Don’t be surprised if you begin seeing Maila Speitkamp’s name attached to some megayacht projects in the coming years. A resident of Germany, Speitkamp (pictured) received the Young Designer of the Year Award at the World Superyacht Awards last month, for her project Draconis.
Open to anyone studying yacht design or small-craft design, or individuals who have graduated with related degrees in the past three years, the award is a lot more than a pat on the back. The award, Sponsored by Boat International Media, the Royal Institution of Naval Architects, and Camper & Nicholsons International, comes after careful scrutiny from some of the biggest names in the business. These include: Ed Dubois of Dubois Naval Architects; Tim Heywood of Tim Heywood Designs; Terence Disdale of Terence Disdale Design; Jonathan Quinn Barnett of JQB; Donald Starkey of Donald Starkey Designs; and Dickie Bannenberg of Bannenberg & Rowell Design.
Draconis not only satisfied two of the main criteria, these being a multi-hull and a low carbon footprint, but also skillfully avoided being too showy. Here’s what the judges had to say overall about the effort:
Maila’s project Draconis seemed to embody a direction for the current age: understated, ingenious and original, and an undeniable connection with the sea. Moreover, there was some clever thinking, accomplished presentation and a thoroughness within a compact presentation which included making a scale model of the yacht – one of very few to do so.
Speitkamp received the statue she’s pictured with as well as a €5,000 prize (about $6,900). Here’s a better look at Draconis.
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