LIGHTER VESSELS. LOWER COSTS.
Every Kilo Counts – Why I Talk About Weight
On a race boat, you learn quickly that weight is never neutral. Every kilo you carry costs you speed, and every kilo you save gives you something back. I have spent more than twenty years building boats with that obsession, in carbon prepreg and advanced composites, always asking the same question: what can we leave out?
Today, that question matters far beyond racing. Ferries, water taxis, crew transfer vessels, patrol and pilot boats all pay for weight every day, in fuel, in payload, in range. And for electric vessels, weight often decides whether a project works at all. Batteries are heavy. Every kilo the hull doesn't need is a kilo of battery the operator doesn't have to buy.
That is what I talk about. Not materials for their own sake, but what lighter vessels mean for the people who build them, run them and pay for them.
From the Shop Floor, Not From a Slide Template
I don't speak about things I have only read about. At AEOMAR, we design and produce boats in Germany, the UAE and China, and my talks are built on those projects: what worked, what didn't, and what the numbers really say.
I also know the questions operators ask, because they ask me. What about fire safety? Will class approve it? How does it hold up after five years of daily service, and who repairs it? These are fair questions, and they deserve honest answers, not marketing.
My First Stage
In 2002, I stood in front of more than a hundred people at the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, slightly nervous. The delivery wasn't perfect. The response was overwhelming. Since then, I have given more than 70 lectures and moderations, and founded the International Yacht Performance Forum in Hamburg.
What I learned on that first day still guides me: authenticity connects.
What I Speak About
• Every Kilo Counts:
weight reduction decides whether electric commercial vessels work
Batteries are heavy, and every kilo of hull competes with battery capacity, payload and range. In this talk, I show what lightweight construction in carbon prepreg and advanced composites really changes: smaller battery packs for the same range, more passengers or cargo for the same displacement, lower energy costs over the vessel's life. I compare materials honestly, including where lightweight design pays off and where it doesn't, and I share a simple way to judge whether it makes sense for a specific vessel and route.
For operators, shipyards, naval architects and port authorities. 20–45 minutes, or as a workshop.
• Composites in Commercial Service:
Fire safety, classification and durability, the objections and the answers
Whenever I talk to commercial operators about composites, the same questions come up. How do you meet fire safety requirements? What will class accept? How does it hold up after years of daily service, and who repairs it? These are fair questions, and I take them one by one, with answers from practice rather than brochures. The goal isn't to sell composites for every vessel. It's to give decision-makers a clear basis for choosing the right material for the right job.
For operators, technical superintendents, shipyards and class specialists. 30–45 minutes; works well as a panel with a class society or operator.
• From Race Boat to Workboat:
What commercial operators can borrow from high-performance boat building
Racing yachts have spent decades pushing the limits of weight, strength and efficiency. Much of that know-how is now ready for commercial service. I show which technologies transfer to ferries, crew transfer vessels, patrol boats and water taxis, and which don't, because a workboat has to survive daily use, not just a regatta season. Along the way, I share what sailing taught me about performance: reading changing conditions, building strong teams and closing the gap between plan and result.
For mixed conference audiences, shipyards, designers and operators. 20–45 minutes; suitable as a keynote.
How I Work With You
I adapt to the event and the audience: a keynote of 20 to 45 minutes, a technical case study, a panel or moderation, a webinar, or a half-day or full-day workshop for a shipyard, operator or port authority. I especially like sharing the stage with an operator or shipyard, so the audience hears both the builder's side and the user's side of the story.
I speak in English and German. Living and working in Germany, Dubai and Cyprus has taught me that the same message lands differently in different rooms, and I prepare for the room I'm in.
Where I've Spoken
- UAE Carbon Removal Breakthrough Event, Abu Dhabi (2024) – creating a sustainable shipbuilding infrastructure
- JEC Composite Talks, Dubai (2023) – Performance yacht building
- MENA Ocean Summit, Dubai (2023) – Emphasizing sustainability and innovation in yacht building
- Boot Düsseldorf tech talks (2017) – Optimization of cruising yachts
- 50+ Yacht Clubs (2014-2024) – Trim/optimization of sailing yachts
- International Yacht Performance Forum (2013-2015) – Hamburg (moderator, speaker)
- Techno Shareholder Conference (2003) – Raising car dealer profits with accessory sales
- Hamburg Chamber of Commerce, Startup forum (2002) – How sail racing helps founding a business
Let's Talk
If you are planning an event on commercial vessels, electrification or composites, I'd be glad to hear about your audience and think about a session that gives them something they can use.
Based in Cyprus. Available worldwide. Speaking fees on request; for events with a strong operator audience, I'm happy to find a flexible arrangement.
