SYD Week: Luxury brand royalty imparts knowledge

Over two brainstorm sessions held on the afternoon of day two at SuperyachtDESIGN Week, Bentley's Peter Cullum-Kenyon, Robert McFarlane of McFarlane Ship Design and Hugo van Wieringen of Azure Naval Architects discussed the process and issues of paint and trim detailing, and the possible technology, control systems and material alternatives for the superyacht industry.

In the first brainstorm session of the day, Cullum-Kenyon explained how his team worked, and explored the similarities between the luxury automotive and superyacht industries, comparing notes with the 40-plus in attendance.


Highlighting some of the points raised in the previous session on the Reality of Colour and Managing Expectations, the manager for colour and trim at Bentley detailed the challenges of applying matt and satin finishes and the issues related to using vinyl wraps. With plans underway for the launch of the first Bentley SUV, Cullum-Kenyon revealed how his team research new materials and ideas while staying true to Bentley's DNA.

"Unfortunately time is always a factor and so in actual practice, we spend about 10 per cent of our time looking for new innovative materials and ideas, and 90 per cent making the project happen," explained Cullum-Kenyon.

McFarlane and van Wieringen touched on a number of aspects relating to efficiency and the 'greener' alternatives. From the advancements in LED lighting, to more practical solutions in reducing hotel loads by implementing better management systems and designing cabins that receive more natural light.

"Half the fuel used on yachts is burnt powering hotel loads, 25 to 30 per cent of which is on air-conditioning," explained van Wieringen. "The other half is used on navigation."

Drawing on his experience in commercial shipping, McFarlane discussed the lessons the industry could learn and touched on the developments in propulsion systems and the validity of LNG and hydrogen systems.

Questions from the floor included how we could apply an efficiency index and the opportunities of alternative materials such as bamboo.

---

Click here to become part of The Superyacht Group community, and join us in our mission to make this industry accessible to all, and prosperous for the long-term. We are offering access to the superyacht industry’s most comprehensive and longstanding archive of business-critical information, as well as a comprehensive, real-time superyacht fleet database, for just £10 per month, because we are One Industry with One Mission. Sign up here.