After receiving the prestigious Concept Award at the International Yacht & Aviation Awards 2017 less than a week ago, Shaun Carkeek has confirmed that plans to build the worlds largest composite superyacht are already advancing. At 300ft, the Carkeek C 300 will be easily the largest boat of its kind ever constructed. It seems destined to herald a new age in sailing superyachts. The glitter at the Design et al Awards at the Hotel Cipriani in Venice has barely settled, now the record-breaking begins.
“No one has ever built a composite boat this size – I’m looking forward to turning the dream into reality,” Carkeek said. “The genesis idea of 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 Mirabella, which is just over 255ft and was launched in 2004. “We’re putting another 50ft onto that,” Carkeek said. “It’s a massive challenge, it’s 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 and the new systems and technology and how these aspects work together. We’re trying to make a 300ft yacht feel, perform and handle like a 100ft yacht.”
“It’s a megayacht for a passionate sailing person, the size of ship but it’s a high performance global cruising yacht capable of incredible average speeds +30knots. With regards to the style concept, there is a timeless quality but it has to have a futuristic twist because a boat like this will take no less than four years to build. We have that vision of the future.”
