Cultural Confidence Superyacht by John Heung-wing Kwong |
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| DESIGN NAME: Cultural Confidence PRIMARY FUNCTION: Superyacht INSPIRATION: Yachting was a western maritime culture. However, the Chinese also have a maritime history of 2000 years. They devised the fore-and-aft rig, stern-post rudder, watertight compartmentation, and compass navigation, all of which still contribute to the safety of modern ships. Currently, no superyacht has been designed with eastern culture and traditions in mind. This concept design project will explore how ancient oriental philosophy and marine culture might be utilized to find new frontiers in modern superyacht design, including naval architecture and interior design. UNIQUE PROPERTIES / PROJECT DESCRIPTION: Instead of the luxury vibes usual in superyachts, this design incorporates the Taoist principle of Yin-Yang, or Harmony with Nature. The junk rig sail was selected for its safety and sustainable zero-carbon navigation. A bamboo courtyard that links up two decks delivers sunlight and greenery to the lower deck's skipper's cabin, as well as the ambiance of frugal Zen lifestyle. The shoji's bamboo shadow created a living ink wash artwork. The Chinese compass rose, which has been utilized since the maritime silk route and Admiral Zhenghe's voyages, is honorarily presented beneath the salon's round skylight. OPERATION / FLOW / INTERACTION: Even with shredded sails, the ship may escape storms due to the low stress in the junk sail fabric. Sheetlets connect the rigid battens to an euphroe. Two sheets are fastened to the euphroe at an effective angle on either side for ease of tacking and gybing. With the portion of the sail braking force on the fore side of the mast and the Center of Effort close to the fulcrum, the junkrig sail gybes smoothly with two sheets. Even in the dark, the sail may be reefed quickly by easing the halyard from the cockpit. These safety features are especially important for superyachts. PROJECT DURATION AND LOCATION: The concept design for this yacht began in December 2021 for a competition in Sanya, China in 2022. Because the competition focused on form and renderings, many details were left out of the Sanya design presentation. This concept yacht's design was further refined for the A' Design Award in 2024. |
PRODUCTION / REALIZATION TECHNOLOGY: The hull is made of aluminum and is ballasted with lead. With a retractable centerboard and cambered junkrig sails, she can sail upwind. The centerboard reduces draft, allowing passage into shallow waters. She has electric rim-drive propellers that may be converted into electric generating turbines when sailing in good wind. The helipad at the stern is positioned high on top of the gym platform, safely away from the sails. This structure reduces wind irritation, shades the pool below, collects solar power, and represents the high stern of classic junk ships. SPECIFICATIONS / TECHNICAL PROPERTIES: Junkrig Schooner, LOA: 55000, Beam:9630, Draft: 4050 / 6500 (centerboard down), Air Draft: 30000, Sail Area:583 sq.meter, DISP:450 tonne, LWL:49600, SA/DISP:10, s#:2.6, Hull Speed:17kn, Solar Panel Area:140 sq.meter TAGS: oriental superyacht, junk rig, sailing superyacht, maritime culture, oriental nautical, oriental maritime, Chinese vibres, yacht design, LeFANG Yacht, John Kwong RESEARCH ABSTRACT: The research began around ten years ago with John Kwong's dream of building a wooden Chinese junk boat for circumnavigation. On Topper dinghy, he experimented with junk rig sail design by competing against cat rig sails with similar hull and sail area. After the third experimental sail, a satisfactory design was achieved. A full-scale sail was made for a 10-meter-long prototype FRP junk boat that launched in 2019. During sea trials, the rigging was further enhanced. CHALLENGE: The designer takes on the challenge of defying the luxury commonly associated with super yacht design and delving deeper into Taoist and Confucian philosophy to pursue the joy of contentment alongside sustainability and harmony. It is hard to modernize traditional design, especially when substituting icons and symbols with modern forms. Symbols such as "Yin-Yang icon" represent symbiotic living with nature, "Dragon's Eye" represents the intrepidity and agility. The symbolic design of "Dragon's Eyes" and high stern typical of junk ships, are subtly respected in this case. ADDED DATE: 2023-09-16 17:44:16 TEAM MEMBERS (4) : KWONG Heung-wing, John, CHEN Wei, XIE Bing-jian and LIU Liang IMAGE CREDITS: John Heung Wing KWONG PATENTS/COPYRIGHTS: Patented. ZL 2 2442612.7. International Yacht Harbour Ltd. 2019. China. Patented. ZL 2 2394537.1. International Yacht Harbour Ltd. 2019. China. Patented. ZL 2 1597966.8. International Yacht Harbour Ltd. 2018. China. Patented. ZL 2 0251843.2. International Yacht Harbour Ltd. 2018. China. Patented. ZL 2018 1 1140804.6 International Yacht Harbour Ltd. 2023. China. Copyrights belong to John H.W. Kwong, 2024. |
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| Visit the following page to learn more: https://www.bilibili.com/video/BV1G84y1Q |
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| CLIENT/STUDIO/BRAND DETAILS | |
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NAME: LeFANG YACHT PROFILE: Le Fang Yacht specializes in the production of Chinese junkrig sailing yachts with modern design and material. Their mission is to carry on the heritage of Chinese sailing ships in maritime culture, using inspirations from Chinese philosophies, ancient oriental culture and the maritime silk route. |
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Cultural Confidence Superyacht by John Heung-Wing Kwong is Runner-up for A' Design Award in Yacht and Marine Vessels Design Category, 2023 - 2024.· Press Members: Login or Register to request an exclusive interview with John Heung-wing Kwong. · Click here to register inorder to view the profile and other works by John Heung-wing Kwong. |
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