American Designer, Dutch Shipyard Introduce “Vision Line” 70-meter Megayacht
August 29, 2009 at 8:31 pm | In luxury living, superyachts, yacht design, yachting industry | Leave a CommentTags: Adriel Design, Icon Yachts, megayachts, Setzer Design Group
The ICON 70
August 29, 2009 (CARY, NC, USA) – Award-winning American yacht architect Ward Setzer, principal of Setzer Design Group, and Icon Yachts of Holland introduce the “VL-70,” a sleek, futuristic vessel loaded with all the special features of a world-class Super-Yacht within the “Build-Platform” of Icon Yachts. The introduction underscores Setzer’s standing as an international superyacht designer for the world market.
When challenged by Icon Yachts to submit a design for its now famously engineered “Build-Platform,” yacht architect Ward Setzer requested that he be allowed to present work with a prominent plumb bow and highly swept and stylized superstructure. To accomplish this, his studio worked closely with Icon to honor the existing Platform and yet develop a new bow section for the standard Icon hull form. From there out, the American studio had a blank canvas on which Setzer’s visions for the future of yachting have come to life in detail.
The VL-70 offers six (6) deck levels, from large, below-waterline holds and systems spaces to the top observation deck forward of the mast. With a beam of 11.3M and a draft of 3.4M, the design carries plenty of volume to accommodate large fuel and water stores as well as generous cabins for owners and guests on the multiple levels.
To assist with the massive task of filling out a 70 meter interior, Setzer turned to Adriel Design of Seattle. Prior to starting the project, Setzer felt that a collaborative approach would not only demonstrate the talents of the two distinctly different design firms, but it would also prove that collaboration is the key to the future for many areas of the marine industry. The resulting design offers a depth of detail rarely seen on projects of this scale that are created by one firm alone until well into the build processes. After months of collaboration between the two design studios, the “Vision Line” 70 meter emerged.
The vessel will be powered by conventional drive systems and capable of cruising speeds of 15 knots. The hull design has been refined to provide world travel capabilities in comfort and style. A twin tender garage sits within the bow and a full beam toy garage/cabana/spa with dockage doors deploying port and starboard add to vessel conveniences aft. There is a large swimming pool on the aft deck with flanking sun pads, all set with a sculpted aft deck. One level above, a hot tub overflow creates a waterfall landing in the main pool. A heli-pad is integrated into the tail section of the fourth level and a two-level observation lounge and viewing deck is forward and at the base of the mast structure. 
Within the vessel, a multi-level glass elevator is the central, defining feature, along with unique hull side windows and recessed balconies that offer dramatic views to the sea. There are six large guest cabins within the lower decks and one master with nearby office/den on the main deck. The vessel also features a theater space on the upper deck with seating for 16. For the crew, the VL-70 can accommodate 16 within private and shared cabins. The lowest level includes the typical crew lounge, galley and utility areas. This space spans beneath the guest staterooms and houses walk-in refrigeration units and a commercial laundry.
“The Icon Yachts ‘Build-Platform’ of both hull and engineering plant proved to be very capable of handling all the curves at least Adriel and I could throw at it, and the results show,” said Ward Setzer, who recently received his ninth design award in so many years, this time from the World Superyachts committee at the London ceremonies in May for the design of Marama, a full-displacement expedition yacht built by Delta Marine. “Both of our studios are not only proud of the ‘Vision Line’ 70m, but we’re also pleased to show that collaborative efforts can yield powerful results to the greater benefit of all.”
For more information, email setzerdesign@mindspring.com, or call Ward Setzer directly at 919-859-7014.
