Mark Pascoe discusses the craft where hull design, stability and performance are so well resolved they fade into the background, letting passengers focus on the journey, not the mechanics
In the world of superyacht tenders, the phrase “form follows function” has never been more relevant. A tender may be compact compared to the mothership it serves, but expectations are no less exacting. It must be fast yet comfortable, agile yet stable, luxurious yet utterly dependable.
At Falcon Tenders, we believe the ideal tender is defined not by a single attribute, but by the intelligent interplay between hull design, performance and stability; elements that together shape not only how a tender behaves on the water, but how it feels to those on board.
At the heart of any successful tender lies a well-optimised hull form. The hull is not simply a structural component; it is the primary determinant of how a boat moves through the water, responds to sea states, and supports the onboard experience. Beam-to-length ratios, deadrise angles, chines, spray rails and underwater volume distribution all influence performance characteristics such as planing efficiency, ride comfort and stability at rest.
Falcon Tenders is not tied to a single design house or naval architecture philosophy. Instead, our in-house technical team collaborates with some of the most respected designers and naval architects in the industry, ensuring each tender is engineered precisely for its intended role.
Falcon’s earliest limousine tenders, including the original pair of 10.6-metre tenders styled by Michael Leach Design, set the tone for our approach: uniting refined exterior and interior design with serious naval architecture beneath the waterline. Another highly influential figure has been naval architect Patrick Banfield, who has designed close to 200 tenders over the past 35 years, including Falcon’s award-winning Project KD with its remarkably smooth riding hull.
Whether designing a D-RIB, a chase boat or a fully enclosed limousine tender, the same principle applies; there is no such thing as a perfect hull, only the right compromise for a specific brief. Hydrodynamic efficiency must be balanced against usable space, guest comfort and operational practicality.
“The key is finding the right compromise of the hull parameters,” Banfield explains. “An outboard-driven RIB will have fantastic seakeeping and performance, but usually at the expense of practicality and space on board. The various hull factors all need to be balanced against each other to best suit the purpose.”
For Falcon Tenders, this balance is especially critical in larger custom tenders, typically from 10 metres upwards, where owner and guest expectations are closer to those of the superyacht itself. In these cases, raw speed is rarely the primary objective. Instead, the focus shifts to smooth acceleration, predictable handling and a ride quality that remains composed across a wide range of conditions.
“With yacht tenders, the tailored hull design is driven in part by weight considerations, but most importantly by comfort for the owner and guests on board,” adds Banfield. “It usually means designing a hull for lower speeds, but still with effortless performance.”
True performance in a tender is not measured solely in knots. It is measured in how confidently the boat planes, how softly it lands in a chop, and how intuitively it responds to the helm. A hydrodynamically refined hull reduces slamming, improves directional stability and allows the tender to cut cleanly through short, steep seas often encountered close to shore.
For guests, this translates into a quieter, drier and more relaxed journey — a crucial factor when the tender ride is the first and last impression of a day on the water. For the captain, it means precise and predictable manoeuvring, as well as confidence during close-quarters handling, whether approaching a crowded marina or coming alongside a yacht in open water.
Hull geometry plays a central role here. Carefully managed deadrise and longitudinal balance ensure that the tender planes efficiently without excessive bow rise, while well-designed chines and spray deflectors keep water down and away from the cockpit. The result is a tender that feels composed rather than hurried, even when conditions are less than ideal.
Stability — both underway and at rest — is another defining characteristic of an ideal tender. Guests expect to move around safely and comfortably, whether stepping aboard from the mothership or relaxing at anchor. This stability is governed by a combination of hull form, beam, displacement and, critically, weight distribution.
“A large part of hull design is influenced by the choice of engines and drives,” Banfield explains. Waterjets, sterndrives, Volvo Penta IPS and outboard configurations all impose different requirements on the hull. However, no single factor dictates the final form. Speed profile, usage patterns and onboard layout all feed into the equation.
Two elements stand above all others: weight and centre of gravity. Even the most elegantly designed hull will underperform if weight is poorly controlled or incorrectly positioned. This is where Falcon Tender’s role, as the builder, becomes as important as that of the designer.
“Any successful hull design relies as much on the care and attention to detail by the builder as it does with the hull designer making the right choices,” agrees Banfield. “This is absolutely key to any successful design.”
At Falcon Tenders, meticulous weight management is embedded into the build process, from structural engineering and material selection to systems integration and interior fit-out. This ensures the finished tender behaves exactly as intended when it touches the water.
While tenders have become more sophisticated — with greater emphasis on customisation, technology and luxury — the fundamentals of good hull design have not changed. For Falcon Tenders, the ideal tender is one that feels effortless to use, reassuring to operate and genuinely enjoyable to experience. It is a craft where hull design, performance and stability are so well resolved that they fade into the background, leaving owners and guests free to focus on the journey, not the mechanics behind it.
For more details visit www.falcon-tenders.com
