Meet Emanuele Rossi – MAKAI Yachts Designer
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MAKAI Cabin design unveiled
In this exclusive interview, Emanuele Rossi, Designer and Engineer at ERYD YACHT DESIGN, discusses the design philosophy, the distinctive Italian exterior design and the sophisticated interior design of MAKAI’s unique hulls.
In addition to working with production builders such as ERYD, Expression, Garcia Yachts and AUREUS Yachts, ERYD has a wide portfolio, including larger boats such as the BLUE DIAMOND 100 and Bradley Power Catamaran. Since 2006, Emanuele Rossi has been a staple of the Italian (and international) design scene, successfully developing his design projects from inception to final production. Emanuele is focused on interiors that impress the uninitiated, with a focus on striking exterior lines and optimized performance.
We asked a few questions to help you get to know Emanuele better and learn more about his design background and thoughts when designing MAKAI models.
Can you tell us more about yourself, your background and experience?
Did you know the founders of MAKAI before the start of the project? After graduating in marine engineering – I worked on both sailing and motor yachts (Genova, Italy), I worked as a design manager in various design studios and shipyards – especially in the south of France, a center of catamaran innovation. For many years, I had a particular focus on preliminary design and execution drawings, usually of maxi yachts – this is where I really built my reputation. During the same period I competed on the IMS professional circuit and other single class series, participating in various Italian, European and World championships. I believe this sailing experience is important and educational for a marine designer.
In 2005 I founded my own company – ERYD SRL (Emanuele Rossi Yacht Design), dealing with comprehensive “360 degree” design for shipyards and private yacht clients. From that point on, I launched our own line of day sailers, including the ERYD 30, ERYD 30 Open and ERYD 32.
I met Jay Nolan at an event where I was exhibiting at a boat show – we established a trusting professional relationship before the birth of MAKAI Yachts. Likewise, I met Kresimir Secak who showed interest in a full carbon 50′ sailing yacht project.
Can you describe your role in the realization of the MAKAI M37? The story of the realization of MAKAI M37 is one of creating the shapes of the boat from scratch, taking care to interpret the needs of the owner in the best way, while always trying to surprise the customer in a positive way when the final arrangement is reached.
It is not only a question of design, but also of the particular hydrodynamics and performance of the hull shape.
How did you collaborate with MAKAI founders to realize the vision of the boat?
As mentioned earlier, I was very careful to realize the expectations of the MAKAI team, because they had a precise and helpful vision of the boat. The powerful catamaran is an extremely exciting platform to realize an unconventional and progressive design. MAKAI wanted something new and high-performance. They also had specific and creative ideas, especially about the interior – we needed to ensure the harmony of the large beds in the cabins (which is really remarkable) and we needed to make it aesthetically appealing. To summarize, we wanted a high-performance and elegant exterior design and an extremely spacious but sophisticated interior, and I think that’s exactly what we achieved.
Why a Power Catamaran? Why not? This is a rapidly growing area of the marine market and for me it is an exciting challenge where I need to focus on both aesthetics and functionality. The power catamaran sector is still a completely unexplored “landmass” and there is still room for real innovation in this field.
Catamaran design “The MAKAI M37 has the perfect balance between aesthetics and livability.”
View M37 Can you describe the design process to design the MAKAI M37?
The design process for the M37 is based on the MAKAI team’s needs and a precise understanding of the performance potential based on the boat’s characteristics. Once the main parameters such as internal volumes, displacement, overall ergonomics of the cockpit and size have been determined, it is possible to focus on designing the best performing hulls possible while maintaining a fluid and elegant design. It is a continuous cycle of optimizing performance and beautifying the lines at the same time.
What distinguishes the MAKAI M37 design from other power catamarans on the market? The main differentiating feature of the MAKAI M37 is to avoid the cube shape that many catamarans of this size can have. We never thought of making this catamaran like any of its competitors, it’s a new spirit. MAKAI M37 has the perfect balance between aesthetics and habitability.
What is the most unique feature of the Makai M37 power catamaran?
I think the most unique feature is not a single feature, but rather a combination of many features, and that makes the difference. The asymmetric hulls optimize performance without losing habitability, the cockpit and cabins are very functional making use of every millimeter, the sunbathing areas offer high comfort on deck and in the cockpit, the aft platform integrated as part of the design makes it more spacious… I also admire the fixed top, which gives the boat a strong personality.
“The cockpit and cabins are very functional, taking advantage of every millimeter.”
The M37 looks very sporty, could you please explain more about the style and the clearly visible “Italian elegance” we see in the M37?
The sportiness of the design is inspired by classic and elegant sports cars. It also has an interesting combination: the hull shapes and surfaces have a feminine elegance, but there are also more masculine aspects that coexist. This interesting harmony creates a fascinating harmony between elegance and masculinity and expresses agility and sportiness. In design, it is important to find the perfect balance between both worlds, if the goal is to express both sportiness and elegance, originality.
How to design the hull for optimized performance? How did you achieve high performance and fuel efficiency at the same time? The use of the most sophisticated speed prediction and fluid dynamics software helps us validate our designs and achieve optimal performance. However, we always start from our own experience, in my case field experience and experience gained through years of racing. A good body in a displacement / semi-displacement range is by definition a highly efficient body also in terms of consumption.
There are two versions, the roofed and the open version, what are the main differences?
The main difference between the two versions is the overall aesthetics and practicality offered by the roof. It’s really like comparing a cabriolet to a coupe. Also the weight saving of the open version differs. The sales team has sold a lot of boats with the roofed version, so I have focused on the optimization of this roof, but when we launch the first open version I will sketch creative solutions to provide bimini tops, T-tops and a fittable (easily packable) shelter.
What is your favorite thing about Makai M37?
This may seem like an abstract answer, but it is the harmony between the different elements that make up the whole project. It’s a balanced project – and I say this knowing that it’s a catamaran. It’s not just symmetry, the project has a very holistic structure. And another thing: this boat has personality.
