Having already received a special commendation at the 2022 World Superyacht Awards, Van der Valk’s Lady Lene has now won a major prize at the 2023 BOAT Design & Innovation Awards. The much-cherished Neptune trophy for Best Interior Design for Motor Yachts under 499GT was presented to our yard and Carla Guilhem Design at the gala ceremony held in the northern Italian ski resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo.
A judging panel of highly respected designers, naval architects and industry professionals from various countries decided the winners. As Boat International writes about Lady Lene’s win: “The Judges responded favourably to the elegant interior treatment on board this pure custom yacht, which was designed to accommodate a family member with compromised mobility. It was clear that the designers and builders understood and interpreted the owner’s brief well.”
“Every Van der Valk yacht requires teamwork of the highest order and the award for Lady Lene is a triumph for all involved in this project, including Ginton Naval Architects, Diana Yacht Design and the visionary owners,” says our sales manager. “I love the fact that Carla and her interior design team – as new kids on the block in the yachting industry – have been justifiably rewarded for their efforts on this fantastic project. We also expect that ADA compliance, the regulations for vessels designed for mobility challenged guests, will gain greater attention thanks to this award.”
The 14th edition of the BOAT Design & Innovation Awards attracted a wide range of first-class entries, which makes it all the sweeter that Lady Lene came out tops in the interior design category. The judges, led by renowned editors Marilyn Mower and Cecile Gauert, wrote the following in their report: “The owner’s brief included requirements for the feel of a beach villa, plenty of light, two owner’s suites, good space for crew and extra staff, and smartly positioned grab rails. Wrapped in supple leather, the latter are visually unobtrusive.
“There is easy flow all around the decks, from the stable boarding passerelle wide enough for a wheelchair all the way to the cabins, which are accessible via a lift. It’s a feature that is seldom seen in a yacht of this size. But remove the requirements for wheelchair access and the interior design of Lady Lene stands on its own merit as elegant, thoughtful and practical, qualities that the judges most appreciated, along with the versatility of key spaces.”
