.
To find out more information about the Young Designer of the Year Award, please contact the BOAT International events team.