From a safety standpoint, recent years have seen the
introduction of MCA rules and regulations, which determine fire zones, damage
stability zones, means of escape and watertight bulkhead locations. These
rulings often govern designer creativity in space planning, whereas 15 years
ago, for instance, a designer could have installed an open-plan stair directly
connecting one lounge to another without the necessity of a steel-walled
fire-zone lobby to protect flame spread between the different areas.
 The 52-meter Tigre d’Or. Photograph by Flying Focus. (Click image to enlarge)
From a styling point of view, since Bannenberg broke the mold
with the creation of Lürssen’s Carinthia VI, there has been a steady
stream of designers entering the ever-expanding industry. However, new
designers don’t always bring new ideas, which has given rise to quite a few
yachts possessing features that were someone else’s innovation.
On the other hand, the marketplace includes clients who are
prepared to work alongside new designers who do have fresh ideas, which in some
cases will result in yachts that are radical at concept, but out-of-date before
they are out of the shed. Such concepts never could have happened 20 years ago
when the client base was more discerning or conservative.
 The 72-meter Kogo is another
example of the interplay between indoor and outdoor decks. The yacht exudes a
laid-back, informal style. Photograph by Bob Marchant. (Click image to enlarge)
Size is not everything, and while there are several
100-meter-plus yachts under construction throughout the world, we still find
clients who are shocked at the prospect of having 60 or so crew to look after
them, preferring the intimacy of a smaller crew and subsequently a smaller, more
compact yacht. We also have clients who might have an unlimited budget but do
not want to build a yacht any larger than 60 meters, which is the maximum size
allowed to moor in Saint-Tropez.
Kogo’s laid-back owner’s lobby and stair lobby give a nod to Disdale’s feminine
view of yachts. Photographs by Christopher Gonta. (Click images to enlarge)
My own preference for superstructure styling, particularly
on larger vessels, is more toward elegance and femininity than toward
paramilitary and aggressivity—shall we say Jaguar E-type versus Lamborghini
Countach? My reasoning for this emanates from a belief that, firstly, a yacht is
a feminine creature and, secondly, that radical styling, even on a car, dates
more quickly than elegance. A yacht has a far greater life span than a car, and
in my view, timelessness is an essential part of the designer’s criteria that
can be achieved without being mediocre. Witness Bannenberg’s Carinthia
VI, designed in 1971, and our own Montkaj, designed in 1993. Both
stand the test of time. A car is created purposely to have a brief life span
because the manufacturers want you to buy next year’s model. These parameters
should not apply to a large motor yacht that might take four years from design
to completion.
Above all, we believe the most important ingredient in the
designer’s palette is restraint. We don’t gild the lily or let style overcome
substance. We are always conscious of practical considerations when we design a
superstructure. These considerations play an essential part in successful yacht
design. These considerations embrace wheelhouse visibility, helicopter
operations, mooring arrangements, tender embarkation, deck-furniture stores,
window-cleaning facilities and discreet crew circulation.
From an interior design aspect, over the years we have
successfully steered our clients away from ostentatious glitz and more toward an
ambiance of laid-back, informal style. We believe life on board should be very
relaxed and low-key. It might be nice to dress up for dinner, but the dining
room décor should not make you feel underdressed if you are wearing shorts and a
T-shirt. If you have an 80-meter yacht, you do not need gold faucets to
impress.
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