2022 Innovation of the Year Award in yacht design won by a transforming sunbed arrangement

British luxury performance motor yacht brand Sunseeker has won the ‘Innovation of the Year’ award at the BOAT International Design and Innovation Awards 2022 for its spectacular X-TEND system. The awards acknowledged everything from architecture, styling, innovation and engineering of today’s superyachts to the changing demands of owners and exceptional use of new technology.

The X-TEND is an innovative approach to making the best use of both aft and cockpit deck areas using a transforming sunbed arrangement. The novel innovation converts to transform the ‘Beach Club’ area of a Sunseeker yacht into a private outdoor sanctuary. The X-TEND sunbed system offers diverse functionality at the stern of Sunseeker’s larger yacht models in the range.

Available on the new Sunseeker 88 yacht, 90 Ocean and 100 yacht, it provides a multifunctional waterside area that hydraulically opens to become a large sun pad ideal for sunbathing at water level. When the sunbed is not in use, it is cleverly concealed into the stern, ensuring that owners can make the most of the platform to access and launch a tender if specified or simply sunbathe waterside.

The X-TEND sunbed converts to transform the ‘Beach Club’ area of a Sunseeker yacht into a private outdoor sanctuary.

Set beneath the X-TEND sunbed are a variety of options to complement the owner’s desired usage of the space, an overhead rain shower and a generous storage space for all the essentials any owner would need at water level, including dedicated lockers for two Seabobs, diving equipment and towels. Whilst standing on the platform, the moulding of the X-TEND can provide an area of shade in its semi-raised position.

In its fully raised position, the X-TEND sunbed completely transforms the aft cockpit with its generous sized sunbed facing forward into this popular social seating area, adding over one metre of additional usable space for large groups. The innovative design allows a multiplicity of arrangements on one of the main entertainment spaces on-board.

Andrea Frabetti, Chief Executive Officer at Sunseeker International, commented: “To win the ‘Innovation of the Year’ award at the Superyacht Design Festival is an incredible achievement for the company and is a testament to the hard work of the team which comprises of over 100 designers and engineers. Sunseeker’s in-house Design and Engineering Team is continuously looking for ways to improve the user experience by providing novel and exciting solutions to client requirements.”

Ewen Foster, Chief Technical Officer at Sunseeker International, added: “These prestigious international awards attract global interest, and winning our category against such illustrious and strong competition demonstrates just how committed and capable we are in being able to offer clever innovation to our clients whatever the type and size of the vessel. Innovation is along with practicality, efficiency and style, has always been a primary driving force within our Design Team. The X-TEND™ feature was conceived and engineered entirely by our very strong and experienced in-house Design and Engineering Team. Our design process involves all disciplines under one roof, working in parallel on all aspects which ensures innovation can blossom and immediately be incorporated into the broader design. This ensures our clients enjoy a standout wow-factor feature that complements, and is completely integrated, within the wider yacht design.”