A
Coventry University student has been named Superyacht UK Young Designer of the Year 2026 after impressing judges with an innovative explorer yacht concept that reimagines the traditional layout of luxury vessels.
Oliver Weaver, a third-year Automotive and Transport Design student, secured the title at the Southampton International Boat Show with a design for a 50m explorer yacht intended for voyages through the Norwegian Fjords and destinations around the world.
The competition challenged entrants to create an environmentally conscious yacht capable of operating without carbon dioxide emissions while travelling through the fjords. Designs were also required to incorporate a range of features including guest accommodation, a beach club leisure area and storage space for tenders and water sports equipment.
Adding to the pressure, the eight finalists were given the brief on a Saturday afternoon and allowed just 12.5 hours of sketching time spread over two days before presenting their concepts to a judging panel.
Rather than following the conventional explorer yacht arrangement, where storage areas are positioned between guest accommodation and the beach club, Weaver developed a layout that relocated storage facilities and crew accommodation to an extended bow section. This enabled the guest accommodation, described as the yacht's hotel section, to be positioned adjacent to the beach club at the stern.
His design also incorporated a hydrogen-powered propulsion system, allowing the vessel to operate with zero emissions during parts of its journey.
Reflecting on the challenge, Oliver Weaver said: “Time pressure was a big consideration in the competition. I used the Saturday night to really think about what I wanted to do so I was ready and prepared to get going with my sketches the next day, there’s nothing worse than still figuring out what you need to do when the clock is already ticking.”
Explaining the reasoning behind his concept, he added: “My idea was all about interrogating the traditional explorer yacht layout. Having the hotel section overlooking the beach club area has real benefits for guests, eliminating a sense of disconnection between people on the boat. For example, parents would be able to overlook their children down in the beach club from the main social areas of the hotel section.”
Weaver also believes the revised arrangement would improve the overall onboard experience by separating operational activities from guest areas.
“Moving the storage areas and crew cabins to the forward section of the yacht helps minimise disruption to guests,” he said. “Unlike a traditional explorer yacht layout, this arrangement allows toys and tenders, such as boats and jet skis, to be launched without crew needing to move through guest areas or disturb those relaxing in the beach club.”
The award is the latest success for Coventry University's transport design courses in the specialist field of superyacht design. In 2024, graduate Amel Khsouma won the Master's category of the Superyacht UK Young Designer Competition, while Finn Lortan was named BOAT International’s Young Designer of the Year earlier this year.
Alongside the prestigious title, Weaver has earned a four-week internship with yacht builder
Sunseeker and an invitation to attend
Metstrade 2026 in Amsterdam, one of the marine industry's leading international exhibitions.
Weaver said the competition had reinforced his confidence as a designer and highlighted the value of skills developed during his studies.
“It’s a great course at Coventry University; you learn about all different aspects of transport design, from initial sketch work and concept creation right through to final visuals and clay modelling,” he said. “Going into the course my focus was on cars but over time the world of superyachts and boats has opened up for me too.”
Looking to the future, he hopes to establish his own consultancy specialising in automotive and yacht design.
“My dream is to one day have my own design consultancy, specialising in automotive and yacht design,” he said. “People often ask me what my favourite project has been, and my answer is usually the same: it’s always the next one.”
The success highlights the growing reputation of Coventry University's transport design programme and demonstrates how skills developed in automotive design can be successfully applied across a wide range of industries.