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Espen Oeino // Skat // Royal Denship

Discussion in 'General Yachting Discussion' started by Codger, May 29, 2005.

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  1. Codger, May 29, 2005
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    Codger

    Codger YF Wisdom Dept.

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    I've always enjoyed being on the water but never paid much attention to yacht design until I saw a photo of Skat. A vessel just did what I required of it or it didn't, how it looked didn't really much matter to me. There seems to be an intentional purposefullness and presence to this vessel. I've done a bit of looking about and came across
    http://www.royaldenship.dk/Default.aspx?ID=36 and there are some traits visible but they seem to have been dilutions of Skat rather than being further refined and developed. Is this just my perception or does anyone have any other thoughts on this?
    I know that there are some here who are less than enamoured of Skat but I just can't help but be transfixed by a design that I can only describe as intentional precision, absolutely nothing that looks like an afterthought.
    Thanks.
  2. AMG, May 30, 2005
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    AMG

    AMG YF Moderator

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    Welcome to the YachtForums!

    You are right and the grey colour enhances the purposeful style. It was the same with a smaller boat called Eyeball (a Diana design) that was grey. Now someone has repainted her white (under the name Silent Wings I think) and she looks just boxy.

    The styling of Skat comes initially from a smaller design that Espen made about 1997, a Torpedo-boat style with this particular bow-line. I think this design was marketed by Intermarine at that time, but to my knowledge never produced.

    And I agree with you, the bowline looks better on Skat than on the Denship.
  3. Codger, May 30, 2005
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    Codger

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    AMG
    Thank you. I found the photo of Eyeball and it would lose something when painted white.
    I'm not sure that Skat would lose as much if it's colour were be to changed. The contrast between the shapes of the bow-line and the aft section of Skat somehow seem to have a relationship of form that just balances beautifully. Colour can augment or detract from good design but can't supercede the strength or weakness of the design. I'm a businessman without the capability of drawing a straight line so I'm having difficult time expressing this. :)

    On the automotive side I look at the Bugatti Veyron as having the same balance of contrasting but complimentary forms as Skat. Colour augments and highlights, but this vehicle would look good to me even in white.
    http://www.bugatti-cars.de/bugatti/flash/index.html?langString=en
  4. AMG, May 30, 2005
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    AMG

    AMG YF Moderator

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    If you had seen Skat in reality, I think you would agree that she is better in grey, since those flat surfaces that are justified in the military style would look cheaper and not like a superyacht if painted white.

    On the Veyron, I like white cars, but wouldn´t it remind too much of an Edsel in the front if painted all white... ;)
  5. Codger, May 30, 2005
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    Codger

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    The Veyron grille is not it's best point. :D What! You didn't like the Edsel? :D

    Agreed. The colour on Skat augments and highlights it's design. I think it's not only the shapes but the relationship of those shapes on Skat that fascinate me. Skat could have turned out to be very ugly if those shapes had been scaled differently or positioned in other ways. I wonder if the owner had much influence on the design or if the designer was just given the freedom to do as he wished. Someone in that process has an appreciation for geometric relationships that is unusually well developed. I grew up around a machine shop where tolerances of 4 ten thousandth of an inch were considered to be barely adequate which may have affected my sensibilities. :D
  6. AMG, May 30, 2005
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    AMG

    AMG YF Moderator

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    Oh yes, I liked the Edsel, in fact my family had a blue and white -58 Citation Convertible and I remember that my sister and me used to hang out through the rear opening, as I think this window was a separate piece that my father didn´t bother to use.

    But my mother didn´t like the grille... so back to Chevy, with a -59 4D HT.

    On Skat, I have not met Espen after he designed it, but I guess he got pretty free hands since as you say, there are no traces of compromise to be seen.
  7. Codger, May 30, 2005
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    Codger

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    Was that the Edsel with the transmission control in the steering wheel hub?
    I recall that Edsel had a huge V8 engine. We had a huge old Jaguar at that time. Don't recall much except that it had a high beltline and one was required to sit rather upright if a view of the world outside was desired.

    I wonder what other designs lurk in his mind. I can't even start to imagine what he could come up with if he had the space available on a 100metre to play with. Hope that someone comes up with the money so that we can find out.
    :)
  8. AMG, May 30, 2005
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    AMG

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  9. Codger, May 30, 2005
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    Codger

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    Thanks for the link. There are flashes of Skat in Octopus.

    I just came across the one little bit of information that brings it all together for me. The owner of Skat is a senior software programmer. That's why the design went ahead uncompromised and seemed so intentional to me. Rare sort of intellect that will keep the end function in sight in spite of an onslaught of perhaps conflicting details. The owner and the designer must have had a lot of fun coming up with Skat.