London-based Winch Design’s global stature as a studio creating iconic designs for aviation, superyachts and seaside residences has built to super stardom since Andrew Winch founded the company in 1986. Now, they’re making their first foray into the American luxury production boat market, choosing Boston Boatworks as their first U.S. builder partner. We spoke with Jim Dixon, Head of Yachts and Aviation for Winch Design, about yacht design, our collaboration, and what customers can expect when they step aboard the BB44.
Jim describes his vision of an elegant home on the water designed to foster connections among family and friends in a tranquil setting. He and his team aimed to emphasize a strong connection with the natural world, creating spaces where owners and guests would want to spend their time. Their goal was to create a living environment that seamlessly integrated into the occupants’ lives, reflecting their diverse interests beyond just boats.
“Winch Design originated as a yacht designer, but over the past 37 years the company has developed into a globally leading multi-disciplinary studio that also specializes in aviation and residential and commercial properties,” Dixon said. “So, we have a very wide portfolio, but really understand the lifestyle of a very high-end clientele. But every client story is different, and therefore the product that we end up with at the end of the day is unique to them, that’s what we like to do.”
This collaboration, between longtime partners and new ideas, has culminated in a boat like no other on the market. “When customers step aboard the BB44, they’ll see something that they didn’t expect, because we’ve approached it differently from a functional point of view, from a practicality point of view, and the use point and lifestyle,” Dixon said. “And then, of course, that influences how the boat is visually, and how it feels, what the atmosphere of the boat is. They’re see something which is more modern, more reflective of today’s aspirations and desires. The atmosphere of the boat is different. The archetype of the boat comes from more classical styling, high-gloss woods, and things that the client base might expect to see. But today’s market really seems to like a lighter palette, texture, a closer character of nuance and sophistication.”
This air of sophistication, this history of spatial mastery and refined elegance that Winch Design possesses, is just one more way that the Boston Boatworks Offshore Express Cruiser Series distinguishes itself from the competition. “On some of our bigger projects, we really innovate and look at different ways of connecting the owner and their guests to the to the water, to the lifestyle of the environment and the boat,” Dixon said. “So, lots of interior and exterior connection, and really trying to use the deck spaces as much as the interior spaces. And that’s exactly what we’ve done with Boston Boatworks, just on a smaller scale. So that sort of superyacht influence of the indoor/outdoor space, you’re seeing that flow down to boats of all sizes. And the game changer of this series is to make that essence the focus of the boat. So if we look at the layout of the boat top deck, the interior and exterior are completely connected by a combination of sliding and folding panels, and you end up with an extended interior/exterior space, which just flows through uninterrupted, which you won’t see on any boat in this market sector. The Boston Boatworks Offshore Express Cruiser series is unique in that sense, and I think that’s a selling point.”
And while Winch Design’s involvement in the Boston Boatworks Offshore Express Cruiser is a business relationship, it is born out a deep mutual respect for builder, naval architect, and designer. “From my point of view, we’re leveraging everything that they’re brilliant at,” Dixon said. “We’re blessed to be working with Doug, he has such focused experience on this sector of the market and this kind of boat. And the nuances that he brings to the exterior design are very much how we aspire to develop our projects as well. He’s just a great guy. The sophisticated elements of designing a beautiful boat that he brings; we’re complementing that with our interior focus. Scott and Doug and the team are excellent. The [BB44] will be a beautiful piece of nautical engineering, a nautical sculpture. But at the same time, it’s super practical and a very capable offshore owner-driven boat.”
In summary, the exquisitely Winch-designed interior is an extension of your home – but on the water. By Building Excellence, we want to encourage social connections that enrich lives and deepen relationships, and we have always been fascinated by the relationships that develop at the water’s edge, and we want to encourage them. With Winch Design’s interior and the other features found on the Boston Boatworks Offshore Express Cruiser Series, such as powered, fully retracting side windows and aft glass, and motorized moonroof, you will feel connected to the marine environment as never before, and you’ll want to spend more time on the water, to go further and more often.
