Video: What makes a great sailing superyacht?

11 May 2017 • Written by Chris Jefferies

Sailing superyachts come in many different shapes and sizes, from beamy trimarans to sleek and speedy sloops, but what constitutes the ideal design will vary from owner to owner.

At this year’s Superyacht Design Symposium, we spoke to four key industry insiders to get their take on what makes a great sailing superyacht.

Mario Pedol, founder of Nauta Design, argues that there are three key aspects that make a great sailing yacht: “Performance, reliability and aesthetics.”

Combining different elements is also a key factor for Leonardo Ferragamo, group executive chairman of Nautor’s Swan. He concurs with Pedol that performance and reliability are important, but adds that a great sailing yacht should be elegant as well.

“To make a great sailing yacht, first of all you have to understand what the owner would like to do with his boat,” explains Luca Bassani, founder and president of Wally. “A sailing yacht is great for the owner, but not for everybody else.”

The owner is also the key to judging a great yacht, according to serial yacht owner Bill Duker, who says: “There is only one measure of a sailing yacht — the length of the owner’s smile.”

Sybaris, Svea and Creole, three very different takes on the sailing superyacht, are all featured in the June sailing edition of Boat International, which is out today (May 11).

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