From the heart

Why do you think the Dutch are such a force in yachting?

The Netherlands is a small country, and we don’t have a lot of resources, so we’ve always gone abroad to trade. In the late 1600s, the Russian tsar Peter the Great came to Zaandam, north of Amsterdam, to learn about shipbuilding.

For some time, Holland was the richest nation in the world. We’re still a force in commercial shipbuilding, although the great bulk is now built in Asia. But specialised ships like dredgers, submarines and superyachts, which are extremely specialised, are built here.

So, I would say it’s our history, climate and mentality. Dutch ingenuity built the dyke system, and boats and dykes are what we’re good at. We take the job seriously, and it’s a source of national pride.

What did you study?

I started with mechanical engineering and then moved into naval architecture. But as a kid, I was always sketching and reading all the books in the local library about train, plane and car design, and also nature. I was always into shapes, forms and lines, and that, combined with my technical background, really helped me in my career.

Who have been your most significant mentors?

I learned a lot from my first boss, Frank Mulder – where I worked for 11 years – including a tremendous amount about hydrodynamics. We designed ultra-fast superyachts like Octopussy and Moonraker, doing 50 to 66 knots.

He gave me the chance to work on aesthetics, too. I started to draw some sketches and clients liked them. We built those boats and started winning design awards. I thought, I didn’t study industrial design, but at least I have it in my fingers!

I wasn’t planning on becoming an aesthetic designer, but now I would say 99 percent of what we deliver is aesthetic, and we use our technical background to help us be good stylists, both exterior and interior.

When it comes to styling influences, it’s everything from the 1930s, Art Deco, streamlining, organic shapes, the pure forms you find in nature – that’s always what excites me.

Is there a recognisable Cor D. Rover style, or trademark characteristics in your designs?

At the beginning of my career, I was doing organic designs, almost like the Chrysler Airflow of the water – the Zeelander is a product of those early years. Then I had clients asking for more square windows, and I didn’t want to be a dictator designer of a certain style.

Some designers absolutely have a certain trademark style. But I thought, I have a talent for aesthetics, and will give clients what they want. I will not dictate, but I will help them. I do take pride in being versatile, whether it’s very classic or ultra contemporary.

We’re doing very different designs now, and they’re all unique. It’s a lot more satisfying than sticking with one trend or style. I’m just a pencil in the hand of the client.

You work with brands as diverse as Alia, Sirena and Bilgin in Turkey, Sirena Yachts, Horizon and Royal Huisman. How do you adapt?

The production brands I work for are all in different leagues with different products, they’re not competing head-on. They are always different price tags or different markets.

With private clients, it always starts with speaking to the owner and their family about how they intend to use the boat. Some want a boat to impress people with their money, and others want to live on board with their family and grandchildren and enjoy the ocean – these are two opposite kinds of superyacht owners.

I prefer the process to be fun as well. When you’re spending three or four years together, there has to be some chemistry. These days, I have the luxury of being able to choose my clients. I’m turning 60 this year – that’s the point when you start to think, How do I want to work for the rest of my life? When choosing projects, I now have a sixth sense for finding the right projects and the right clients.

Was there a breakthrough boat or model that earned you international acclaim?

Honestly, it’s the Horizon FD Series because that was something really new and unique, and it’s still being copied, which is testament to its success. The first sketch was in 2012, we launched the first one in 2016, and we’re still expanding. The FD is a great product, and the yard is very happy.

At the Horizon Open House, you said the FD Series was described as odd, or ugly even, when it launched. What are the benefits that have more than compensated for its looks?

My Dutch client said that. The Dutch are very direct! The FD Series is Horizon’s highest-selling range. If you only look at her from the outside, you don’t truly understand it, but once you step on board, you see what she offers. We can’t all drive a Ferrari – we want to take our families and toys with us.

The FD turned out to be very practical. Having your master on the main deck is key – as far forward as possible, with big windows and privacy, and as much room as possible for the saloon, galley and space for daytime activities. We’re at 75 boats in the series – 29 of the FD90s, which are the most popular.

Do you have milestone vessels that stand out?

Every boat is a milestone. Some of my first larger yachts were 40-metre boats for Mondomarine. I designed eight boats for them and each was a milestone. In terms of size, there was the 67-metre Benetti Seasense for a US client.

When you’re young, you want to design the biggest boats, but now I take pride in doing small boats for larger numbers of people, designing boats that more people can appreciate and enjoy. It’s closer to my reality as well. Maybe something I can afford myself one day – a small weekender.

After so long at the forefront of the industry, what do you still enjoy about yacht design?

When you design real estate, you can put something on paper, then you have to deal with the government about how many windows and how large they have to be and where they have to go. But in yachting, you have 100-percent freedom – whatever you dream of, you can build.

The fun is, somebody comes to your office and says, “I have this dream and this budget,” and you sketch it up and start a journey together. Three or four years later, you launch it. Then 20 years later, in Miami, Monaco or Sydney, you see your design floating by, and it’s just that thrill. It’s a jewel that travels the world – you find your babies everywhere.

