Boat Builder Awards 2022 to celebrate the vital role of design teams

This year’s Boat Builder Awards for Business Achievement, organised by IBI and METSTRADE in association with Raymarine, will celebrate the critically important work of internal and external design teams for the first time this year.

The Boat Builder Awards have consistently highlighted the development of exciting new features through the Innovative On-board Design Solution category, sponsored once again this year by Fusion. This award was jointly won in 2021 by two stunning examples of designers thinking outside of the norm – Candella Technology’s C-7 and C-8 electric hydrofoils and Sunseeker International’s 65 Sport Yacht SkyHelm. However, for the first time ever, internal design teams and the external design partners of boat and superyacht builders will be recognised for the important roles that they perform in the realisation of any new yacht, from concept to launch and beyond.

The Boat Builder Awards Designer of the Year category is open to designers working for boat builders and independent design houses. It seeks to highlight the notable achievement of a designer or design team on one or more naval architecture, design or interior design projects. It is a deliberately broad canvas to attract entries that celebrate the incredible capabilities of boat and superyacht designers working right across the marine leisure sector.

Reflecting on the decision to launch this category, IBI Editor and Chair of the Boat Builder Awards judges, Ed Slack, said: “There have been remarkable changes in boat and interior designs over recent years, leading to much improved experiences for the industry’s customers. The demands placed on designers these days are many, from improving accessibility and performance, delivering world class aesthetics, and integrating an ever-increasing number of materials, to enabling production efficiencies and reducing environmental impact. The skills, talents and resources of design teams have improved exponentially to keep up with this demand and it is only right that we should celebrate their achievements in Amsterdam this year.”

Responding to the announcement, Justin Olesinski, Managing Director of the Olesinski design studio in Cowes, UK, said: “Naval architects, designers and structural engineers are an integral part of every boat and superyacht project that is launched, bringing innovation, beauty and continually developing new and exciting designs. It is fantastic for design teams like ours to have the opportunity of being recognised in this way and a privilege to be included in the Boat Builder Awards through the launch of this new Designer of the Year category.”

The Boat Builder Awards is free to enter, with the online nomination form open online until 2 September 2022. To nominate for the Boat Builder Awards Designer of the Year or the Innovative On-board Design Solution award fill in the entry form online here.

The winners will be announced at a gala dinner in the spectacular surroundings of Amsterdam’s National Maritime Museum on the evening of Tuesday 15 November 2022 at the end of the first day of METSTRADE. See Boatbuilderawards.com for further information.

Sponsorship opportunities for the Designer of the Year award are available – please contact Philip Pereira – Philip@ibiplus.co.uk – for more information.