DAME 2021 Award highlights trend to make boating more accessible

Andre Hoek, Chair of the DAME Jury, festively presented the 30th anniversary DAME Award 2021 at the commencement of the METSTRADE show this morning to the Volvo Penta Assisted Docking System. A further five products were named as Category Winners and 15 received Special Mentions.

The Volvo Penta Assisted Docking System works with the company’s proven IPS propulsion drives to provide hitherto unknown levels of fine manoeuvring control in motor yachts, with the ability to take wind and current into account. It is easily operated via a joystick controller, even by a novice user of a motor yacht. Its Glass Cockpit System assists situational awareness. If the person at the helm needs more time to think, they can take their hand off the joystick and the boat holds its precise position until the control is touched again.

In reaching its decision, the DAME Jury recognised the Assisted Docking solution is the result of much research, development and extensive software and hardware design. The system is intuitive to use but Volvo Penta obviously paid attention to more than core function and innovation. For example, the ergonomics and aesthetics of the hand controller provide a feeling of confidence in the system even before you use it.

Great design has a critical role to play in bringing new people into boating. Volvo Penta’s Assisted Docking is a welcome development to address changing market landscapes where boating needs to become less difficult and more accessible.

Commenting on the result, Chair of the DAME Jury, Andre Hoek stated: “The world has changed in so many ways since we last physically gathered as a Jury in 2019. “Pandemic restrictions have greatly heightened our appreciation of the environment. The lifestyle benefits of marine leisure are drawing in a whole new generation in a way that we could not have imagined just two years ago”.

“Sustainable product lifecycle and making boating more accessible for novice users are critical design priorities as we move through this decade. It is appropriate therefore that the Jury selected the Volvo Penta Assisted Docking system as its DAME Award for 2021. This product is a brilliant example of how we can harness great design and evolving technology to safely remove barriers to entry.”

€15,450 raised by DAME entrants for worthy causes

Each year the organisers of the METSTRADE Show donate the combined registration fees for the DAME Design Award to selected charities as a way of giving back to society. For 2021 the METSTRADE Exhibition Committee selected the Blue Marine Foundation (BLUE) to receive the donation. Funds from this year will assist projects to protect marine life and preserve the environment in the Berwickshire Marine Reserve on the east coast of Scotland.

DAME Award 2021

Volvo Penta Assisted Docking
Stand 07.108

Category winners

Marine Electronics and Marine Related Software

Garmin Surround View Camera System
Stand 01.101, 01.103, 01.200
Interior Equipment, Furnishing, Materials and Electrical Fittings used in Cabins

Dometic Voyager TX Series
Stand 01.171, 01.271

Marina Equipment, Boatyard Equipment and Boat Construction Tools and Materials

No category winner this year.

Deck Equipment, Sails and Rigging

Bonomi JOY Self-Tailing Cleat
Stand 05.108

Clothing and Crew Accessories

No category winner this year

Lifesaving and Safety Equipment

ACR Electronics ResQLink View RLS Personal Locator Beacon
Stand 03.212

Machinery, Propulsion, Mechanical and Electrical Systems and Fittings

The Jury named joint winners in this category

Mastervolt MLI Ultra 1250
Stand 02.321

Volvo Penta Assisted Docking
Stand 05.651

Special Mentions

Marine Electronics and Marine Related Software

Calypso Instruments Ultrasonic Portable Mini
Stand 01.183

ICOM IC-M94DE
Stand 01.151

Pixel sur mer EXOCET Gold
Stand 05.554

Raymarine Cyclone
Stand 01.111

Interior Equipment, Furnishing, Materials and Electrical Fittings Used in Cabins

Dometic M65 Gravity Toilet
Stand 01.171, 01.271t

Morbern MorGreen Evohide Mistral FRee
Stand 02.525

Marina Equipment, Boatyard Equipment and Boat Construction Tools and Materials

No Special Mentions were awarded in this category.

Deck Equipment, Sails and Rigging

Karver Systems KF Bio Concept
Stand 05.323

Rapid Marine Universal Chocks
Stand 02.533

Rigging Projects RP Steering Hub
Stand 05.854

Clothing and Crew Accessories

Spinlock Waterproof Essentials Packs
Stand 01.570

Lifesaving and Safety Equipment

Plastimo SLR196
Stand 05.241

SEA-FIRE 2 Litre AVD Fire Extinguisher
Stand 02.109

Spinlock Nemo Baby & Junior 150N Lifejacket Harness
Stand 01.570

Machinery, Propulsion, Mechanical and Electrical Systems and Fittings

Mercury 7.6L V12 600hp Verado
Stand 02.418

REMIGO RemigoOne
Stand 01.470

About the DAME Award

The DAME Design Award celebrates everything that is important about marine equipment design, from aesthetics to functionality, integration to packaging and price efficiency to lifecycle management. It offers opportunities for all METSTRADE Show exhibitors from around the world to submit their latest products and have them judged by experts spanning all areas of design. Because of this wider focus, the DAME encourages the whole marine industry to continuously improve its design efforts, to the last detail. Entrants are not just judged against their global peers – the DAME Jury recognises improvements from year-to-year within individual companies too. This year all nominated products are featured in the DAME presentation in Hall 6. All winners will also be featured on daily DAME Dynamics programmes on METSTRADE TV – see the full programme here. It will also be available on catch-up. The complete DAME Jury Report, including explanation of the Category Winners and more detail on the Special Mentions, is available here.

About METSTRADE 

The METSTRADE show is the world’s largest trade exhibition of equipment, materials and systems for the international leisure marine industry. Organised by RAI Amsterdam in association with ICOMIA (International Council of Marine Industry Associations), it includes three dedicated areas of expertise: the SuperYacht Pavilion, the Marina & Yard Pavilion and the Construction Material Pavilion. METSTRADE 2021 takes place 16-18 November in RAI Amsterdam.