Setzser Design Group is available online at www.setzerdesign.com.
posted by blueplate pr
Tobacco Road Cellars To Introduce Four New Cabernets During Red Carpet Event in Downtown Raleigh
August 19, 2009 at 1:40 am | In downtown Raleigh, luxury living, news, wine news | Leave a CommentTags: events downtown Raleigh, Tobacco Road Cellars, wine events Raleigh NC, wine introductions
August 18, 2009 (RALEIGH, NC) – Tobacco Road Cellars, a boutique Napa Valley winery owned by Jason Earnest and Dusty Field of Raleigh, North Carolina, will introduce four new Cabernets during a stylish red-carpet celebration and silent auction to be held Thursday, October 8, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the RBC Plaza pool deck high above downtown Raleigh.
The event is entitled “Bacchanalle: A Cultural Intervention.” According to Tobacco Road Cellars co-owners Jason Earnest and Dusty Field, the evening will include tastings of the new wines, catered dining that will pair the wines with haut cuisine, music, VIP suites for the winery’s Regency Club members, and lavish decorations.
The evening’s silent auction will offers such items as an original handpainted surfboard by Raleigh artist Clark Hipolito of ArtCo Surf that will be signed by the Carolina Hurricanes, other signed items by such sports luminaries as the Hurricanes goalie Cam Ward, Duke University basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski and various wine packages from Tobacco Road Cellars. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to the Frankie Lemmon Center School & Development Center in Raleigh.
Clark Hipolito has also created an original work of art for one of the Cabernets’ labels and will be unveiling his new series “Cultural Intervention” during the event.
Earnest calls Bacchanalle as “an alchemist experience blending visual art, high design, fine wine and extraordinary personalities.”
The Cabernets Tobacco Road Cellars will introduced during the Bacchanalle event are “Vitality,” “Tradition,” “07 V” (honoring former NCSU basketball coach Jim Valvano with a portion of the proceeds supporting the Jimmy V Foundation), and the Private Reserve.
Earnest describes “Vitality” as a “deep, mid-red with violet hues with great blue fruit and black berry aromas, lifted raspberry and black cherry with dark, brooding notes of fig, coffee and spice. It’s an excellent mid-weight palate entry with dense fruit weight supported by heaps of fine-grained oak and fruit tannin. The wine has fruit-forward style that’s very well backed up by layers of deep, softly drying tannin.”
“Tradition” offers “sweet, ripe, black berry with a warm alcohol lift of spice and nutmeg,” he said. “It has rich, mouth-filling black fruit flavors with solid, blocky tannins. Very firm finish, drying but sweet at the same time. The Palate lingers and shows lots of classy French oak palate weight. Firmer acid helps lift the tannic finish, which will soften nicely over the next three to five years.”
Of the Private Reserve, Earnest notes, “This is a very solid, deep, dark red/black wine with purple hues. It offers aromatics of black fruit, chocolate, mocha and berries that draw you into the wine. It has a lovely solid entry with gobs of firm tannin. Its rich fruit weight is a class above other wines and supported by an amalgam of French oak flavors of vanilla, toasty oak and spice. It has a huge palate that just keeps going and going. Big blocky tannins appear a little proud at present, but given time it will soften into a true classic Napa Cabernet for those patient enough to wait.”
And the ’07 V is “supple, fleshy and very defined as berry fruits lead into a classy, sexy, fine-grained tannin finish that lingers on and on,” he said. “The French oak is evident but not obtrusive — quite elegant and fine boned but overall very classy and seductive. It’s delicious!”
Tickets for the Bacchnalle event are $100 and only 250 will be sold. An after-party will also be held at Solas restaurant and lounge on Glenwood South for ticketed guests only. To order tickets go to www.bacchanalle.com or call 888.770.3635.
For more information on Tobacco Road Cellars, visit www.tobaccoroadcellars.com.
About Tobacco Road Cellars
Award-winning Tobacco Road Cellars was conceived when two North Carolina-based entrepreneurs and wine enthusiasts, Jason Earnest and Dusty Field, went to Napa Valley to create a wine to give as holiday gifts. The results were so successful that they decided to create their own boutique winery committed to producing world-class wines from California grapes. The partners now have several years of bottlings and have been endorsed by Gary Vaynerchuk of winelibrary.com, who called Tobacco Road Cellars’ 2005 Private Reserve “stupid good.” The winery’s 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon received the 2008 Gold Medal in the International Wine Competition held in Riverside, California. For more information visit www.tobaccoroadcellars.com.
