The 34m Spirit 111 sloop Geist scooped two accolades at this year's prestigious World Superyacht Awards. Geist won the Sailing Yacht category and the coveted Sailing Yacht of the Year Award.
The judges praised Geist for her “refreshing mix of top quality, traditional beauty, innovative interior design, and advanced technology; as such Geist truly deserves her accolade(s).”
Together with Geist’s owner, the team from Spirit Yachts collected the awards at the glamorous ceremony in Monaco.
Spirit Yachts CEO and Head of Design Sean McMillan commented, “The World Superyacht Awards are the pinnacle of the superyacht industry’s recognition for the highest quality yachts on the water today. To win the sailing yacht category and to be crowned best sailing yacht is an incredibly proud moment for all the Spirit team.”
Sean continued, “Thanks and congratulations must go to Geist’s owner, whose creativity, vision and enthusiasm has been boundless. We collaborated closely to create a yacht that not only delivers on his original dream, but that also pushes the envelope in terms of her innovation.”
At 33.9m long, Geist has a fully laden displacement of 65tonnes and is the largest, wooden sloop built in the UK since the J-Class yacht Shamrock V in the 1930s. The yacht’s completely customised, hand-crafted interior is a series of seamless curves made from sustainably sourced timber.
The judges commented Geist is “beautiful in a classical sense while showcasing a new and organic style of interior design.” They added, “While the past may inspire her looks, Geist is technically modern with minimal effect on the environment.”
Delivering on her owner’s brief to minimise impact on the environment, Geist has a Torqeedo electric drive system that regenerates the batteries via propulsion whilst the yacht is sailing. All onboard systems were selected to work holistically and consume the minimum amount of power possible. On deck, the yacht is designed to be sailed short-handed using recyclable OneSails 4T Forte sails and energy efficient Lewmar hydraulic deck hardware.