- Dozens of custom and semi-production tenders designed by BYD Group

- The BYD tenders portfolio includes sport boats, limousines and water taxis running up to 40 kn

- Clients as diverse as Nuva Yachts, V2 Boats and Platinum Yachts Marine

From floating islands to sports fishing boats, the team at Spain’s BYD has experience of designing most types of vessel. But the Barcelona-Palma de Mallorca based naval architecture firm has particular pedigree when it comes to superyacht tenders, with dozens of custom and semi-production projects under its belt.

9m Hysucat BYD

BYD naval architect Tia Simó believes that his team’s wide-ranging skillsets are the reason for the firm’s success in the rarefied superyacht tender market. “We work daily on superyachts as well as on production boats, and this gives us the best of both worlds,” he says. “We can combine the performance of a smaller boat with the features and quality of a superyacht, all without losing sight of costs. It is really all about keeping comfort, seaworthiness and performance in mind to produce a balanced design.”

Designs like the 11m sport limousine, built in Dubai by Palm Composites using a lightweight epoxy sandwich construction. Gleaming white topsides, a luxurious privacy glass cabin and a generous forward cockpit for short harbour runs all combine in a sleek package capable of 40 knots, yet easily craned aboard and stowed in the mothership’s garage.

11m Tender

Or the V1 Tender Taxi, which represents 10m of blisteringly fast comfort, combining transfer speeds of 40 knots-plus with silky handling and striking, modern looks. It also features a host of original design elements, such as top-hinged companionway doors and swivelling armrests that offer deep padding one side and a luxurious drinks holder on the other.

“This tender was designed as a production model for V1 Yachts in Dubai,”says Simó. “We drew two versions: an open tender and a taxi tender - both equipped with diesel jets and built in lightweight composites. We spared no detail to create a very comfortable interior space, so that guests can enjoy their transfer in perfect ease, no matter the conditions outside. I’m particularly proud of the elegant lines, which should look as good in 20 years as they do now.”

12m Runabout

BYD boats a team of experienced interior and exterior designers, plus engineers and naval architects. It adds up to a full-service design bureau which is as sought after for refit and upgrade work as it is for new builds. Although they make ample use of cutting-edge technology, the design process begins with the refreshingly simple act of putting pen to paper.

“First of all, we draw up an ‘envelope’ of the client’s requirements and restrictions,”says Simó. “Regardless of whether it’s a custom or production project, we always move on to sketching ideas on paper, or sometimes on a tablet by hand. Only after throwing dozens of ideas on the board do we select the combination that we like most as a team. We share the result with the client for approval, before producing CAD drawings and 3D renderings. Occasionally, a client will even ask for animations to bring the concept to life.”

Nuva M6OPEN - BLACKPANTHER

BYD has no ‘house style’, preferring to approach every project with a blank sheet of paper. The most important consideration is inevitably the design of the mother ship, which limits the dimensions of the tender and imparts styling cues. Beyond that, says Simó, “we love simple and elegant lines that never get outdated. We prefer to avoid decorative materials that perform no function, but we like to emphasise technical elements that become a design feature. We also love to mix natural materials and high-tech lightweight composites like carbon.”

It is an approach that has landed clients as diverse as Nuva Yachts, V2 Boats and Platinum Yachts Marine.

About BYD Group

Bravo Yacht Design Group or BYD Group (previously known as Barcelona Yacht Design Group) was founded in 2004 and is managed by Tià Simó and Raúl Gonzalo. Based in the Spanish yachting hubs of Barcelona and Palma de Mallorca, it offers a complete design and naval architecture service for new construction as well as refits, working in partnership with yacht builders or directly with yacht owners themselves.

BYD Group has an international network of partners and, after almost two decades of continually expanding operation, it has truly earned its place as a trusted name in the yachting community. It works on the full spectrum of vessels, from smaller watercraft to superyachts, both sailing yachts and motoryachts, and has a number of international awards to its name.

With 20 and 30 years respectively of experience in the design, development, engineering and refitting of yachts, Simó and Gonzalo both studied naval architecture at the renowned Southampton University and Southampton Solent University. Their team includes naval architects, structural engineers, hydrodynamicists, exterior and interior designers - all alumni of Europe’s leading design institutions, such as Southampton University & Institute, Coventry University, ELISAVA design school and renowned Italian schools for interior design. BYD Group is a member of ANEN (the Spanish Nautical Association) and RINA (the Royal Institute of Naval Architects).

BYD Group considers its fleet to be a part of the family for the long-term. Thanks to the company’s extensive in-house skillset and investment in the most sophisticated design technologies available, it is able to support a yacht through its entire life cycle, from the earliest concept drawings with clients, construction phases and delivery to the annual maintenance, periodic refits and full-scale upgrades.

Press Office Sand People Communication