The origin of the word Bacchanalle
Bacchanalle – pronounced bak-uh-ney-lee-uh – was coined by the Tobacco Road Cellars owners and Raleigh interior designer Clark Hipolito. It incorporates the root word bacchanalia that, in Greco-Roman religion, refers to any of the several festivals of Bacchus, or Dionysus, the wine god. And it mixes with the word, “Biennale”, which is Italian for “every other year” and can be used to describe any event that happens every two years. It is commonly used within the art world to describe an international manifestation of contemporary art — for example, the Biennale de Paris, which was created in 1959 by André Malraux. The term is most commonly used in the context of major repeating art exhibitions. According to Jason Earnest of Tobacco Road Cellars, it also refers to Hipolito’s visual style for his design projects: “faux paint effects, banquet-hall tapestries and lighting, large furnishings, etc.”
Setzer Design Group, Winter Custom Yachts Unveil “Express-60″ Collaboration
August 10, 2009 at 9:36 pm | In business, leisure activity, luxury living, news, yacht design, yachting industry | Leave a CommentTags: boat builders NC, business news NC, custom boats, custom yachts, yacht design
August 10, 2009 (CARY, NC) – Setzer Design Group in Cary, NC, known world-wide for its award-winning designs of super-yachts, had been developing the “Express-60” project over the past several months for a client in Florida. Meanwhile in Apex, NC, a small town nearby, Winter Custom Yachts had started building a 60’ hull. Yacht architect Ward Setzer discovered what owner Tim Winters was doing shortly after his Florida client backed out of the project. So the two firms decided to combine their efforts and Setzer is now integrating his design to fit Winter’s custom 60’ hull.
The Express-60
According to Setzer, Tim Winters loved the concept and has “jumped in with both feet” to help meld his own project with Setzer’s. Now, as the two firms look at the common traits of their respective hull lines, Setzer is amazed that they could be worlds apart considering the types of projects they create, yet just down the road from one another, thinking and drawing along the same lines.
“Our studio designs in great detail some of the most complex yachts in the world,” Setzer said, “yet I pride myself on having built numerous smaller boats, and I love the time I spend on shop floors. Tim is a roll-up-his-sleeves-and-get-in-there kind of boat builder, so this is just about perfect — not just for me, but also for buyers. They will get the technology and craftsmanship that will arise from our team approach. I’m sure Tim will keep my team grounded in the realities of the job he must get done, while we will be exposing him to new ideas and technology from our various projects, from 20’ to 200’, in all corners of the globe.”
The new Setzer/Winter vessel is as unique as it is practical. Its “Vista Cabin,” as Setzer calls it, features windows all around the lower salon and galley that afford constant views of the sea. Driven by triple Zeus Pod drives and powered by three of Cummins QSM 715’ HP diesel engines, the vessel is expected to have great speeds out of the hole and great handling, even at a cruising speed of 30+ kts. A 20 KW generator will accompany the primary drive units within their unusual standing-head-room engine space.
The new vessel also features an open helm zone amidship, including sleek instrument panels on center and riding seats port and starboard. There is ample wrap-around seating just aft of the helm, port, and starboard with high-low dining tables and rod storage below. There is also an aft mezzanine deck with aft-facing seating that includes tackle storage. Integrated boxes within the raised mezzanine hold freezers, refrigerator, sink, grill, tackle and other lockers. Along with ample fish boxes, fitted flush within the generous cockpit, is a large bait tank within the transom.
