Showboats Design Awards 2015: Who is the most beautiful?
Design

Showboats Design Awards 2015: Who is the most beautiful?

The most beautiful, stylish and fashionable yachts of 2014 were awarded in Kitzbuhel.
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At the end of February the Showboats Design Awards 2015 were held in Austria, where the awards were presented to the best examples of yacht design in the adult category - superyachts. We asked the superyacht project manager, Denis Perevoznikov, to write his opinion about the boats he managed to visit.

On February 23 the most prestigious Show Boats Design Awards were presented. The action took place in the fringes of Europe in the backwater town of Kitzbuhel, where the elite of the yachting industry gathered at the local club and awarded prizes, choosing the most beautiful, most stylish and most fashionable in 2014.

The main prize, the golden Neptune, was almost divided among four yachts: motor yachts Grace E, Como and sailing yachts Wisp and WinWin. Each of them in its size received statuettes in all categories: best exterior design, best interior design, best ship architecture. In addition, Grace E received a prize for its contribution to environmental protection. I have been on the first two yachts during the last show in Monaco, so I will give my own opinion about them.

MY COMO

Shipyard: Feadship

Marine Architecture: Dubois Naval Architects

Length - 46.2 m

On my way to this boat, I was looking forward to something special. My imagination was warmed up by advertising texts and verified photographs of the perfect yacht. However, after a few minutes on board I felt a cognitive dissonance. It may sound loud, but «sadness» is the very word with which I associate this boat.

From a technical point of view, everything is done flawlessly.

However, there is no spark of God's wrath or inspiration in the design - after 15 minutes you start yawning and get ready to go.

Separately, I would like to speak about a «unique» engineering achievement, namely the large area of the yacht's glazing. All this is a marketing mix. The glasses are installed overlapping the aluminum structures of the yacht. Thus, it seems that the boat is glass, but in fact, it is not. It's the same. Musashi as of Feadship looks more glass and innovative, even though it reminds me of a greenhouse.

MY GRACE E

Shipyard: Picchiotti - Perini Navi Group

Naval Architecture: Philippe Brand - Vitruvius Yachts

Length - 73 meters.

You expect to see something that logically develops the Vitruvius series started at the masterpiece... Exuma. In the end, we were disappointed again: why on a boat 70+ to implement a standard deck plan, adopted on 47-meter yachts, but at a scale of 1:1,5 - is not clear. But that's not what I was worried about.

I had to get to the engine room, to look at these notorious Azipods that save nature, better than all the «bodies» put together.

I also managed to get the sales director in there Picchiotti and the chief engineer of the yacht. They interrupted each other and praised the system. They say it's just a song: the captain has almost unlimited maneuverability, while the engineer walks around in a white coat and checks the instruments. And to eliminate all the flaws, just a snap of a finger and the service team will instantly grow out of the ground.

I was practically pinned to the ropes and I was ready to sign a contract with them to build a yacht.

But when we talked about the price, it turned out that the system was 10 million more expensive than the classic gross line and rudders. Moreover, the space that had been saved and which could have been used to organize a quality beach club was taken by the electric panel.

I summarize the pros and cons of azipods:

The pros of

- Maneuverability of the boat;

- Easy maintenance;

- Economical;

- Very low noise and vibration levels.

Minuses

- Due to the necessary training, it is not possible to perform a «hot-swapping» of an engineer and a boatman;

- High price tag for new equipment and maintenance;

- No promised space savings in the technical compartment.

To say goodbye, stay tuned!

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