Where Sustainability Really Starts at The Drawing Board

The yachting industry has discovered sustainability. Solar panels, hybrid drives, green certifications — the conversation is louder than it has ever been. But there is a version of this story that concerns us: sustainability as a specification. A feature added late in the design process, after the fundamental decisions have already been made.

We have been designing yachts since the late 1970s, starting in racing — where a poorly conceived hull is found out immediately, in front of everyone. That discipline shapes every project we take on, whether a production sportsboat or a 68-metre superyacht concept. The sea is the most honest critic you will ever work with.

The case for sail, at any scale

When we developed SAMY — our 68-metre sail-assisted motor yacht concept — the sustainability argument was not the starting point. The question was simpler: what is the most intelligent propulsion solution for a vessel designed to spend serious time at sea? The answer was sail. Not as a gesture, but as a genuine propulsion partner — a rig with a proper cockpit, steering wheels, sail controls, and the full commitment of a vessel designed to move on wind when conditions allow.

“Sustainability in naval architecture isn’t something you bolt on. It’s the result of choices made before the engine is even discussed — in the hull form, the weight budget, the typology of the vessel itself.”

Beyond the drawing board

Design is where we can make the greatest difference — but it does not stop at the studio door. The ocean SAMY is built to explore is under genuine pressure, and we are proud to support the organisations working to protect it: the Blue Marine Foundation, The Good Bottle, and the Game & Wildlife Conservation Trust.

On World Earth Day, it is easy to make statements. We would rather make arguments — and build vessels that embody them. SAMY is one such argument. There will be more.