The Dune boat by Eugeni Quitllet is a 60-metre hybrid concept that sits between a sailing yacht and a motor yacht, winning the 2019 German Design Award for its originality. Designed by Catalan designer and self-described "disonador" (designer-dreamer) Eugeni Quitllet, Dune places human experience and sensory calm at the centre of the brief, drawing its formal language from the sculpted curves of the Sahara desert rather than the conventions of naval architecture.
What Is the Dune by Eugeni Quitllet?
The Dune is a hybrid boat concept that combines the silence and elegance of a sailing vessel with the speed and autonomy of a motor yacht. No comparable typology existed before it. The boat is 60 metres long, accommodates up to 12 guests across six royal staterooms, and is finished in rose gold details that run through the exterior metalwork and interior fittings. The silhouette is deliberately slender, avoiding the boxy profiles common in large motor yachts of similar length.
Desert-Inspired Design: The Sahara on Water
The name Dune is not incidental. Quitllet took the organic, wind-sculpted geometry of desert dunes as the primary reference for the upper deck lines. The result is a series of smooth, sweeping surfaces that read as natural formations rather than engineered structures. The sunken deck is finished in precious wood, deepening the tactile contrast with the surrounding sea. The mast, which anchors the sailing function, rises from these curves with minimal visual interruption, giving the whole profile a unity that is rare in hybrid vessel design.
The Open-Air Helm: Piloting as Meditation
The defining spatial decision of the Dune is the open-air control cabin. Rather than enclosing the helm in glass and electronics as most superyachts do, Quitllet placed the pilot position in an open cockpit that puts the person at the controls in direct contact with the wind, the horizon and the sound of the water. The cabin is designed not as a command centre but as an oasis, a reference Quitllet made explicit in the brief. Feelings at the helm were the primary design constraint, not technical specifications. The result is a yacht that prioritises the experience of being at sea over the ability to detach from it.
Who Is Eugeni Quitllet?
Born in Ibiza, Quitllet is a Barcelona-based industrial designer whose portfolio extends from furniture and consumer products to vehicles and large-scale design concepts. He has collaborated with Kartell, among other major design brands, and describes his approach as existing between design and dreaming. The Dune is one of his most ambitious proposals: a fully conceived vehicle concept that rethinks an entire category rather than iterating on an existing template. The German Design Award recognition in 2019 confirmed that the concept had been taken seriously within the professional design community.
Explore Water Vehicles at TheArsenale
The sensibility behind the Dune, where design and maritime ambition meet without compromise, is the same spirit that shapes TheArsenale's selection of water vehicles. The SAY45 RIB Speedster Carbon and the SAY29 Runabout Yacht bring that same precision to production boats available now. The full range is in the TheArsenale Boats collection.
