Vafiadis: "Continuing to experiment is the only way to grow."

Yacht designers, strange people. This isn't always the case, but it's true that in recent years, designers have dramatically increased their importance within the world of high-end yachting. Shipyards compete for them, projects are increasingly ambitious and often daring, fees are rising, and so are egos, so much so that some designers have now assumed the stance of superstars.

The nautical “purists” resist, professionals and studios that began life designing boats and continue to make (almost) only those, while others from the most diverse sectors, such as automotive, furniture, or residential, are entering the market, creating the famous “contaminations” of styles and shapes and leading to results that are sometimes brilliant, sometimes less so.

Many projects, including boats, involve different designers: generally, there's a distinction between the yacht designer and the interior designer, but even with this supposedly clear-cut division, the coexistence of these "signatures" isn't always easy. Even for a shipyard, reconciling the owners' requests (sometimes it would be more accurate to say "demands"), the choices of one or more designers, and construction requirements can be a complex exercise.

It's helpful to hear someone's voice, preferably an authoritative one, to understand how it works.

The Vafiadis family's history of yacht design has already reached its second generation: founder Giorgio has long since been joined by his son Stefano, ensuring the continuity of one of the most famous studios in the Italian nautical industry, based in Rome.

Extremely courteous in his manner, clear ideas but calm tones, and no indulgence in self-referentiality, Stefano Vafiadis is truly far from the “star” status that some of his colleagues have assigned to themselves.

Vafiadis, how do you collaborate with other designers on important projects? 

"Look, we generally have excellent relationships with our colleagues, and I'm not saying this because I 'have to' say it. Perhaps because after so many years in the business, started by my father, we're now a benchmark in the nautical industry and everyone respects us. Big projects are fluid, we're open to working with others, and it's often an enrichment for everyone."

But where do we start from?

“We always start from a blank sheet of paper, and from freehand drawing (which, coming from such a young designer, still has a certain effect, ed). As a studio, we are not fond of repetition, even though we have worked on series of important and highly successful boats, I am thinking for example of the megayachts of the DOM line by Baglietto”.

Changing something that works and is liked is not easy.but, right?

"Exactly, it always requires effort, but we like to experiment, and it's the only way to grow, ultimately: even by working alongside other colleagues, of course. We keep drawing until we reach the pure idea, the soul of the project: then the engineering phase begins."

What distinguishes the Vafiadis studio, what are your distinctive features?

"We want to design boats that are aesthetically pleasing, with universally appreciated lines. Baglietto's 133 DOM, for which we designed both the exterior and interior, is an example of this: it's a boat with a contemporary style, very marine and Mediterranean, not trendy. We wanted to create a 'floating villa' on the sea, graceful, with sharp, flowing lines, softened by some automotive-inspired elements, reminiscent of coupés."

Besides Baglietto, who are you working with?

We have a long-standing partnership with the Greek shipyard Golden Yachts, specializing in the construction of vessels over 50 meters, with whom we built, among other things, the 95-meter O'Pari 4, delivered in 2020. Delivery is imminent for the 78-meter O'Rea, a megayacht with an aggressive and dynamic profile for an owner open to innovation. This vessel features extensive glass and a strong connection between the exterior and interior, a design that breaks away from traditional conventions. The boats we designed for Golden Yachts are highly sought after on the charter market, precisely because of those universal qualities we mentioned.

Let's close with a word on the market: what kind of moment do you see for high-end boating?

"It remains a vibrant time, owner interest is extremely high, and we've seen many beautiful boats around even at recent boat shows. From a design perspective, the nautical world is more vibrant and creative than other sectors, like the automotive industry, and today's boats are from a different planet compared to when we started out; the changes have been remarkable."

He always speaks with great enthusiasm, is it his young age?

“To do this job you need a lot of passion, but for those who live in the sailing industry, it's difficult not to have it.”

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