For the third round of the BOAT International Online Design Challenge, held in collaboration with Vedder, three design studios - coquine![design], Uros Pavasovic and VOM Creations - were tasked with designing a Mission Impossible-inspired explorer yacht tough enough to take on the North-East Passage. The requirements were:
- Length: 40-60m
- Bow: Plumb
- Must-have feature: Hydrogen power
- Design inspiration: Mission Impossible
The designs were then voted on by BOAT International readers and the results are in...
The Winning Design
VOM Creations
The winning studio, VOM Creations, began the challenge by re-watching Mission Impossible in search of inspiration. Their concept, suitably named Mr Hunt, is a 55 metre explorer designed for Arctic cruising, taking its inspiration from both Mission Impossible as well as the SS Vega, the first yacht to voyage through the North-East Passage.
Design features include a solar panelled roof paired with hydrogen propulsion, perfect for any eco-minded owner, as well a sauna, library and a bar for kicking back after a day of polar exploration.
"Imagine Tom Cruise as Ethan Hunt, hanging over a cliff, flying a helicopter or holding his breath underwater. In these movie scenes he finds himself in amazing places, yet he has no time to enjoy the scenery due to the dangerous situation he is in. The situation is not much different when crossing the North-East Passage – but our Mr Hunt explorer can handle it," said Sanda Kodele, VOM Creations.
Runners-Up
A special mention goes out to Uros Pavasovic who came a close second with his spy-worthy explorer concept, complete with a crow's nest command centre as well as observation pods and sketches for not just one but two amphibious vehicles. "The starting point was to create a robust but still sleek looking explorer yacht filled with hi-tech gadgets worthy of a secret agent," he said.
Recognition must also be given to coquine! [design] for their explorer concept Tom - a nod to Mission Impossible star Tom Cruise - which comes equipped with "more features than a swiss army knife."
Nicolas Held, managing director of Vedder, said: “Today’s original ideas and futuristic visions of designers call for an increasingly greater range of expertise. We, as an interior outfitter, are privileged to support the design team in order to turn their and the owner’s vision into reality."