Superyacht Design Symposium - Day 2

The future of superyacht design and technology was a focus of several of the Symposium sessions on Day 2. Michael Eaglen of High Modulus and Jay Miner of Delta Marine conducted a "myth-busting" session in defense of building large yachts in composite materials. Calling steel "the metal of the Industrial Revolution," Eaglen declared, "You all know that composites are the future, but something is holding you back."

If there was one thing everyone attending the Superyacht Design Symposium agreed upon, it was that yachts of the future will have to be "greener". Naval Architect Ed Dubois and Jan Bokxem of Royal Huisman Shipyard gave attendees an inside look at the alternative solutions they evaluated in developing the new Ethereal project for an owner whose brief was to build a truly environmentally friendly yacht that is not dependent on fossil fuels. "The rule was that there were no rules," Bokxem said. "Our instructions were that we had to think outside the box."

Dubois hit the nail on the head when he remarked to his fellow yacht designers in the room, including Philippe Briand, Martin Francis, Ron Holland and Bill Tripp: "Our job has changed beyond all recognition from the days when we were trying to win the Admiral's Cup."

The fact that passionate yacht owners are driving the future of superyacht technology was abundantly clear from the day's presentations and the conversations taking place during networking sessions held over coffee and luncheon in the Harold Pratt House, the Symposium's elegant venue. "I think the owners are getting new ideas and confirming their own ideas with owners who are doing much the same thing. And they are talking with the industry about what they think is important," said Roger Lean-Vercoe, chairman of the Superyacht Design Symposium and Superyacht Editor for Boat International Media, which hosted the event. "We look forward to providing many more forums like this one in future."