September 2008

Looking back at this year’s Dubai boat show, it was as always a great event, with both exhibitors and visitors coming away impressed as usual by the efficient organisation and pleasant setting of the event and the wide range of goods and services on offer. RSD was well positioned at the show, with our distinctive stand located near the entrance of the main tent, and the team welcomed a steady stream of visitors, not only from the Gulf states but also from Turkey, Egypt and Europe – all of whom showed great interest in the portfolio of current and conceptual projects, including a new series of larger yachts in the 60—85m range being shown for the first time. Our presence led to a number of enquiries being made, and several key introductions were established.
There were more superyachts than ever in Dubai’s marina for the show in March, and the presence of several US yards as first-time exhibitors was regarded as a healthy sign of endorsement from outside the traditional European and Middle Eastern markets which dominate boat shows in the Gulf region. 

The RSD team certainly looks forward to attending Dubai again next year from 3rd to 7th March 2009, particularly as the inaugural Abu Dhabi yacht show will be taking place the following week.  With its exclusive high-profile entrance policy, the Abu Dhabi shows looks set to attract the leading participants in the superyacht world, and RSD will be there supporting the new event and developing further its presence in the region.

Before that, though, we have the Monaco Yacht Show 2008 to look forward to, still the biggest and best on-the-water event in the superyacht calendar and RSD will exhibiting there from  24th September, with our stand in the heart of the designers’ row once again.

RSD will have a selection of new projects on display at the show, primarily in the 50-metre to 88-metre range including a new classically designed 115m, a 63m yacht specifically designed for cruising with a young family, and new concepts in both explorer and shadow vessels. RSD is also using the show to launch the first in their `eco` series of yachts.  The RSD team is also working on modern 50-metre-plus designs for leading yards Burger Boats and Derecktor Shipyards, and scale models and interior plans will be on show at their respective stands. We additionally have another major refit underway, and studies on security and environmentally-friendly yachting will be available to share with prospective owners and their representatives.

Wrapping up the 2008 show season for RSD will be November’s Fort Lauderdale show, following a successful presence in 2007 which led to our signing a prestigious new-build contract for the development of an 86-metre superyacht. The yacht is to be constructed by renowned US builder Derecktor Shipyards and a scale model of this exciting project is expected to be on show at this year’s Monaco and Fort Lauderdale boat shows.  The RSD team is responsible for both designing the entire exterior concept of this yacht and devising the interior block plan based on a proven Derecktor 86m hull. Projects such as this have distinct advantages for clients who cannot or do not want to wait too long for a new build of this magnitude. With hull dimensions known from the outset and outer parameters already drawn the design team can move straight on to other aspects of the design.

Derecktor Shipyards has over 60 years’ experience in the engineering, construction, maintenance and repair of a broad range of commercial and recreational vessels; and has three yards along America’s Eastern seaboard, at New York, Connecticut and Florida.

RSD is also continuing work on another project born at last year’s Fort Lauderdale show, namely designing the largest in the current Burger Boats series. Taking a proven 49.5-metre hull produced by Burger, the team has been tasked with designing the exterior and interior block plan, taking full advantage of the classic lines and wide-bodied superstructure that give this vessel its excellent sea-keeping abilities and extremely spacious interior.

 

RSD is integrating many typical Burger features in the exterior design to ensure that the end result remains true to the yard style and features some of the characteristics which have ensured the popularity of previous yachts in the series. This project has already created much interest, not just for the yacht’s superb new styling but also for its extensive cruising range.

Inside, the yacht reflects a traditional Burger layout, with 12 guests comfortably accommodated on board. The owner’s suite is situated forward on the main deck and five guests suites can be found on the cabin deck. Full-height glazing floods the public areas with natural light and offers unrestricted views at the same time. The large fly bridge offers practical storage for one of the two on-board tenders, as well as luxurious relaxation and entertainment spaces for the owner and his guests.

Burger Boats was founded in the USA in 1863. The company designs and builds a range of custom motor yachts; it launches two to three new vessels per year and has up to six projects at various stages of construction on-going at any one time.  Burger boasts a successful blend of “rich heritage in experienced yacht building with the latest technologies and systems available in the marketplace”, and we are delighted to be working with this prestigious brand, designing the biggest yacht yet in their current series.
Both Derecktor and Burger will be exhibiting at this autumn’s boat shows and will have further information on these projects, with three-dimensional computer models and interior plans as well as scale models available on their stands. The RSD stand will also be showcasing both projects and we look forward to presenting them to you.