2011 MYS: Espen Øino on Modern Superyacht Design

His latest creation is the 140-metre Fincantieri, which is in attendance at the Monaco Yacht Show, and is sure to receive much attention during the four-day event.

Superyachts.com sat down with Mr Øino in Monaco to discuss his latest behemoth, his plans for the show, and his views on modern superyacht design.

“It’s amazing to be here." Mr Øino told Shari Liu, Superyachts.com’s Luxury Editor, “I’ve just literally come off a boat ... we were looking at it thinking ‘wow, five years ago we were right here, planning this boat, and here we are, same location, it’s amazing"

“It is an incredible feeling to see this very large structure." Espen continued, "you think of all of the pieces being put together, all of the time and effort for everyone, thousands of people – and to see it sitting there proudly.

When asked about his thoughts on the direction in which superyacht design is heading, Mr Øino said he sees a definite steer towards retro features on yachts.

“I think that in spite of all of the many wild concepts you see in the press in particular – most of which will never be built – I think there is nevertheless a tendency to look back into the past,” he said.

“You see vertical barrels coming back into fashion, you can see the proportions of the yachts have got smaller.”

One thing is certain – there is little chance that this visionary giant of the superyacht world will ever be accused of looking back into the past.