Looking at overall historical data can yield a number of interesting findings, however, when it comes to making business decisions or exploring market dynamics, historical data is of limited benefit beyond general interest. Of greater use is the ability to compare different periods to understand how a market or sector has changed. Herein we consider the performance of exterior design studios in the 60-90m new build sector, taking unique builders worked with as our central ranking factor, supported by the number of unitary build projects.

Unique shipyards worked with may seem like an unusual metric to tie a ranking system to, however, if an owner is undecided and genuinely interested in working with a variety of shipyards, there are only a limited number of designers that would be able to take on such a project with any modicum of objectivity. In an industry that is typically obsessed with units of delivery, the statistics for a prospective buyer can be misleading.

The above graph showcases a ranking system that takes deliveries as its central factor with the Espen Oeino and Tim Heywood studios dominating. However, De Voogt Naval Architects, Giorgio Maria Cassetta and Sinot Exclusive Yacht Design stand out for having only worked with a single shipyard or two in the case of Sinot. De Voogt being part of Feadship necessitates that it only works within that brand, but Giorgio Maria Cassetta’s association with Benetti is perhaps less obvious and Sinot having only worked with two yards (Feadship and Hakvoort) within this size sector previously may be prohibitive. While designers are typically open to working with various shipyards, the superyacht industry is strongly relationship-based and certain designers are more suited or at least more accustomed to working with certain shipyards.

When we consider the extent to which the exterior designers have worked with the unique shipyards, the dynamic shifts somewhat. While Espen Oeino remains highest on the rankings, having worked with 12 different shipyards in the 60-90m sector since 2011, there are a number of notable shifts. Tim Heywood for instance, regardless of how prolific the studio has been in terms of builds, falls down the ranking system having only worked with three shipyards, as well as De Vooght, Giorgio Mara Cassett and Sinot falling off the table completely. In place of the three listed studios, Focus Yacht Design, Andrea Vallicelli and Eidsgaard Design join the list owing to having worked with more shipyards.

This can be further broken down by analysing two separate periods, 2011-2015 and 2016 onwards. Unsurprisingly, Espen Oeino dominates both periods for this sector of the market, but between the two analysed time frames, Reymond Langton Design, Focus Yacht Design, Paszkowski and Philippe Briand, all fall off the top studios list, to be replaced by Tim Heywood, Andrea Vallicelli and Eidsgaard Design.

Admittedly, this market sub-sector is wrestling with a relatively small number of projects, with the exceptions of Espen Oeino and Tim Heywood, however, it is widely accepted that this size range is growing rapidly in size. With record numbers of new owners entering the market, and many choosing to buy big, it pays to know which designers are associated with which shipyards and which designers are more limited in their scope.

Within The Superyacht New Build Report, which is due to be published in February 2022, The Superyacht Group’s expert team of journalists and analysts will break down the various size segments, go into granular detail and explore the challenges and opportunities facing the shipyards and potential buyers. To subscribe to The Superyacht Report, click here, alternatively if you would like to receive a detailed breakdown of The Superyacht Agency’s consultative scope, click here.

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