Half a flight of steps down from the helm deck is the salon with the galley to starboard. The galley includes a food-preparation island and a full complement of appliances under sleek stone tops and encased in modern cabinetry. To port is the lounge and TV viewing area with built in storage and library. The wrap-around windows illuminate the “Vista Cabin” with natural light, bringing an open, spacious ambience to the interior. Forward is a laundry room and pantry as well as a bow bunk cabin and head that can be offered as one or two cabins. Aft is a full-beam master suite under the helm deck with a queen-sized bed, built-in dressers, hanging locke, and large head.
The overall styling is typical of Setzer’s work: A bit of the past is referenced in key lines, such as the sheer and bow, along with hints of retro vessels and modern nuances for the deck house and windscreen. The Winter hull was almost a perfect match to the Setzer hull, the designer noted, but with a more “Carolina” flavor and the trademark Winter transom.
“The two will mesh quite well,” Setzer said. “And based on the performance of Tim’s recently launched 62’ ‘Galot3’ the design should be both a tournament angler’s favorite and a great cruising boat for long weekends in the islands. The efficiency of the Zeus Pod drives will offer even more advantages for longer trips and easy docking when in port.”
Overall this yacht is intended to be unique amongst a fleet of options, he stressed, and beautiful — both at rest and underway.
For more information on Setzer Design Group, visit www.setzerdesign.com. For more information on Winter Custom Yachts, visit www.wintercustomyachts.com.
posted by blueplate pr
Setzer Gets Projects Underway in Taiwan, Mainland China, Holland
April 30, 2009 at 1:22 am | In business, luxury living, superyachts, yacht design, yachting industry | Leave a CommentTags: superyacht designers, superyachts, yacht architect, yacht designers, yachts
April 30, 2009 (CARY, NC, USA) – Yacht architects Setzer Design Group has signed on with Monte-Fino Yachts in Taiwan to provide a series of new, ultra-modern products for its lines from 60 feet to 115 feet.
Monte-Fino is one of many lines produced by Kha-Shing Enterprises of Taiwan (www.taiwanyacht.com), who also produce the Hargrave Yachts.
The studio already has projects underway in mainland China at King Bay Yachts and has further work pending start up later this Summer.
Setzer is also preparing for the initial release of a 70-meter (230’) megayacht for Dutch builder Icon Yachts (www.iconyachts.eu). Unique conceptual work is already underway and will be released for review by late May.
Setzer has teamed up on the Icon Project with Adriel Rollins of Seattle, Washington (www.adrieldesign.net). Adriel is assisting with vessel interiors and other parts of visualization and industrial design to enhance the overall work. Both firms are determined to prove a highly innovative design will result from such open-minded, collaborative efforts.
“These projects to be exemplary of what can be achieved when U.S. designers work together on a global scale,” said yacht architect Ward Setzer.
Ward Setzer founded Setzer Design Group in Cary, North Carolina, n 1991. Before that, he served as staff designer for the late J.B. Hargrave and, later, manager of Hatteras Yachts Custom Division. The studio’s custom and production vessels have received numerous awards, including three Super Yacht Society awards, and have been featured in many international industry magazines and journals over the firm’s history.
For more information on Setzer Design Group, visit www.setzerdesign.com.
posted by blueplate pr, Raleigh, NC
Setzer Eyes Another World Superyacht Award
April 22, 2009 at 11:34 pm | In leisure activity, luxury living, superyachts, yacht design, yachting industry | Leave a CommentTags: megayacht design, naval architect, superyacht designer, yacht designer, yachts
Marama
April 21, 2009 (CARY, NC, USA) – Setzer Design Group’s Marama is a finalist for the 2010 World Superyachts Awards.
Marama – Fijan for “lady” – is a full-displacement expedition yacht built by Delta Marine in 2008. Marama was designed and built to an extreme seaworthy criterion permitting her to take on all the challenges of the South Pacific where she’s spent most of her time.
A robust and seaworthy superyacht, Marama features elegant styling with a mahogany interior reminiscent of classic sailing yachts. With her 23,600-gallon fuel capacity Marama’s range – 9,200 nautical miles — exceeds virtually any yachts of similar size, according to Delta Marine.
