A Staffordshire University student has been crowned winner of the Superyacht UK Young Designer 2023 competition.
Eight finalists were given a day and a half to design a unique superyacht and present their creations to a panel of industry judges.
After almost 14 hours of sketching, BA (Hons) Industrial Design student Ollie Rommelrath was revealed the winner at the Southampton International Boat Show last week.
The 23-year-old from Checkley, Newcastle-under-Lyme, said: “This is fantastic, I really didn’t expect it. This is my first time doing a superyacht design and winning feels like a great achievement.
“I knew from the start I wanted to do a motor yacht and once I had the brief, I had a vision in my head of how it would look.”
Along with the winner’s title, Ollie can now choose from two industry opportunities, either an internship with Olesinski or Sunseeker, with the runner-up taking advantage of the other internship.
Ollie added: “As for the prize, I’m going to sleep on it before I decide, but I am definitely going to have a smile on my face.”
Despite its landlocked location, it is the fourth year in a row that a Staffordshire University designer has won the competition.
Dan Lewis, Course Director for Automotive & Transport Design, said: “We’re absolutely delighted that Ollie has secured the first place position in the prestigious Superyacht UK Young Designer competition – a remarkable achievement.
“This marks the fourth consecutive year that our Automotive & Transport Design students have taken the top prize, demonstrating the quality of work that our students produce, as well as the course and committed teaching team.”
2019 winner and Staffordshire University graduate James Shakespeare also returned this year as a member of the judging panel alongside industry experts.
Stephen Hills, Chairman of Superyacht UK and one of the judges for the competition, said: “It was incredibly hard to pick a winner, but the top three really stood out for the judges.
“The judges loved the profile drawings presented by Oliver. His designs quickly caught the judges’ eyes and stood out, with exceptional quality of line. Fantastic.”
