Yacht design innovation: breaking the mould

Ocean Pearl © Ellie Brade

In a fleet of over 5,000 superyachts, the numbers of yachts that are instantly recognisable are small. Traditional and practical designs reign supreme, but occasionally a yacht will come along that breaks all the boundaries.

Take the Maltese Falcon, Yas, S/Y A, M/Y A, Ocean Pearl, Black Pearl, Venus, Nero and Adastra - to name but a few. Love them or hate them, there is no doubt that they play an important role in demonstrating the capabilities of design innovation and, in their own way, have an effect on the overall evolution of superyacht design processes. Whether by directly influencing other designs, pushing design constraints to their limits and forcing innovation or simply sparking the imagination, these designs should be celebrated.

But how possible is it for innovation in superyacht designs to take place? Superyacht design is constantly evolving; with imagination and a willing owner, almost anything is possible within operational and safety constraints. That said, the creation of an innovative build will almost always come down to the owner, how much freedom they give the designer, and their willingness to do things differently. "Good projects come from good and demanding clients, and in the case of ECO, [her owner] Emilio Azcárraga was both," says designer Martin Francis. With many owners aware that to build something 'out there' is a risky process, often impacting resale potential and inviting perhaps controversial opinions, playing it safe is often the more appealing route. "Very few owners are looking for innovation, I assume because of the risks that are inevitably involved," says Francis.

While building an iconic yacht is not for everyone, these yachts undoubtedly have had an important influence on superyacht design as a whole, with many people growing to love yachts they might initially have considered controversial. "This has been the case with Skat... People who didn't like her at the time like her today, over time they've grown more comfortable with the design and they now like it," says Espen Oeino. "What was initially considered an ugly duckling yacht has now become iconic, so perhaps iconic yachts do inspire others."

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