Prestigious yachts showcase latest trends

The yacht show calendar is full of glamorous locations and equally glamorous people. From Fort Lauderdale to Singapore and, of course, the jewel that is the Monaco Yacht Show. Then there’s Swanwick.

Admittedly this Hampshire town on the south coast of England is not known for its glamour, but it is the home of the British Motor Yacht Show and this year played host to some of the most popular luxury yacht brands and a few debuts. It has been running for 20 years and is a joint collaboration between Fairline, Premier Marinas, Sunseeker and Princess and this year hosted 40 brands and more than 80 luxury yachts, most of which were below 25m.

The compact nature of the show means there are plenty of opportunities to see not just the latest yachts, but the current trends in terms of design. One of the main trends relates to colours and materials, with a move towards more neutral and home-like tones. This creates yacht interiors that feel like a modern luxury hotel, together with all the amenities. There is a danger that this can mean a lack of personality and character, though every yacht, even those under 25m, will often benefit from extensive individualisation by their owner.

Another trend is to have larger glazing, which provides two benefits. The first is to fill the interior with more light, something that was very apparent while exploring the salon of the Azimut Magellano 60. The second benefit is to connect the outside world with the interior, bringing the outside in or creating constantly changing picture windows. That connection between interior and exterior is further enhanced by the use of neutral fabrics to ensure you aren’t distracted from the landscape outside by something vibrant and jarring.

Then there is the technology, which features in many different forms, especially lighting. In this modern era of LED lights that can change colour at the touch of a button on a remote, yachting designers are still, for the most part anyway, keeping things subtle and stylish. On board the latest Princess F65 we discovered beautifully crafted lights that cast what feels like candlelight on the deck, yet these modern lights emerge from surfaces when you touch them, ensuring they are hidden away during the day. Another area of discrete technology is TV screens, often integrated into mirror surfaces. They look cool, but, as one yacht crew member pointed out, you often can’t really watch TV properly because you can usually see your own reflection in the glass too.

Among the new models at the show were a trio of the latest yachts from Sunseeker. This included the updated Manhattan 68, one of the British yachtbuilder’s most popular models. Exploring the vessel showcased an interior that has really good flow to it with areas that are elegantly interconnected in a way that makes getting around inside easy, while providing good levels of privacy for each of the berths and, especially, the owner’s suite. The craftsmanship was exemplary with beautifully sculpted surfaces, solidity to the wood and metal, and carpets that your feet sink into like your favourite luxury slippers. The exterior areas are equally well designed, with a fixed flybridge that has an electrically retracting roof, the ideal balance of sun and shade on the decks and lots of space for guests to enjoy your hospitality on the water.

The same attention to detail was present in the new Sunseeker 55, a smaller vessel, but one that can easily make you question how much yacht you actually need. Again, the flow of the interior was extremely well designed, providing great entertainment spaces and areas of privacy.

Another vessel that showed you can have lots of yacht in a more compact footprint was the Absolute 47 Fly. Measuring 14.63m, it has a master cabin with en suite, a VIP cabin with walk-in closet, and a twin cabin as well as accommodation for crew. Perfectly on trend, the galley flows seamlessly to the cockpit and the spaces are well designed to combine luxury with practical solutions.

We also jumped onboard one of the latest models from Princess, the 20.30m F65. It’s modern but still has a feeling of tradition in many areas, such as the darker wood and slightly more formulaic furniture design.

While the show is about the more medium size yachts, there were plenty of vessels to look down on, though only from the upper decks because even smaller craft seem packed with luxury these days. One that grabbed our attention was the XO Boats EXPLR 10S, a 9.4m crossover boat that has all the looks of a much larger Explorer yacht. More of a weekend adventure vessel, it still has onboard accommodation and the option of a galley, perfect for good times on the water which is what yacht ownership, big or small, should always be about.