Staffs designer sails into first place at superyacht competition

A Staffordshire University student has been named winner of the Superyacht UK Young Designer 2024 competition

Kasper Marriott with this Superyacht 2024 trophy

Kasper Marriott (left) won the 2nd/3rd year category (credit British Marine)

I was just trying to take in as much as possible. Networking is important, and I learnt so much from the judges who gave me advice and expertise throughout the competition.

Kasper Marriott, BA (Hons) Automotive & Transport Design

The competition, hosted at the Southampton International Boat Show, brought together 12 next generation yacht designers from across the country to compete for top honours in two categories: the Master’s and 2nd/3rd year divisions.

Each of the designers was tasked with designing a 50-metre motor yacht, suitable for family use, that included a scientific and sustainability angle. The finalists worked over two days to design their unique superyachts and present their creations to a panel of industry judges.

Second-year BA (Hons) Automotive & Transport Design student Kasper Marriott secured first place in the 2nd/3rd year category after his beautiful sketching, eye for detail and his overall presentation made a significant impact on the judges.

Despite its landlocked location, this is the fifth consecutive year that a Staffordshire University student has won the competition, with Kasper and course mates Marcus Anderton and Josh Tandy making up a quarter of this year’s finalists.

Kasper’s yacht was designed to increase people’s interest in science through interactive activities, so that guests could get involved with research and feel they have contributed to something bigger. The yacht itself featured underwater viewing stations, virtual reality areas, as well as all the luxuries you might expect on a regular superyacht.

The 19-year-old from Buckinghamshire said: “As I have only completed my first year at Staffs, I have not had full exposure to all areas of design yet, and so this was my first time directly interacting with the marine industry. Everything was new, and I was just trying to take in as much as possible. Networking is important, and I learnt so much from the judges who gave me advice and expertise throughout the competition.

“I am a bit speechless to be honest. Like I said before I have never designed superyachts, and did not expect to win! It has only peaked my interest further into the industry and helped open doors for potential roles in the future.”

As part of the prize Kasper has won a week-long placement with Olesinski, one of the world's leading designers of superyachts.

“Being surrounded by industry experts will allow me to learn new skills and methods that I can transfer and use later on in my own design practices. Having practical experience will be extremely valuable when applying for positions in the future.”

Dan Lewis, Course Director for Automotive & Transport Design, said: “Being selected as a Superyacht UK Young Designer finalist is a huge accomplishment and Kasper, Marcus and Josh should all be incredibly proud of their hard work.

“Securing the top prize for the fifth year in a row is a significant achievement for the University. It demonstrates the passion, quality of work and industry skills of our students on the Automotive & Transport Design course as well as the dedication of our teaching team.

“The competition also provides a fantastic platform for new talent to get into the industry and three of our graduates now work at sponsor companies."

Michael Beattie, SYUK Manager, added: “It's crucial that we continue to nurture and support the next generation of yacht designers. The creativity and innovation demonstrated at this competition shows that the future of our industry is bright. These young designers are not only challenging the conventional but pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in yacht design.”

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