Sometimes, when I see one of my designs, I knock on the passerelle and ask if the owner or captain is on board, and it’s lovely to meet the owner, who may be the second or third or fourth owner of the yacht; they always appreciate meeting the designer too.

How many designers work in your firm now? Do they have varied disciplines?

We have an office in Amsterdam and a floating office in Rotterdam. We have six to seven designers at the moment. I like to keep it small and continue doing the design work myself.

My daughter Anne-Maaike works with me. My son Luuk is still studying history, and he works around his studies. Anne-Maaike is very creative and works as an interior designer. She was always aware of my work, of course, but she studied Chinese, lived in China, then got her degree in Holland. She has a natural-born talent. I’m good at space planning and exteriors, and we collaborate very well.

She’s working on a 36-metre yacht and deals with the client directly – she has a good chemistry with them and it’s lovely to see. I don’t interfere; I just watch on with pride.

Do you design solely motor yachts, or have you designed sailing vessels as well?

I’ve always windsurfed and love very much the principles of sailing with just the power of the wind – I just ended up in the motor yacht industry, which is our bread and butter. But now it’s time to do both.

I designed a 58-metre motor yacht with Royal Huisman and we had a very pleasant cooperation. Now they’ve asked me to collaborate on a new carbon wing sail concept on a 42-metre catamaran, designing the look and layouts. I’m working on the patent to make more energy from the wind, even when we’re not sailing. This project with Royal Huisman will be my first sailing vessel.

It’s almost like a full circle – a motor yacht designer collaborating on a sailboat, making them more interesting. We have to explore new technology, and sailing is the ultimate clean, green boating. It’s a great shipyard and a cool-looking yacht, so we hope to find a client with the vision to pick it up.

You’re currently working with several yards – what are some of the projects due to launch in 2024 and 2025?

We’re building a very big 60-metre in Holland, an explorer vessel with the new shipyard, Leapher Yachts. She’s 1,780 gt, which is really big for a 60-metre.

The luxury level is not in the gold-plated league but rather lies somewhere between a cruise ship and a superyacht, so it’s appealing on pricing, delivering the quality of any commercial vessel in Holland. It’s solid, sound, safe and allows all the toys on board, and it’s Ice Class, with retractable stabilisers. It will go to the Arctic, but you don’t have to spend a fortune on interiors. You’re not there to pose, you just want to be on the ocean.

Are you working on any electric- or hybrid-powered concepts?

Yes, always, but the cost factor is the issue. In 2009, we built the Azimut Magellano 52 that offered a hybrid pack, and only one sold because it was so much more expensive. That was a while ago, and things are more affordable now, but there are still barriers. Diesel-electric takes up a lot of space, and you need a really big yacht to go that route.

It’s going to take a while before yachts are electric. There are no charging stations in the middle of the ocean! Solar cells won’t supply enough power to power yourself at high speeds, either. It will come, but first it will be cars, then trucks, then planes and then boats.

It’s going that way, but slowly. Especially now, with the transition to greener yachting, it’s very important to be open to change. We can never make up for what we’ve emitted in the past, but at least we can prepare the industry for the future.

We also designed a 58-metre motor yacht with Royal Huisman, their first motor yacht, which was a challenge for them to step out of sailing. Ironically, the number of sailing superyachts is decreasing, from 12 percent to only 8 percent. That’s contrary to where we have to go.

The sailboat is the best we can do. Why are sailboats not more popular? That’s something we want to do with the Royal Huisman 42-metre catamaran project – attract people to wind-assisted yachts. Our mission is to convince people to look at wind power again.

Looking at your innovations, like the Crystal Beach greenhouse, the Dumptank Eliminating Poolfloor Patent (DEPP) and the Sky Terrace, are clients and yards keen to push boundaries?

People are embracing more innovative designs, but the same as going green, there’s a maximum price they want to spend for being innovative. Innovation drives every industry, and we have to be smart.

Being competent in the technical and aesthetic areas helps a lot. For example, we’re adding the DEPP swimming pool on the 60-metre explorer. You don’t have to dump the water – the pool turns into a tank and vice-versa. The owner can swim in four to five minutes rather than 45 minutes because the

pool has water all the time, and it’s heated and treated in the pool itself. This is not high-tech, but it is a smart solution. It’s a luxury and it also saves a lot of energy. These kinds of innovations do help, but not everybody wants to pay for it.

What are some of the trends in client demands in terms of aesthetics, features, technology and the use of sustainable materials and methods?

I’d say the demands of the planet are dictating the future. We’re all forced to go into a different way of boating just by environmental limitations.

It’s not a matter of the client driving the change but public opinion and the times we live in. There are Extinction Rebellion actions against superyachts, which are not always fair or accurate, but are influencing public opinion. This spotlight is forcing our industry to be greener, and that will make us change.

And finally, what does the D in Cor D. Rover stand for?

My name is officially Cor D. De Rover, which is a lot. My Christian name is Cornelius and my middle name is Daniel. So, it’s D for Daniel. Or Design!

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