DAME Design Awards 2023 winner praised as exemplar product that expands electrification horizons

Amsterdam, 15 November 2023 – Jury Chair Andre Hoek presented the world-renowned DAME Award 2023 to the Oceanvolt HighPower ServoProp 25 at the commencement of the METSTRADE show this morning. Nine products took wins in eight brand new categories for this year, while 14 more received Special Mentions. The jury also named a recipient for its discretionary Environmental Design Award.

There were several strong electric propulsion solutions nominated this year. Among them the Jury selected the outstanding HighPower ServoProp 25 from Finnish electric inboard pioneer Oceanvolt to win the Propulsion & Dynamics category. In a closely run final round this product then claimed the overall DAME 2023 Award against other excellent category winners.

The jury commended this 25kW electric saildrive as an excellently conceived and engineered product that tangibly moves the goalposts for 45-70ft sailboats by providing a reliable and extremely quiet option for electrification. Oceanvolt’s use of its controllable pitch propeller technology ensures maximum efficiency for propulsion and hydrogeneration, with the system able to return up 5kW of power when the yacht is sailing at 10 knots. The jury also noted the careful thought had been given to installation and ease of servicing when long-distance sailing.

Commenting on the result, Chair of the Jury, Andre Hoek stated: “The jury would like to thank everyone who entered this year’s DAME Awards. The efforts of companies who offer their products for such detailed scrutiny are always appreciated, and we are always mindful of the time, resources and passion required to bring each product to market. This year we shortlisted 53 out of 100 entries, the highest ratio of nominees since 2016. That is indicative of the quality we saw across a healthy mix of genuinely new concepts as well as fresh design ideas for existing gear that has been with us for many years.

“As the DAME Awards reminds us annually, applying all facets of good design practice will benefit any product, large or small, simple or intricate. All nominees are to be congratulated for meeting the initial threshold for final judgement and entry at our excellent DAME showcase in hall 13 and on the new DAME Awards website – damedesignawards.com.

“There were noticeably more entries this year supporting the boat electrification agenda, but it must not be forgotten that the drive towards net zero must influence all new products in the industry today. Improving the lifecycle impacts of marine equipment is an imperative for any design process. The environmental statements we request for each entry give reason to believe the industry is moving in that direction while also highlighting there is much more to do.

“The DAME’s new categorisation structure for this year helped the jury to focus on the intended end purpose of all products. It also balanced the entry field more evenly, resulting in us being able to name worthy winners for all categories. Several were in close contention for the overall award, but our eventual choice was unanimous. Our 2023 DAME Award winner shifts the market in its sector and expands the potential for its technology through excellent design and manufacturing execution.”

€14,250 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 2023 the METSTRADE Exhibition Committee selected The Magenta Project, a passionate collective working towards greater equity and inclusion in sailing, with a focus on gender. You can read more about this charity at themagentaproject.org.

DAME DESIGN AWARDS 2023 RESULTS

Please visit damedesignawards.com to see the full Jury Report with information on the winning entries and insights on why they won.