Jack of all trades
Whether you need a megayacht, an eco-friendly solar-powered catamaran, a sloop, or a chaseboat, he's got it all. Malcolm McKeown is a versatile designer. Late last year, Feadship showed a concept of a 78-meter megayacht-transformer M770, their compatriots at Royal Huisman shipyard are ready to build the world's largest sloop Apex 850, and Polish Sunreef in 2020 placed an order to design a catamaran MM460 CAT. Finns from Baltic Yachts are now building a 33-meter sailing vessel. Meanwhile, Swedish boatbuilders Windy are taking orders for a 60-foot SLR60/SR60 centre-console tender. Scottish-born McKeown is a true citizen of the world, and his openness to new things stems from the fact that he has travelled extensively since childhood.
As a boy, he brought his father to the yacht club and asked him to buy a small P-class sailboat (the McKeons were living in Fiji at the time), eventually infecting both his parents and brother with yachting. He then moved to what was then British Hong Kong and joined the Royal Yacht Club, where he progressed to large keelboats, was accepted in the 1977 Admiral's Cup team, and decided to devote his life to yacht design. McKeown studied naval architecture at Solent University in Southampton, but after the southern sun, he was not too keen on England and was quite a mediocre student. But during the vacations, he interned with yacht designer Ed Dubois, who designed a boat for their Admiral's Cup team. After graduating in 1981, he joined Dubois and rose to partner in the company. He has over 200 yacht projects under his belt and almost ten years in business for himself. Today, he's still going strong, creativity-wise.
Yachting: You have recently presented your next project for Feadship, the MM770. Many of the details for it are clearly borrowed from sailboats. What explains your choice, apart from the fact that you are an avid yachtsman and have done many sailing projects? Is the infiltration of sailing aesthetics into motor yacht designs a significant modern trend?
Malcolm McKeown: We were approached by a client to design a motor yacht; I took over the exterior, and Mark Whiteley picked up the interiors. And we came up with the idea to add elements traditional to sailing models. The use of wood not only for the decking but also in the bulwarks and transom visually softens the harshness of the exterior that is so attractive in other motor yachts.
At the same time, such an approach offers more space and more options in layout design than a sailboat, and we were able to add many different details, including a soaring glass-bottomed pool with a beach club below, a helipad, a 14-seat movie theatre, and a wine cellar.
I think that the borrowing you mentioned has become an important trend, not so much for aesthetics as for functionality. That’s why motor yachts have adopted such elements as huge windows and lots of open spaces to maintain visual contact with the water, as well as some features of the hull structure. I believe this will continue as owners seek to improve the performance of their boats.
Your project for the world's largest sloop, the Apex 850, has a minimalist design combined with a very impressive size. How do you think such projects affect the yachting industry as a whole?
The shift towards sailboats today is also due to the fact that sail is associated with ecology. However, we should not forget that clients want the same level of luxury as on a motor yacht. That’s why sailing yachts of large sizes are becoming more and more popular.
You have designed boats for different shipyards, and each of them is endowed with recognisable features of the brand for which it was created. How can a designer implement his or her own creative handwriting while staying within the brand's style?
I wouldn't say that the choice of shipyard is directly related to any of its inherent aesthetics. The choice of a yard depends more on engineering and build quality than on the exterior of its previous boats. Above all, our projects are completely individualised and controlled by the client, with whom we develop the concept together.
At the same time, our own aesthetics are preserved. When we are asked to create a concept, we come up with a number of ideas. Unused variants then become concepts in their own right, but still, we don't usually design abstractly without thinking about the client.
For us, the technical specification is the basis of the basics. Of course, it's always more interesting to work with a customer who is well versed in design and also understands the various technical problems that arise when developing a new concept.
What characteristics must a yacht possess to be considered a timeless, pure classic?
I am primarily interested in modern design, but there is a risk that trendy solutions with a “wow effect” will not stand the test of time. I would like to think that our designs are harmonious in form and are timeless. Yacht design continues to move forward by leaps and bounds, and the pace of development has not slowed down for many years.
I would say the key factor is the lightweight, innovative materials. They are a real passion for me as a designer; they allow me to improve the seaworthiness of the yacht, and therefore, the owner will get more pleasure in the journey. The widespread use of these materials frees up the designer's mind, and there are fewer technical constraints in our work, making exterior design a much more interesting endeavour than before.
Your website states that a green approach is a key trend in the yachting industry of the future. What aspects in this direction do you intend to address in yourself?
