YACHTING DESIGN TRENDS: PAST BECOMES PRESENT AND PRESENT BECOMES FUTURE
We spoke with Sam Laurie at One Menagerie to gain his valuable and experienced insight in to the world of yacht design.
Before co-founding multidisciplinary creative brand studio, One Menagerie in 2015, Sam worked for G.L. Watson, the world’s oldest yacht design studio where he spent five years as part of the owner’s team overseeing the restoration of 91m yacht Nahlin at Blohm + Voss Shipyard.
Image Credit - Oceanco
“Yachting has always been a catalyst for design innovation with the ultimate expression being new build commissions. From futuristic exterior design concepts to new lifestyle amenities and ground-breaking technology, often what’s imagined for an individual owner later paves the way for new trends in the industry. Here’s what to look out for in 2021 and beyond.”
Image Credit - Beken of Cowes
“Timeless design is a much-debated subject. Designers often seek the potent mix of past and present to create designs that can defy time and trends. In the yachting world, the name Riva has been synonymous with timeless elegance since 1842. The new 88’ Folglore Sportfly Series seeks to continue this tradition. Innovative materials like carbon are paired with mahogany inlay and decorative steel, giving rise to a magnetic allure that reinterprets the brand for modern times.”
“Superyachts are getting bigger and going further. The 100m-club is growing and there are 64 explorer yachts currently in build or on order. With modern owners spending more time on board, superyacht designers are pushing the boundaries of imagination to meet the demands for out-of-this-world resort-style amenities with wellness a particular focus. The world’s largest charter yacht, 136m Flying Fox comes complete with a two-deck wellness centre, Benetti’s recent 107m Luminosity boasts an enormous beach club, wellness spa with juice bar and digital glass ‘forest’ with swaying branches as guests ascend all five decks; meanwhile 120m yacht concept, Nature features a state-of-the-art climate controlled interior garden with adjustable mood and lighting settings.”
“As one of the most beautiful forms that exists, yachts are also a constant source of inspiration for other industries. In June 2021, Rolls-Royce Motor Cars launched its highly anticipated new Coachbuild commission, Boat Tail, with the J Class Yacht acting as “spiritual guidance” for the project. A modern reinterpretation of the Boat Tail body style from the later 1920’s, the J Class inspired new levels of simplicity with its form. The rear body is finished with a wooden veneer, inlaid with polished stainless-steel pinstripes. In Boat Tail, Rolls-Royce masterfully tells a story of the past, present and future.”
