Williams Jet Tenders’ Design Engineering manager, Dan Bloice-Smith, was named the inaugural winner of the Rising Star award at last year’s Boat Builder Awards in association with Raymarine. He talks to IBI about his involvement in Williams’ new EvoJet project and how the industry can attract young talent
In June UK builder Williams Jet Tenders announced the launch of a new product range of semi-custom tenders and chase boats aimed at the superyacht market. The first model in the range, the Evojet 70, will launch in autumn 2019 and will be a tender capable of carrying 13 guests. A larger sister model will launch later in 2020.
Williams’ Design Engineering manager Dan Bloice-Smith was named the inaugural winner of the Rising Star award, sponsored by Gurit, in the 2018 Boat Builder Awards held in association with Raymarine. Smith has been involved in launching 16 new models for Williams Jet Tenders in eight years. He talks to IBI about the unique challenges presented by the EvoJet project.
How involved were you with the development of the new EvoJet?
It’s a top-level decision to understand where the next window of opportunity is to keep growing the business – once the decision was made it was over to me and the design team to put flesh on the brief. The concept was born in January 2017 and we started in earnest in September 2018.The first boat is now in build and then we’ll have extensive testing, so we’ll be looking to start production in the Autumn with boats ready for sale around Dusseldorf in January.
This interview was published on IBINews.com, the website of the International Boat Industry.
