Coventry University student Oliver Weaver has won the 2026 Superyacht UK Young Designer Competition, capping a day and a half of frantic design work at the Southampton International Boat Show.
Weaver, who studies Automotive and Transport Design, wins a four-week internship at Sunseeker. In conjunction with RAI Amsterdam, he has also been invited to attend Metstrade 2026 in Amsterdam, where he will get the chance to experience a major international marine industry event and meet professionals from across the sector.
Second place went to Roman Aime, a Yacht and Powercraft Design student at Solent University, who picked up a two-week internship at Sunseeker. Third was Charlotte Redfearn, studying Automotive and Transport Design at the University of Staffordshire, who wins a one-week internship at Cockwells.
Organised by Superyacht UK, the annual competition gives emerging designers the chance to respond to a professional brief, showcase their creativity and present their work to leading figures from the superyacht design sector.
This year's finalists were challenged to design a 50-metre explorer-style yacht that would serve as its owners' principal residence in the Norwegian Fjords while remaining capable of travelling anywhere in the world. The yacht had to operate using energy sources that produce no direct carbon dioxide or methane emissions while within the UNESCO World Heritage fjords, without compromising the comfort and character expected of a luxury vessel.
The brief also called for accommodation for ten people across one owner's cabin and four guest cabins, space for tenders and toys, and a beach club that would strengthen the owners' connection to the ocean. Finalists presented an exterior profile, a block general arrangement, interior and exterior designs for the beach club, and their approach to the yacht's environmental requirements.
The eight finalists received the live brief at 4pm on Saturday 19 September and began work the following morning at the Coffee Station in the New Wave Hall. Show visitors could watch as they developed their initial ideas into yacht concepts before presenting them to a panel of industry judges.
James Shakespeare of Princess Yachts explained the judges' decision. "The standard of the competition was extremely strong this year. All of the judges were impressed by the way every finalist approached the challenge and really engaged with the brief.
"Oliver stood out for his all-round ability. He produced stylish drawings, a well-thought-out design with strong original ideas, and presented his concept extremely well. Ultimately, his entry ticked every box for us."
Reflecting on his win, Weaver said: "It was an absolute pleasure to take part. The competition is very well regarded, particularly within Europe, but it also has a global reach. The brief offered a great deal of freedom and scope to explore different design ideas.
"As a stylist, that gave me the opportunity to experiment with different forms, shapes, surfaces and layouts. It was a brilliant experience, with lovely people, and a fantastic opportunity to gain exposure to the industry and meet everyone involved. I am delighted to have won."
Michael Beattie, Superyacht UK Manager, added: "Congratulations to Oliver and to all eight finalists, who produced exceptional work in a remarkably short time. The competition is about creating meaningful routes into the superyacht industry, and Oliver's invitation to attend Metstrade, with the support of RAI Amsterdam, is a fantastic extension of that opportunity. Thank you to our partners and judges for helping us champion the next generation of design talent."
The competition was backed by industry partners Sunseeker, Princess Yachts, RWD, Cockwells and Winch Design, who brought professional expertise to the event and gave the finalists direct insight into the world of superyacht design.
