The Young Designer of the Year Award, sponsored by Feadship, celebrates the original concepts of student and trainee yacht designers all over the world. The winner receives critical acclaim in front of an international audience of superyacht owners, designers and industry leaders.
The task
This year, we invite you to step into the shoes of a newly graduated designer working at Feadship. Your assignment is to tackle a bespoke refit project for a very specific client.
The owner, an experienced Feadship explorer yacht client who has spent years hosting scientific missions around the globe, 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.
Their vision is clear. 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.
Your challenge is to transform an existing yacht into this unique, entertainment-focused vessel. With this challenging set of requirements, can you meet the client’s brief?
READ THE TASK IN FULLWho can enter
If you will be 28 years old or under on 1 January 2026, have a deep interest in yacht design, and have never been employed in yacht design for financial reward (excluding living expenses covered during an internship at a shipyard or design studio), then you are eligible to enter.
The Young Designer of the Year Award will be returning to Kitzbühel in 2026 as part of the Superyacht Design Festival on 1-3 February with limited early-bird tickets available. For more information, please email the events team.
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