“We were very prolific,” says Heywood, whose most recent designs include the 377-foot Lürssen Pelorus (for which he shares design credit with Disdale) and the 177-foot Oceanfast Perfect Prescription. Heywood worked at the Bannenberg studio from 1972 until 1995, when he opened his own studio. He thinks Bannenberg’s group helped usher in what some are calling the golden era of yacht design. “They were great years. We were at the forefront of what was happening,” he says. “But I think the last eight years have seen an even greater impact of the yacht designer.”

Matters of Size
This impact lies, in part, with the increasing demand for supersized superyachts like Pelorus. “People are getting more comfortable with the idea of a yacht 300 or 400 feet long, and realizing the longer it is, the more elegant it can be,” says Heywood. “You can hear them saying: ‘In 1923 the New York Yacht Club had 200 yachts over 300 feet. We can do it again.’”

Perhaps, but the rules have changed dramatically over the last two decades. “Comparing a yacht of 15 years ago to today is like comparing a commercial airliner to the space shuttle,” says Gilbert. “They’re light-years ahead of where they were. Behind the walls are hundreds of miles of cable that connect the electrical systems, computer servers and communications networks.” Throw in the ventilation and high-tech soundproofing systems—all in a narrow space that must function seamlessly and look strikingly beautiful to the eye—and you create a tight-fitting jigsaw puzzle that would drive most nonyachting interior designers to distraction.

Paul Johnson has seen firsthand the challenges over the years. The owner’s project manager for Mirabella V (at 247 feet long, it will be the world’s largest single-masted sailboat when launched this spring), Johnson insists that the need for the design firm to produce the most technically accurate information available has become critical. “Twenty years ago, we’d wing it a bit on a 100-foot yacht,” says Johnson. “Now, if you don’t get everything spot-on, someone will come after you with a lawsuit.”