DAME 2019 Winner highlights that accepted norms can be improved

U SAFE takes overall winner at the 2019 DAME Awards © METSTRADE

Birgit Schnaase, Chair of the Jury, presented the prestigious DAME Award 2019 at the commencement of the METSTRADE show this morning to the U SAFE self-propelled lifebuoy. Winners were named in all categories and 17 received Special Mentions.

This year saw several Category Winners reach a closely debated final round to decide the overall DAME prize. The ultimate decision went to the U SAFE, a reinvention of the traditional life-saving ring that is auto-propelled and remote controlled.

Featuring robust, understated and very clean design, the U SAFE can be launched from boat, marina or shore in line of site at speeds of up to 15kph and operates for up to 30 minutes. The design incorporates completely flush jet drives and large rigid grab holds, as well as an easy-to-access u-shaped area to swim into. It offers the promise of enhanced lifesaving options for casualties in the water, with less risk to rescuers.

The Jury found the U SAFE to be a perfect example of how accepted norms for products in widespread use across the marine leisure world can be examined and improved by great design effort.

Commenting on the result, Chair of the Jury, Birgit Schnaase stated: "We discussed at our Jury meeting this year just how influential design is in the world around us. It is critical that marine companies focus on design, in all of its aspects, to ensure that consumer expectations are met when they go boating. We also need smart design to address important issues like production efficiency, environmental impact improvement and greater integration. The role of the DAME Awards in identifying stand-out examples of good practice has never been more valuable.

"The mix of entries this year was submitted from the largest number of countries yet seen in the DAME. Our final selection represents a wide-ranging field of products, from new materials and items of personal boating equipment, to complex electronics and large items of machinery. All providing evidence of further strength in the field of marine industry design."

€17,700 raised by DAME entrants for worthy causes Each year the organisers of the METSTRADE Show donate the combined registration fees for the DAME Design Award to selected charities as a way of giving back to society. For 2019 the METSTRADE Exhibition Committee selected two charities to receive the funds - sailing4handicaps and The Little Optimist Trust. Each received a cheque for €8,850 to assist their very worthy initiatives at the DAME Awards presentation this morning.

DAME Award 2019 Category winners:

MARINE ELECTRONICS AND MARINE RELATED SOFTWARE
    Garmin GPSMAP 86i - Stand 01.101, 01.103, 01.200

INTERIOR EQUIPMENT, FURNISHINGS, MATERIALS AND ELECTRICAL FITTINGS USED IN CABINS
    Lumitec Moray Flex Light - Stand 12.505

MARINA EQUIPMENT, BOATYARD EQUIPMENT AND BOAT CONSTRUCTION TOOLS AND MATERIALS
    LIGNIA Wood Company - Stand CMP.15

DECK EQUIPMENT, SAILS AND RIGGING
    Karver KCW Compact Winch and KWH Winch Handle - Stand 12.113

CLOTHING AND CREW ACCESSORIES
    Mustang Callan Waterproof Jacket and Salopettes - Stand 12.312

LIFESAVING AND SAFETY EQUIPMENT
    U-SAFE Trading U SAFE - Stand 07.108

MACHINERY, PROPULSION, MECHANICAL AND ELECTRICAL SYSTEMS AND FITTINGS (Joint winners)
    Garmin Force Trolling Motor - Stand 01.101, 01.103, 01.200
    Navico GHOST Trolling Motor - Stand 01.152

Category winners at the 2019 DAME Awards - photo © METSTRADE

Special mentions:

Marine Electronics and Marine Related Software
    Digital Yacht GPS160 TriNav Positioning Sensor - Stand 01.434
    FLIR M364C Marine Thermal Camera System - Stand 01.111
    Raymarine DockSense Alert Assisted Docking - Stand 01.111
    Vesper Cortex - Stand 02.214

Interior Equipment, Furnishing, Materials and Electrical Fittings Used in Cabins
    Lumishore Lumi-Link Wireless - Stand 03.212

Marina Equipment, Boatyard Equipment and Boat Construction Tools and Materials
    Teakdecking systems The Applicator - Stand CMP.24.EL

Deck Equipment, Sails and Rigging
    Bamar BFBMMSS Boom Furling Manual Mechanism - Stand 01.813
    Fender Design FlexiCush - Stand 01.415
    Marlow Blue Ocean Dockline - Stand 03.301
    Scanstrut ROKK Wireless Active/Edge - Stand 03.502, 03.510

Clothing and Crew Accessories
    Dacoblue collapsible fuel and water backpack - Stand 07.225
    Ursuit Gemino Navigator - Stand 07.268

Lifesaving and Safety Equipment
    ACR ResQLink View Personal Locator Beacon - Stand 03.131
    Spinlock Deckvest 6D Lifejacket - Stand 07.247
    Wichard offshore rescue knife - Stand 01.725

Machinery, Propulsion, Mechanical and Electrical Systems and Fittings
    Dometic Optimus Electric Remote Mount Steering Actuator - Stand 07.131, 07.138, 07.143, 07.147
    Teignbridge Clamp on Blade Propeller - Stand 12.818

The 29th Design Award METSTRADE competition attracted 118 entries spanning 27 countries, from which it nominated a total of 59 products for display in the METSTRADE DAME Award exhibition and for consideration in the final judging rounds. The Jury decided winners in each of the seven DAME categories. From these an overall DAME Award Winner was chosen. The Jury also identified 17 Special Mentions (commended runner-up entries).

The DAME Design Award celebrates everything that is important about marine equipment design, from aesthetics to functionality, integration to packaging and price efficiency to lifecycle management. It offers opportunities for all METSTRADE Show exhibitors from around the world to submit their latest products and have them judged by experts spanning all areas of design. Because of this wider focus, the DAME encourages the whole marine industry to continuously improve its design efforts, to the last detail. Entrants are not just judged against their global peers - the DAME Jury recognises improvements from year-to-year within individual companies too.

As it approaches its fourth decade, the DAME Design Award continues to perform a vital function within the marine industry in stimulating design progression across all disciplines and product types. Great end-to-end design is vital to improve manufacturing efficiency and product reliability. It plays a developing role in environmental responsibility. It also recognises that the marine industry must match the high customer expectations set by products in other sectors like automotive and consumer electronics.