YACHT & POWERCRAFT DESIGN SERVICES

Yacht & Powercraft Design Services Ltd
 Email:  info@yacht-designer.co.uk
Tel. 44 (0) 1489-583346   Fax. 44 (0) 1489-583346  Mobile  07803-724317

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The 36th Southampton Boat Show held in September 2004 was the largest yet with some 1000 boats on display, around 300 of them afloat on a specially-built marina with 2 kilometres of walkways.  The show ground had been extended by using an area of dockside called Solent Park with the type 42 Destroyer HMS Newcastle alongside and open to the public.  There were also many special attractions and exhibits ashore as well as the Try-a-Boat scheme and the chance to sail on an America’s Cup class yacht.  Although the entry fee to the show seemed expensive, there was plenty to see and do whatever your boating interest.

Afloat, the boats were in separate powerboat and sailing boat zones.  Many of the new powerboat designs had elements of “retro” styling which adds enormously to the character and distinctiveness of the boat. The Dale Nelson “Dynamic” (1) has many attractive styling features while still providing the seakeeping and ruggedness of the pilot boat type hull on which the boat is based.  

The Cornish Diva (2) is a completely new design by Nick Bailey for Select Yachts.  This boat is very attractive and well thought-out.  The styling includes some lovely curves around the cockpit coamings and helm position and these aesthetic elements re-appear around the boat to provide a very pleasant and distinctive feel to the boat.     

In a more affordable package the Aquila 27 designed by Andrew Wolstenholme (3) combines simplicity and practicality to provide a charming classically-styled British motor launch or picnic boat.  Older designs such as the Swordsman 40 can offer genuine classic styling (4) in a new package incorporating such benefits as modern turbo-charged diesels with their much improved power to weight ratio.

There were plenty of examples of luxurious powerboats in contemporary styling, such as the new Hunton XRS37 (5) which would please anyone with a love of speed.  And then for the lottery winners (or Formula One stars) there was the magnificent  Sunseeker 105, a superyacht in every sense of the word, demonstrating the best of British engineering and an outstanding quality of finish.

Sailing Boats at Southampton 2004....