It would be difficult to find a more cosmopolitan designer. He is a Spaniard, born in Nikaragua, lives in USA, cooperates with a German company and builds yachts in Taiwan. Juan Carlos Espinoza. Is in exclusive interview especially for our readers.

– Please tell about your career in yacht design, about your education and the first working experience.

– I was born in Nicaragua, in Central America. In 1981 I moved to the USA, Chicago to study in the Illinois University in the architecture department. After graduation I attended the Architecture and Town building school and finished my study in 1985.

My first working experience was for the architectural company Atwood Yachts where I worked on the project of the biggest yacht ever built in the USA. It was the yacht called TIME by Palmer Johnson. The 125-foot yacht with interiors by Atwood Yachts was designed by the former naval architect Tom Fexas. It was the first yacht which interiors were worked out by the team of 3 designers. I was working for this company for 4 years and in the meantime visited various international boat shows demonstrating this yacht. I liked to travel all over the world and to be
the first to see the newest yacht models built at that time.

Later in 1989 I moved to Stewart, Florida on Tom’s advice where I have been living till now and cooperate with him in design of his yachts.

– What do you think about the qualities of a yacht designer? What features lead to success?

– I really believe that my architectural education helps me a lot in developing the nice and aesthetic interior designs. In my opinion the sense of harmony, proportion, contrast taught by all architects is very important for a successful yacht designer. Also it is very important to listen very attentively and consider all recommendations and wishes of the customers. There is no point to design anything deferring only to your own taste if the project does not conform to the customer`s requirements.

– How can you describe your own yacht style? Do you prefer any yacht schools?

– As a naval architect engaged in yacht design, I am a bit more conservative than the yacht designers having other education. Maybe it is because we do not have any preconceptions what a yacht should look like or how and in which sequence the works should be done. I really believe that new designers bring a lot of new and fresh ideas into this field.

– What are the main principles in your work? What inspires you?

– The wishes of a customer are the most important for me. If all his wishes come true, he will be the happiest customer truly enjoying his yacht for a long time. I am lucky with the customers who are ready to try anything new and unusual, differing from stereotypes. Such customers inspire me to create unique yachts which are a pleasure to the eye and gladden my customers travelling around the world.

– You work on motor yachts only. Have you ever designed sailing yachts? Do you want to try yourself in any other fields of design, like realty or fashion?

– Long ago when I worked for Atwood Yachts, I participated in development of the interior design for the new type of sailing yachts. I would be glad to work on the design of sailing yachts when such an opportunity occurs. At the moment I am engaged in a project of environmentally friendly houses Eco-Lodge in my home country Nicaragua. It fully differs from my work as a yacht designer. Also I had an experience of design furniture produced in England. There is one thing I have never tried but eager to try: to design sport cars!

– One of your latest projects – cooperation with Drettmann GmbH. What other famous shipyards do you cooperate with?

– At the present moment we develop the large series of the new design for Drettmann GmbH – the first yacht manufacturer in Europe. This is an expeditionary type of yachts (some of them are able to sail during the ice drift); they are self-sufficient and have the ample fuel endurance. We design models starting from 66 foot to 170. They will appear on the market as soon as the first 20 yachts are built.

Another big design series is developed for Horizon Yachts in Taiwan. This is a large yacht manufacturer in Taiwan with 1200 persons of personnel working on 3 different shipyards. We have developed a series of the new modern mega yachts from 110 to 163 foot. These are five 130` Motoryachts, two 120 Raised Pilot House Motoryachts, one 154`, another one 163 Motoryacht – all these models are in the process of construction at the moment. These series are wide spread.

– Can you reveal some of your customer`s names?

– I was always surprised by the fact that people who can afford such expensive yachts are so glad to cooperate with me! Unfortunately, I can not reveal their names; the contracts always include a clause about non-disclosure of the customer`s names. But as you can imagine, people who can afford such things are very rich and many of them are very famous.

– Do you know any Russian shipyards? We have several shipyards which build yachts receiving awards in various European nominations…

– I know that there are several qualified shipyards in Russia and look for an opportunity to cooperate with them in the near future. I have no doubts that they can build excellent yachts competitive on the world market.

– What do you think about the yacht design in the future? Will yachts become longer, larger and more expensive or do you see other ways of yacht design development?

– We see that the size of new-build yachts become larger and larger though. I believe that the new technologies will change the yachtbuilding soon: the new ecological motors and motors-hybrids will be mostly used and the quantity of yachts with not efficient and polluting motors will be decreased.

Konstantin Startsev

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