Winners of the World Superyachts Awards will be announced during a ceremony to be held May 16, 2009, at the historic Guildhall in London. For more information, go to www.worldsuperyachts.com.
Founded by yacht architect Ward Setzer in 1991, Setzer Design Group has received eight International Superyacht Society Design Awards and multiple Showboats Awards. For more information on Setzer Design Group, visit www.setzerdesign.com.
posted by blueplate pr
Lather Hair Salon Extends Reach, Online Presence By Blogging
April 9, 2009 at 4:01 pm | In beauty, fashion, hair styling, luxury living | Leave a CommentTags: North Raleigh hair salons, Raleigh hair salons, Raleigh makeup artists
April 7, 2009 (RALEIGH, NC) – “Contrary to popular opinion, the ‘perfect blowout’ is not rocket science.” That’s the headline for just one of the many on-going advise columns Lather, a Raleigh hair salon, offers visitors to its website (www.latherhairsalonnc.com) in a helpful-hints-and-tips blog called “Hair Academy 101.”
Lather has found a way to keep visitors coming back to its website, to extend its professional services beyond the confines of the salon itself, and to increase its SEO (search engine optimization) by consistently posting fresh, useful content — advice and how-tos — on its blog.
Recently, Lather’s “Hair Academy” even offered ideas for making visits to the salon – any salon – less frequent in this difficult economy through a post entitled “Hair Tips for Tough Times.” That might seem counter-intuitive to competitors, but to Lather’s owner and master stylist Jessica Williams, it’s good karma.
“In these tough economic times we recognize that customers cannot always come in to the salon as frequently as they were accustomed to,” Williams said. “I have no problem giving helpful tips to customers that will help them save money and help maintain their current style. In the long run, clients will really appreciate the thought behind it.”
Other recent posts offer Lather Hair Salon stylists’ “insider tips” on products and color maintenance; advice on how to choose the right brush and bristles for specific types of hair: the truth about drugstore-brand products versus professional salon hair care products; and what to do in the event of a “home hair color disaster.”
About the latter, Williams notes, “We do write about helpful hints specifically to be helpful. But we don’t want to encourage clients to take professional hair care services into their own hand. Some things really should be left up to professionals.”
Then there’s the technological advantage to Lather’s blog:
“A blog is an easy, do-it-yourself way for Lather to keep offering fresh information and to create links back to the salon’s website,” said David Killian, art director at Raleigh graphic design firm Killer Creative. “It gives Lather more ‘searchable’ content. A blog is more of a living thing than a website, constantly changing. Search engines love that.”
Lather Hair Salon’s blog is accessed on the website’s landing page by clicking on “Specials” then scrolling down to “Hair Academy 101.”
A full-service hair salon, Lather opened as an upscale Raleigh hair salon in October of 2008 just off Glenwood North/Highway 70 at 8521 Cantilever Way, For more information, including business hours, appointments, and other specials, go to www.latherhairsalonnc.com. Lather is also available on Facebook and at triangle.citysearch.com.
Posted by blueplate pr
Setzer Unveils Ultra-Modern 67′ Motoryacht for Kingbay
March 20, 2009 at 12:23 am | In luxury living, superyachts, yacht design, yachting industry | Leave a CommentTags: Kingbay Yachts, Setzer Design Group
March 19, 2008 (CARY NC, USA) – Award-winning yacht architect Ward Setzer, principal of Setzer Design Group in Cary, North Carolina, has unveiled the model of the retro-modern, 67’ design for Kingbay Yacht Manufacturing Co. Ltd. in Ningbo, China.
This unique design is intended to be a blend of features from the designer’s larger projects yet within the easily maneuverable platform of a smaller cruising vessel. The three staterooms include a full beam master suite aft and optional fourth stateroom forward.
