Superyacht UK announces new dates and location for its established Young Designer Competition

The annual Superyacht UK Young Designer Competition heads to an exciting new location, The Superyacht Design Forum in London’s Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour.

Taking place between 25 & 26 June 2019, the celebrated competition returns for its fifth edition. Supported for the first time by the forum’s organiser, The Superyacht Group, the competition is the only one of its kind in the UK and is among a select few across the world to recognise future design talent and deliver invaluable experiences and contacts to nurture their skills.In recent years, the competition has been a launch pad for some of today’s most ambitious superyacht designers and naval architects.

This year’s event is expected to welcome eight fresh promising design talents, handpicked from across the UK, to compete for the iconic title of Superyacht UK Young Designer. Judging their designs will be an elite panel of globally renowned designers and superyacht professionals including Justin Olesinski of Olesinski, Bill Dixon of Dixon Yacht Design, Tony Dixon of RWD, Dimitris Hadjidimos of D-iD, Stephen Hill of Pendennis Shipyard and Jeff Houlgrave of Marina Projects, who is also the Chairman of Superyacht UK.

The winner will secure themselves a four-week internship at custom superyacht builder and refit specialist, Pendennis Shipyard. The runner-up will receive the prize of a unique two-week internship at design and naval architecture studio, Olesinski, based on the Isle of Wight.

With all the action taking place across the two-day forum, the students will be able to draw inspiration from the diverse mix of showrooms within Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour and the array of international superyacht designers and professionals who visit the event every year.

The Superyacht Design Forum will provide anyone in the superyacht design world with a unique opportunity to explore new thinking and share smarter solutions, that will shape the future of the superyacht industry. The diverse two-day schedule – comprising workshops, fish bowl chats, round tables and tea talks – will deliver an event that inspires, informs and ultimately encourages innovation and next-generation thinking.

Jeff Houlgrave, Chairman of Superyacht UK, comments: “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 Design Forum and its co-host, the 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 Superyacht UK Committee member, adds: “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.”

Tickets to The Superyacht Design Forum can be registered here. British Marine members can receive a 10% discount on tickets by e-mailing JSargeant@britishmarine.co.uk.

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