Tim Heywood Design
Tim Heywood is a British exterior design specialist, Bannenberg protégé, and 2021 BOAT Design & Innovation Awards Lifetime Achievement winner, celebrated for iconic yachts including Symphony, Pelorus, and his long-term role shaping Damen Yachting's limited series.
A Lifetime of Achievement in Exterior Design
Tim Heywood is one of the most recognizable names in superyacht design, renowned for his signature flowing curves, elegant lines, and masterful balance of proportion. Like Terence Disdale, Heywood's career began under the legendary Jon Bannenberg, where he spent over two decades absorbing the principles that would define his own practice. In 1996, he established Tim Heywood Designs with his wife Vanessa, quickly building a reputation for pushing aesthetic boundaries. In 2021, he received the BOAT International Design & Innovation Awards Lifetime Achievement Award, and in April 2025, he was appointed chairman of those same awards.
Portfolio of Exterior Icons
Heywood's exterior designs grace some of the most photographed yachts on the water. His credits include the 147m A+ (formerly Topaz), 133m Al Mirqab, 115m Pelorus, 101m Symphony, and 96.7m Mayan Queen IV. Up until 2024, he played an instrumental role as exterior designer for the entire limited series range of Damen Yachting, bringing his distinctive styling to the Dutch builder's semi-custom platforms. Colleagues describe him as accessible, humorous, and a gifted storyteller—qualities that have endeared him to owners and shipyards alike.
Design Philosophy and Legacy
Heywood's work is characterized by a refusal to compromise on aesthetics or functionality. His designs are immediately identifiable yet never repetitive, each yacht tailored to its owner while maintaining a cohesive design language. Fellow designers praise his balanced judgement and deep expertise, which made him the natural choice to steward the BOAT Design & Innovation Awards. Whether on the 96m Aquila (formerly Cakewalk) or his latest Damen collaborations, Heywood's legacy is one of elegance, innovation, and enduring appeal.