Nowadays, all customers are interested in "green" technologies, and I believe this is not a tribute to fashion or propaganda influence, but a logical and justified approach. We are implementing a number of innovative fuel economy solutions to reduce emissions and operating costs. And we are always looking for new ideas!
New projects by Malcolm McKeown
APEX 850, Royal Huisman
Two of the ten largest sailing yachts in the world, Athena and Sea Eagle II, are built by Royal Huisman. The Apex 850 will be the world's third and largest sloop-equipped yacht. She will be 85 meters long, and her carbon fibre mast will rise 107 meters above the water (for comparison, this is 14 meters higher than the Statue of Liberty). The sail area will be 3,200 square meters on a sharp course and 4,700 square meters downwind. The hull will be built of aluminium, the superstructure will be completely glass, and a system of sliding windows and doors will allow playing with deck space, combining the saloon with a terrace, making the cockpit open or closed. The entire aft section will be taken up by a 250 square meter master suite, from where there will be a direct access to the beach club, which also can serve as a movie theatre. There will be four guest cabins, a fitness centre, a sauna, and a wine cellar with a humidor. The only thing left to do is to wait for the customer.
Baltic 110
Finnish Baltic Yachts announced the signing of a contract to build a 33.5-meter custom sailboat in May 2021, and now the first exterior renderings have been published. The exterior design of the all-carbon Baltic 110 has been developed by Malcolm McKeon Yacht Design studio, in collaboration with whom the yard launched the award-winning 34-meter Liara in 2019. A name has yet to be chosen for the new sloop, but the hull has already been laid, with a delivery due date scheduled for 2023.
According to Malcolm McKeown, the construction is all carbon fibre, and the extensive use of glass for the superstructure will give the interior a feeling of lightness and openness.
The yacht will be equipped with an electric propulsion system to meet the highly strict IMO Tier III emission control standards.
Windy SL / SLR 60
The 18-meter chaseboat is sure to take its rightful place in the garages of many megayachts. It can be used as a tender to commute back and forth to the shore as well as for independent sailing. The first hull has already been tested on the water.
McKeown has given it many of the features of a sailing yacht. The strongly elongated hull has a straight stem, lowered transom, and longitudinal battens.
The swim club, cockpit, and centre control console of this round-trip cruiser are all placed on the same level. Only the expansive bow is raised to make a high ceiling in the cabin. The ergonomic passenger seats are mounted in a forward direction. In the cockpit, there are vis-a-vis two sofas separated by a wide table. The cockpit and control station are protected from the weather by a hardtop, but in rain and cold, you can go down to the white wood-panelled saloon with a galley.
The SL/SLR 60 can be used for a two- or three-day trip. The cabin can house a mountable wide double bed, and there still will be plenty of storage spaces for luggage and water toys on board. The new Windy will have a powerful propulsion system.
The basic cruiser will be powered by three Volvo Penta IPS 650 engines that will allow you to squeeze out 43 knots at maximum speed. And at 25 knots, the boat is capable of travelling 850 nautical miles. To compare, it's as if you left the main yacht in Monaco, sailed on the cruiser to Porto Cervo, had a good time over there, and then returned back to the main yacht. And this is all without refuelling. Impressive, isn’t it!
Sunreef MM460 CAT
This 46-meter-long, 16.65-meter-wide sailing catamaran features an impressive glass superstructure with a flybridge.
Under the canopy of the flybridge are a sun- and wind-sheltered lounge and an al fresco dining area, while a little further to the aft by the railings, L-shaped sofas disguise the steps leading down to the swim platforms.
At the bow of the main deck, there are the master suite and VIP cabins, overlooking the forward cockpit with daybeds and a Jacuzzi. To starboard are the guest cabins, four of which are equipped with bathrooms.
The MM460 CAT accommodates a 6.2-meter tender, a compartment for additional water toys, snorkel cylinders and a compressor, and wetsuit storage. The tender for crew or lifeguards is stowed in the forepeak, and there is also a space below the deck for two jet skis.
In the left hull, it is impossible to ignore the beach club at the aft end, equipped with a bar with high stools, a sauna, and a 2.5-meter-long folding swim platform.
The composite construction with a capacity of less than 500 gross tonnes is complemented by a carbon fibre mast and boom. She has a draft of only 3 meters when the centerboard is folded and settles down to 7 meters when the centerboard is lowered.
