Palumbo & Hot Labs Scoop 3 Golden Neptunes

Palumbo and Hot Labs have had an amazing 2014 Showboats Design Awards ceremony, where they were awarded not one but three of the prestigious Golden Neptune awards in the following categories:

• Interior Design Award - Semi Displacement Motor Yacht 

The judges expressed a strong preference for clean, functional lines among the entries in this category. Although the Columbus Sport Hybrid 40m was one of the smaller entries, the repetition of strong horizontal lines on floors, walls and overheads created the illusion of greater interior length. The simplicity of the colour scheme and details such as window treatments and furniture shapes seemed perfectly in keeping with the brief for a sport yacht that must balance appeal and innovation with function and practicality at sea.

• Holistic Design Award - Motor Yachts

This award debuted last year to reward those designers who optimised a singular design theme. This year, there were awards for both the motor yacht and the sailing yacht considered to have the finest example of the perfect combination of interior and exterior design. For the motor yachts category, it was a quick decision as the judges felt the entire team involved with this project were firmly on the same page. Not only does the profile and naval architecture support the builder's request for a "greener" sport megayacht, but the design and the sourcing of lightweight, environmentally sustainable interior materials follows the plan. The contemporary nature of both the interior and exterior signals that this model and its approach are something new, even before delving into the mechanics of her hybrid propulsion.

• Environmental Protection Award

The Environmental Protection Award is sponsored by RINA, the first classification society to encourage designers and yacht owners to minimise emissions of all types from their yachts. The award is open to all yachts over 30m delivered in the qualifying year with the winner decided by RINA. From the finalists, the jury chose the Columbus Sport Hybrid 40m. They noted this semi-displacement all aluminium motor yacht really raises the bar of clean yacht design. The hybrid propulsion, coupled with the aerodynamic lightweight hull, enables the yacht to run on generators at low speeds ensuring low environmental impact.