A superyacht is nothing without a passionate owner, and so it stands to reason that superyacht design will change as the type of owners getting into the industry also changes. At this year’s Superyacht Design Symposium, we spoke to four key industry figures to get their views on how owners' tastes and lifestyles are affecting the type of designs that are being built:
“I think in the future, owners will start using their yacht in different ways,” predicts Rose Damen of Amels. “What we see is that owners really want more adventure and that will be an important factor in determining the future of superyacht design.”
Michele Gavino, general manager of Baglietto, reveals that over the past year the majority of owners are asking for a limited draught so that they can cruise in shallow waters. He adds that there is an increasing awareness of the environmental impact that yachting can have while, for Mario Pedol, founder of Nauta Design, owners’ evolving lifestyles are driving a stronger emphasis on the relationship between the yacht and the environment around it.
When asked what is influencing yacht design, Ewa Eidsgaard of Eidsgaard Design said, “I think it’s probably the changing demographics of the clients. The younger they are, the more different their lifestyles are, and that is ultimately what is going to drive us because we respond to a brief.”
The evolving nature of superyacht owners’ lifestyles and the effect that this is having on design is just one of the key issues that is tackled in Futureyachts, the new bookazine from Boat International Media, which is out today (April 27).