British creativity thrives at the 2015 ISS Design Awards

British design dominated the recent 2015 ISS Design Awards, held on 4 November during the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. With UK designers involved in six of the seven categories and Superyacht UK members, Redman Whiteley Dixon (RWD), Design Unlimited and Philippe Briand, beating off all global competition to gain recognition through five award wins.

Hosted by the International Superyacht Society (ISS), these awards recognise individual companies for their expertise, leadership and dedication to raising the bar when it comes to the design and build of large yachts. Based entirely on peer-reviewed nominations from the yacht industry’s leading builders and designers these are highly acclaimed awards.

Winners are announced at the ISS’s annual Award Gala, an event which has grown accustomed to British excellence over previous years. This year it was held at the Broward Centre for the Performing Arts and received over 300 of the industry’s leading figures.

Naval architect and exterior designer of the Grace E, Philippe Briand, celebrated as the yacht won the ‘Best Power 65m-plus’ category. Whilst the design expertise of Design Unlimited saw the sailing yacht, Win Win, outshine its competing cruisers and racers to win the ‘Best Sail 24m-40m’ category.

But the biggest celebrator of the night was RWD who saw its design contributions on two yachts receive recognition. The the tri-deck motor yacht, KISS, won the ‘Best Power 24m-40m’ category and the Elfje won both the ‘Best Sail 50m-plus’ category and the ‘Best Interior’ across all categories.

As well as the ISS Design Awards, the Gala saw leading businesses win Awards of Distinction and Leadership Awards. These cover other aspects of maintaining and operating large yachts. Again, British success prevailed when multi award-winning yacht designer Tim Heywood, of Tim Heywood Designs, was awarded the ‘2015 Leadership Award’.