Online Design Challenge Round Two: Each Superyacht in Detail

Vripack named their winning concept 'Sweet Child' after the Guns N' Roses hit Sweet Child O' Mine which provided the soundtrack to their sketching. Vripack co-creative director Marnix Hoekstra talks about the inspiration behind the split-level design...

How challenging did you find the brief?

What do you want me to say?! I mean, you’ve got submarines and hydrogen and fitness centres… your readers are a proper intersection of the average customer. We’ve really enjoyed working on this together with the team. We’ve actually been doing more and more sailboats recently, and it’s so interesting to do design wise.

What was the starting point?

It was very much the fact that owners have been asking us for sailboats with better water access. You can’t design it like a motor yacht, it’s a different beast. We wanted to create some areas of privacy, but at the same time proper social spaces, and very safe areas on board to cross the ocean – that’s why we started with the split level idea. On the back of the boat you’ll see a pretty low owner's deck, an owner access area that leads to these origami opening glass doors, and then on top of that is a centre cockpit with the steering position in the back, so when you do long crossings that’s a very safe, high, nice position to be in. We’ve lengthened all of the windows so you’re out of the wind, out of the waves, and then the owner's deck that has the black fly personal drone landing, because, obviously we don’t do helicopters anymore.

What are some of the standout details?

You can see them on the 3D sketch. Solar sails are so 2019, so we don’t do that anymore, we do perouskite solar which is a new breed of printable solar. It has a very high efficiency, the current sails would be maybe 20% efficient, these would go beyond 40%, maybe even 50%, so they’re the sails you want. I’ve mentioned the black fly personal drone landing, and that ticks a massive amount of boxes, because with that we don’t need a heli-hanger, we don’t need a crow’s nest. You step on your personal drone, and you can remotely sail your boat from that – it’s a must have.

How did you incorporate Guns N' Roses into the design?

By playing 'Sweet Child of Mine' at max volume on the stereo the whole time we were drawing! I’m pretty anti-violence, so I’ve neglected the gun part, and kept it on Sweet Child, which Bart and I found much more soothing, more in keeping with a beautiful, peaceful sailboat.

Taking inspiration from his classic Royal Huisman, Frank Neubelt's 55 metre concept is a simple to sail superyacht with a single-handed, push button and hybrid sail system.

How challenging did you find the brief?

The brief was an exciting challenge: to create a future sailing superyacht. Today, we have the advantage of proven technologies with regard to power and hotel systems, as well as innovative materials such as carbon composite, light high-strength AluStar alloy and malleable glass. I appreciated the competition’s brief within the 40-60 metre range since midsize is actually trendier for several reasons, including the smaller number of crew required, easier handling and lower yearly running costs (compared to a 60 metre-plus).

What was the starting point?

I challenged myself to come up with 55 metre concept, Flow 55, focusing on a characterful style –a signature look that could be recognised when sailing or moored, something to excite the owner, their friends and yachting enthusiasts. The elegant lines are designed to indicate excellence in performance and quality at first sight.

The design was partly inspired by the sheer and lines of our 50-year-old family classic, a 45-foot Royal Huisman by the famous designer Alan Gurney: an elegant flybridge performance cruiser. Flow 55 would offer a balance of sail performance and smooth seagoing behaviour, with a classic transom. The result is a real “family and friends” sailing cruiser.

What are some of the standout details?

An infinity pool, on the foredeck, which can also be used as storage; hull windows with a special Jalousie window system offers the option of under- or above-water views; and a single-handed, push button, hybrid sail system means low crew handling is required.

The main deckhouse opens into a saloon, while stairs from the central lobby lead down to the two twin and two VIP guest cabins on the lower deck. The master cabin lies on the main deck. The upper deck is the real saloon deck, including inside and outside dining, and a separate wheelhouse forward, under a full glass roof.

The exterior style is underlined by lowering the superstructure, which offers tender storage on the main aft deck, serviced by hidden cranes integrated into the sides of the flydeck roof. The design would be emphasised by a hull in very dark blue or a dark anthracite metallic tone.

All this is dictated by the long and well-balanced waterline and by the soft aft outline, designed for seaworthy sailing on aft-rolling seas and in high winds. Long “Scheel” keel fins with a carbon-fibre swing-out centerboard provide a draft range of three to eight metres.

How did you incorporate Guns N’ Roses into the design?

It relates to the spirit of the boat, the performance of animated sailing.

President of Facheris Design, Patrizio Facheris, created a an angular 60 metre design featuring extensive use of glass with a forward facing glass bow and a glass roof...

How challenging did you find the brief?

Very challenging because I don’t remember the last time I worked on a sailing yacht.

What was the starting point?

Rough sketch over preliminary platform, internet research on shapes and trends in cars, architecture and yachts, basic longitudinal, and Guns N' Roses music.

What are some of the standout details?

I believe it is the amount of glass.

How did you incorporate Guns N' Roses into the design?

I tried different ideas like integrating a guitar shape into the mast and a guitar shaped window, but I found quickly this idea to be very tacky. I integrated the rose on the side as graphic and the music note into the sail and gun into the mast.

Ivan Erdevicki opted for 56 metre aluminium sloop with a self-rotating carbon fibre rig...

How challenging did you find the brief?

It is always challenging to provide a new design idea in such short deadline that also looks attractive, and makes sense and can actually work. But for me somehow it went smoothly, as I have so many ideas that come out of me easily.

What was the starting point?

The starting point was to design a yacht that I would like to have for myself with features and a look that I like personally. It is sleek and sexy, but powerful and very elegant in the same time.

What are some of the standout details?

More than a few features stand out, and some are unique, such as: double foil type keel that I have devised years ago as a “Erdevicki Keel”, and that has been built on actual boats, and that work like a “charm”. This keel allows very low draft with great upwind performance and exceptional stability. Then the boat has flared hull topsides around deck house area integrated and compensating “reverse” lowered type sheer line which provides dry boat aft in the cockpit when sailing, but also great visibility from the deck house in the same time.

Then we have self-rotating carbon fibre aero-rig type mast styled to fit the overall boat design, extremely convenient and practical to use with great efficiency. There is also integrated knuckle/chine type style line at the bow portion of the hull topsides for water deflection and thus lowering frictional resistance of the uprising water around the hull when sailing.

Obviously reverse bow stem provides maximum extended waterline length for maximum speeds in displacement sailing mode. The rudders, not shown here, would be lifting - “cassette” type carbon fibre dagger-board rudders in the rotating drums for better control and efficiency while sailing, lowering frictional resistance by hydraulically lifting one rudder out of the water when needed. The  Propeller would also lift into the hull while sailing, additionally dramatically improving sailing speed resistance…

How did you incorporate Guns N' Roses into the design?

Love Guns N' Roses ! The boat looks a bit “outlaw” - it looks unstoppable on its way to reach the horizon and freedom of life!