Shaping the Future

Shaun Carkeek

Shaun Carkeek is getting ready to build the world’s largest composite sailing superyacht. At 300 feet, the Carkeek C 300 will be easily the largest boat of its kind ever constructed.

“No one has ever built a composite boat this size – I’m looking forward to building it,” said Carkeek, founder of Carkeek Design Partners. “The genesis of the idea for the C 300 started with an owner who was considering a much larger, state-of-the-art sailing yacht. Now, I’m talking to one of the best builders in the world about how to build it and create a team around the project.”

The largest composite boat ever built is the Hetairos, which is just over 200 feet and was launched in 2011. “We’re putting another 100ft onto that,” Carkeek said. “It’s a massive challenge, it’s completely reshaping the industry.

“The boat has a new edge to it, not only through the size, but the design, the way the living spaces interact, the performance of the yacht, the new systems and technology and how these aspects work together. We’re trying to make a 300 foot yacht feel, perform, and handle like a 100 foot yacht.

“It’s a megayacht for a true sailing enthusiast and very special kind of owner. It’s the size of ship but it’s a high-performance global cruising yacht capable of incredible average speeds of over 30 knots. In terms of the style concept, there is a timeless quality, but it has to have that futuristic twist because a boat like this will take no less than four years to build. We have that vision of the future.”

Carkeek is bridging the worlds of revolutionary Grand Prix racing and the more conservative sailing superyacht market.

“We understand the different demands for technology, performance and styling,” Carkeek said. “With our naval architectural expertise from the America’s Cup, Volvo Ocean Race and Grand Prix yachting, we’re able to bring all of that experience and technology into the superyacht arena in a way that hasn’t been seen before.

“But it’s about the lifestyle aspect too, creating new ways of thinking about boats, how they’re used and how people feel on those boats. We have a diverse team with the unique ability and experience to create fully integrated advanced solutions blending naval architecture, systems, styling, interior and exterior design.”

That philosophy runs through all Carkeek’s many and varied projects as they introduce an innovative design language to the next generation of superlight superyachts.

“We’ve recently completed a project for a foiling monohull racing yacht and we’re developing lighter superyachts with semi-foiling modes,” Carkeek said. “We’re designing a 115ft superlight sailing catamaran with many America’s Cup cat influences. It’s for cruising – very fast cruising. All the aerodynamic, hydrodynamic and foiling technology is coming directly from the America’s Cup.”

Carkeek knows because he is shaping the future.