Winning the Boat International Young Designer of the Year award has “fast-tracked” the career of Nicolò Piredda, the superyacht designer has said.
Nicolò, who won the competition in 2018 with his 60 metre explorer yacht concept Galàna, went on to complete a three month internship at the Dutch yard Oceanco before landing a full time job at Sinot Exclusive Yacht Design.
Nicolò described winning the award as a “career shortcut”. “As a young designer, I used to dream about getting involved in the superyacht industry and now I’m handling projects,” he said. “I couldn’t even imagine being here a year ago.”
The internship, which was won as part of Nicolò’s prize, saw him spend three months in the Dutch yard’s Monaco office, benefitting from the design team's vast experience.
During the internship, Nicolò worked across various processes including feasibility, construction, durability and concept development.
“Now that I’m working, I understand how useful that experience was for me,” he said. “I didn’t realise how many details had to be looked at in each design process – it was very useful to see how it all works.”
The majority of Nicolò’s internship, however, was spent working on one specific concept, for which he took sole responsibility.
“I took it into my own hands and did my best to take it to another level and give it a new freshness. I tried to learn as much as I could because I knew that this experience will be one of the main pillars of my knowledge,” he said. The concept will soon be published in its complete form, Nicolò said.
Nicolò also urged fellow young designers to enter the award, arguing that its prestige sets designers apart in a crowded market.
“The superyacht market is a small world that thousands of people are trying to find their place in – it’s difficult. I have been able to show what I can do to the whole market. It’s a great opportunity for all young designers.”