The vessel’s hull form is designed to allow for a variety of powering packages, including its standard CAT C12E engines that will provide a cruising speed of 18.5 knots and a top speed of 25 knots. Further powering options within the design’s stand-up engine space will provide speeds up to 32 knots.
The design also includes a generous galley, open salon and dining amidships, as well as a piloting area starboard with generous chart flats. The cockpit offers an oversized swim platform, built-in seating, tackle and general storage cabinets, and a sink/grilling zone. The aft coach house includes two exterior seating options along with the standard tender storage layout. An elevated fly-bridge steering station and adjacent lounge area give guests an uninterrupted view of the sea.
The overall design has been kept low, sleek and easily operable by its owners, and thus not requiring a professional crew. The result is a fast-passage-making cruiser with all the modern amenities of Setzer Design Group’s larger yachts. Further versions are planned to create a line of vessels in the form of sedan/cockpit and sun-roof express models.
Since the U.S. markets are the primary audience for this design, most of the marine products used to manufacture the vessels will be imported from the United States to allow for service and warranty from U.S. based vendors.
Kingbay Yachts was founded in 2005 and presently manufactures fiberglass production vessels up to 70’ feet in length within its state-of-the-art facilities in Ningbo, China, a medium-sized city approximately 100 miles south of Shanghai on the Pacific Ocean where fishing fleets have been established for centuries. Kingbay principals have visited major U.S. and European trade shows for the past few years, conducting research and interviewing designers such as Setzer. Sales of the vessels will be coordinated through a well-known dealership in South Florida.
The Setzer studio currently has multiple projects underway in Taiwan and further projects slated for Mainland China later this year. For more information on Ward Setzer and Setzer Design Group, visit http://www.setzerdesign.com.
For more information on Kingbay Yacht Manufacturing Company, visit http://www.kingbay.cc.
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Posted by blueplate pr
Award-winning House by Frank Harmon Featured on Triangle Modernist Homes Tour
March 13, 2009 at 6:42 pm | In green architecture, luxury living | Leave a CommentTags: architecture, green architecture, modern architecture, modern homes
photo by Timothy Hursley
March 13, 2009, 2009 (RALEIGH, NC) – An ultra-modern home that’s won three design awards and has been featured in Architectural Record, Dwell, the News & Observer, Triangle Business Journal and Raleigh Metro Magazine, as well as on numerous design and/or “green” websites, will be open for touring during the Triangle Modernist Homes (TMH) Tour to be held in Raleigh April 4.
The Strickland-Ferris Residence, designed by Frank Harmon, FAIA, principal of Frank Harmon Architect PA in Raleigh will give TMH tourists a chance to see exactly what’s beneath the huge butterfly-shaped roof that seems to flutter above the treetops on a steep hillside overlooking Crabtree Creek in the Laurel Hills subdivision in West Raleigh.
The house is perched on nine, broad-shouldered wood trusses that allowed Harmon to save every single major tree on the site and that permit air and water to flow under the building. The butterfly-shaped roof opens the interior to views northwards to the creek and funnels rainwater into a collection system on the south side. The entire creek-side elevation is glass.
Entrance to the house is a progression from the top of the hill, across a bridge, and into a balcony foyer, at which point the drama of the scenery outside fills the interior through north-facing glass walls. From the balcony, a metal staircase descends past the glass (in essence, through the trees) to the main living/dining room, which, in turn, opens onto a partially secluded south-facing terrace below the entrance bridge. The kitchen and second bedroom are located on this level. The master bedroom is located on the upper level, off the balcony entrance.
Under the roof’s deep overhangs, the view of nature fills every room. Laminated wood columns and beams, plainly bracketed together and reminiscent of a tree house, also strengthen the presence of nature indoors. Partition walls between rooms stop short of reaching the exposed-wood ceiling. Pocket doors between spaces feature “frosted” central panels in the spirit of shoji screens.
