The Superyacht Group is delighted to announce it will host the Superyacht UK Young Designer Competition during its annual event, The Superyacht Design Forum. Taking place from 25 – 26 June 2019, it will welcome the competition and participating young designers to Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, the world’s premier design destination. The next-generation of talent will be exposed to an array of leading superyacht designers who will be in attendance.

The theme of this year’s edition of The Superyacht Design Forum is ‘An External Perspective’, to provide a varied and unique opportunity for attendees and selected speakers to explore new thinking and lateral business strategies, applying them to the current issues facing the superyacht industry. The two-day schedule of workshops, fish bowl chats, round tables, and tea talks will deliver an event that inspires, informs and encourages innovation and next-generation thinking.

Supported for the first time by The Superyacht Group at its annual Design Forum, the Superyacht UK Young Designer Competition is the only one of its kind in the UK, and one of very few in the world to recognise future talent, with the aim of ensuring the legacy of the sector and nurturing a new roster of world-class designers.

“Boasting a growing annual revenue of £697m and employing over 4,572 people, the UK’s superyacht sector remains a global hotspot for pioneering design and innovation."

Jeff Houlgrave - Chairman of Superyacht UK

Jeff Houlgrave, Chairman of Superyacht UK, commented: “Boasting a growing annual revenue of £697m and employing over 4,572 people, the UK’s superyacht sector remains a global hotspot for pioneering design and innovation. Superyacht UK is keen to help nurture Britain’s next-generation of design talent to ensure this industry continues to thrive. We are delighted to have the support of the Superyacht Group at this year’s Superyacht UK Young Designer Competition. The Superyacht Forum and its co-host, Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour, will provide a truly visionary location to inspire, immerse and develop our young designers.”

William Mathieson, Editorial & Intelligence Director at The Superyacht Group and a Superyacht UK Committee member, added: “Having sat on the Superyacht UK Committee for a number of years and seeing what a wonderful legacy programme the Superyacht UK Young Designer Competition is, it was the obvious fit to invite the competition to be staged at The Superyacht Design Forum. The content of our Forum is always focused on improving the future of our industry and promoting best practice. Thus, giving these young students such a prestigious platform for this competition is a wonderful opportunity for us to further contribute to the future prosperity of our industry, as well as their futures. With many of the world’s top designers in attendance, this is a fantastic hunting ground for superyacht businesses to spot emerging talent.”

Eight participants have been hand-selected by Superyacht UK for this year’s competition, all with their sights on winning the title of Superyacht UK Young Designer. Their designs will be judged by an elite panel of globally-renowned designers and superyacht professionals including Justin Olesinski - Olesinski, Bill Dixon - Dixon Yacht Design, Tony Dixon - RWD, Dimitris Hajidimos - D-iD, Stephen Hills - Pendennis Shipyard and Jeff Houlgrave – Marina Projects and Chairman of Superyacht UK.

The winner will receive a four-week internship at custom superyacht builder and refit specialist, Pendennis Shipyard, while the runner-up will receive the prize of a two-week internship at design and naval architecture studio, Olesinski.

For further information about the Superyacht UK Young Designer’s Competition, please click here.

To register for a ticket to The Superyacht Design Forum, please click here.

Profile links

Dixon Yacht Design

Pendennis

RWD

Olesinski Limited

D-ID Ltd

Superyacht UK

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