A week away from the Designers’ Supper Club
With less than a week to go before the 2015 Monaco Yacht Show commences, we list some of the designs, topics and events coming to the show that we have an eye on including the Designers' Supper Club.…
RWD Auto Tour 2014 (image by Andrew Johansson)
MONACO. The Monaco Yacht Show (MYS) is the ideal platform to explore a wide variety of ideas and innovations developed in the 12 months leading to the show. While the event officially starts on Wednesday 23rd September, festivities begin late afternoon the day before with the arrival of the Redman Whiteley Dixon Auto Tour — a three day event where a group of automotive enthusiasts drive classic or super cars from London to Monaco in time for the big event.
This year will see the Inaugural Gala party take place shortly after on the 22nd September, during which the 2015 MYS Superyacht Awards will be presented. As one of the members of the jury this year, it has been a pleasure to see the quality and standard of work that has been produced by all those who submitted for the awards, and it will be exciting to see these projects at the show.
MYS is the perfect event to present a new product or design and receive rapid feedback from the market. It is also one of the reasons key players such as Feadship wait until the show to present new ideas such as the annual Feadship Future Concept. For those new to this initiative, the thinking behind it is to speculate as to what the next generation of superyacht owner are likely to want. It allows the shipyard’s in-house design team to explore new ideas and innovative technology to create a yacht that pushes the boundaries of the norm.
While finishing touches to project presentations will be taking place in the last few days before the start of the show, there are a few projects I am looking forward to seeing. Among these is the newly launched Quintessence Yachts AM37. To date we’ve seen a number of images to entice interest but the show will see the newcomer present the first model in the flesh. One of the features of the project is a deployable cover that conceals the cockpit of the boat. It is an idea that requires careful thought and engineering.
Quintessence Yachts' AM37
“We plan to use the AM37 as a tender for the Aston Martin guests at the Monaco Yacht Show 2015,” said Mariella Mengozzi, CEO of Quintessence Yachts. “This means that we will not be attending the show as exhibitors, but we will still be able to join the show. The official presentation is planned to take place at a private event a few days earlier.”
A project more closely guarded until the event is a new 60.9m modern sailing yacht design by Hoek Design Naval Architects. While little has been said about the design, founder of the studio Andre Hoek revealed to me that it would include a second deckhouse and cockpit area at the stern – a signature feature, which was incorporated into the design of Elfje, Wisp, Topaz and Atalante. “It is a pretty radical design,” said the designer. In parallel, the team is developing a very high-tech carbon-fibre classic-style sailing yacht of the same size.
Andre Hoek and Ruurt Meulemans (image by Andrew Johansson)
The show will also provide a good opportunity for the community to discuss the recently introduced OCRsy rules — a new superyacht handicapping rule created to make superyacht handicapping at regattas more scientific and fair. It is an interesting development on the regatta scene but will there be any concepts that account for this new rule and what would this look like?
“This is interesting when designing a grand prix yacht; crucially it is also applicable to the more cruising/charter-orientated owner since ORCsy measurement and rating takes into account factors such as the coachroof area, bow thrusters and many other aspects that make a yacht more comfortable to cruise,” said Merfyn Owen at Owen Clarke Design. “Therefore, the owner need not feel that these rules are unduly affecting the yacht’s rated performance when making choices during the design process.”
Whether still on paper or floating in the marina, the Monaco Yacht Show is the occasion to discover the new and appreciate the established. It provides the perfect setting in which to discuss ideas and develop relationships, and with new events such as the Designers’ Supper Club, an evening event taking place on Thursday 24th at The Superyacht Owner’s VIP Lounge, it is easier than ever to share news and ideas for the future.
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