Owned by Lynda Strickland and Marty Ferris, the house has received design awards from the North Carolina Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (NC/AIA), NC/AIA Triangle section, and from the Triangle Architecture Awards program. The TMH Tour is the first time the house has been open for public touring.
The April 4th tour celebrates the 60th anniversary of North Carolina State University’s College of Design. All of the modernist houses on the tour represent the work of NC School of Design alumni and/or faculty, including Frank Harmon, James Fitzgibbon, Brian Shawcroft, George Matsumoto, Henry Kamphoefner, Robert Burns, Vinny Petrarca, John Reese, Milton Small and Carter Williams.
For more information on TMH and the tour, go to www.trianglemodernisthomes.com. For more information on Frank Harmon and the Strickland-Ferris House, visit www.frankharmon.com.
posted by blueplate pr
Superyacht UK Tour Proves The Time Is Right For Setzer Design Group’s New “Vision”
May 17, 2008 at 1:09 am | In luxury living, yacht design | Leave a CommentTags: megayachts, Setzer Design Group, superyachts, yacht architect, yacht designer
May 15, 2008 (CARY, NC) – When superyacht architect Ward Setzer of Setzer Design Group joined the 2008 Superyacht United Kingdom Tour of Excellence in April, he was after more than a good look at Britain’s shipyards and updates on the UK supply chain. He was also looking for proof that a new series of futuristic vessels he’s been designing since the first of the year is both valid and timely.
He returned from the trip convinced that he’s right on target.
Setzer Design Group, headquartered in Cary, North Carolina, is well known worldwide for designing both modern and classic vessels of all sizes that boast sea-worthy hull forms, design innovations, and elegant refinement. For 17 years, the studio has turned out over 200 power and sailing vessels that, above all else, are thoroughly capable of being built and taken to sea.
With that experience, reputation, and pedigree as his foundation, and with the encouragement he received during the UK tour, Setzer is now preparing to introduce a new series of superyachts (130 ft. to 300 ft., or 40-100 meters). After attending numerous boat shows over the past year, he believes these vessels will “challenge the established tastes so ingrained in the yachting community, which, at its heart, wants to see change.” He calls it his “Vision Series.”
Ward Setzer was the only yacht designer and the only American on the tour. He spent his days in Britain surrounded by brokers and builders from around the globe, including China, France, Germany, Holland, Italy, Finland, Monaco, and Russia. The group also toured large, prestigious shipyards such as Pendennis and Devonport.
“In some ways, this was a fact-finding mission. I’m always looking for quality shipyards, so any opportunity to tour yards and understand their various attributes is very valuable,” said Setzer, who has been on similar tours in New Zealand, Holland and Italy. “I also needed to gain a greater understanding of British superyacht services.”
But mostly he listened to what his peers in the industry were talking about and most excited by.
“This trip solidified and reinforced my focus on the new series,” he said. “The timing is not only right for us to step up to the new cutting edge of our Industry, but also to venture out upon its very tip, so to speak. If we fail to challenge popular, established tastes, we’re simply following the status quo. That’s not what made our studio a dominant player over the years and certainly not what will take us into 2010 and beyond.”
Setzer Design Studio will begin releasing images and details of the Vision Series this summer.
The British Marine Federation, the trade association for the British boating industry, sponsored the tour, which included stops in London; South Hampton; Falmouth, and Newquay. The group also toured the HMS Victory, built between 1759 and 1765, now in dry dock at Portsmouth’s Royal Naval Dockyard and used as a living museum to the Royal Navy.
Setzer is now planning similar tours of China and Taiwan in his on-going quest to gain as much insight as possible into the future of the superyacht industry.
Ward Setzer, former staff designer for the late J.B. Hargrave and, later, manager of Hatteras Yachts Custom Division, founded Setzer Design Group in 1991. The studio’s custom and production vessels have received numerous awards, including three Super Yacht Society awards, and have been in many industry magazines and journals. For more information, visit www.setzerdesign.com.
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