Botin Partners Naval Architecture was founded in 1995 by Marcelino Botín, born from a passion for innovative yacht design and high-performance sailing.
Over the years, Botin Partners has achieved exceptional success across a wide range of racing and performance cruising disciplines, including Maxi, TP52, ORC, and Spirit of Tradition classes. Our yachts have claimed victories in some of the world’s most prestigious events such as the 52 Super Series, the Sydney to Hobart, the Fastnet Race, the Middle Sea Race, the RORC Caribbean 600, Les Voiles de St. Tropez, and the Admiral’s Cup.
Today, Botin Partners produces some of the fastest, innovative, and elegant yachts afloat. Pushing the boundaries of yacht design, our extensive expertise in all areas of the design process, together with the world’s leading designers and engineers, allows us to develop a custom turnkey package to match the client, builders, and market requirements, with several large, cutting-edge fast cruising yachts currently under development and construction.
Racing Boats
In 1995, the IMS rule was gaining traction in the Mediterranean, and new racing projects were emerging across Spain. With the support of the insurance company Zuritel, Marcelino established Astilleros Mouro in Santander, aiming to design, build, and race a 33-foot IMS yacht on the Spanish circuit.
Our first design, raced under the Zuritel banner and crewed by talented local sailors, achieved notable success during the 1996 and 1997 seasons. From 1998 to 2005, our focus shifted to custom IMS racing yachts, with our designs winning multiple Copa del Rey titles and several IMS World Championships
The TP52 class held its inaugural Audi MedCup season in 2005, where the Botin-designed Pisco Sour, skippered by Vasco Vascotto, won the overall title. Since that milestone, Botin Partners has become the most successful design office in the history of the TP52 class.
We entered ocean racing in 2008 with our first Volvo 70 for Ken Read’s Puma Ocean Racing, which finished second in the Volvo Ocean Race. In 2011, we returned with a second VOR70, this time for the Camper campaign with Emirates Team New Zealand, again securing a second-place finish overall.
Our work in the Maxi class began with the 65-foot cruising yachts Caro and High Spirit, designed primarily for the Mediterranean. In 2015, we began our first pure racing Maxi project for Dario Ferrari’s Cannonball, the lightest Maxi72 of its time. This was followed by Bella Mente for Hap Fauth in 2019, the 85-foot Deep Blue for Wendy Schmidt, and most recently Django 7X, a wallyrocket71 designed for Giovanni Lombardi..
High Performance Cruisers
Our high-performance cruising yachts are crafted for private owners who seek the comfort and elegance of a refined cruiser, combined with the performance and versatility of a racing yacht.
Drawing on our competitive racing experience, we design yachts that are ideal for relaxed cruising with family and friends, while being capable of transitioning into competitive race mode when desired.
Whether inspired by New England’s Spirit of Tradition or sleek Mediterranean lines, each design is optimized for short-handed sailing. Sail plans and deck systems are engineered for easy handling by a small crew or a skilled owner, eliminating the need for a full-time skipper. With light displacement and smart system integration, performance and usability go hand in hand.
We are also committed to sustainability. Working closely with owners and shipyards, we incorporate electric propulsion systems, solar energy recovery, and other environmentally conscious technologies to reduce impact and maximize energy efficiency.
Super Yachts
In 2023, the 111-foot Raven was launched—the world’s first foiling superyacht.
Developed in collaboration with designer Jarkko Jämsén, Baltic Yachts, and a visionary owner, Raven is a high-speed day-sailer superyacht with true offshore capability and striking design.
A groundbreaking achievement in superyacht innovation, Raven has been recognized with multiple international accolades, including a Special Award at the World Superyacht Awards, as well as Outstanding Exterior Design, Best Interior Design, Best Naval Architecture, and Innovation of the Year at the Boat International Design & Innovation Awards.
The America’s Cup
Our first involvement in the America’s Cup came in 2004, when Botin Partners joined Emirates Team New Zealand as Principal Designer for the AC32 campaign. That team went on to win the Louis Vuitton Cup and reached the America’s Cup final.
Our engagement with the America’s Cup continued in 2013 with Luna Rossa Challenge for AC35, in 2017 with NYYC American Magic for AC36, and most recently with Alinghi Red Bull Racing for AC37, always in the role of Principal Designers
DESIGN TEAM
Marcelino Botin
Marcelino Botín is founder and President of Botin Partners Naval Architecture. He is responsible for the Naval Architecture and the Aerodynamic and Hydrodynamic design of the cruising and racing boats produced by the company. An important part of this job involves developing a concept that fits the requirements of a particular racing or cruising design. This sets the foundation for any design and leads the initial steps through the design process.
He is mostly dedicated to hull and appendage design and closely involved in all performance-related activities including experimental data analysis or speed prediction development.
Adolfo Carrau
Adolfo Carrau is a partner in the company and the main point of contact between the office and our clients. Working closely with Marcelino on the general Naval Architecture, Adolfo is involved in all our hull and appendage development, and responsible for running the Velocity Prediction Software (VPP) and rating optimization.
Adolfo started sailing Optimists at the age of 8 and has competed in a wide variety of dinghies and racing boats, representing Uruguay in the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games in the Laser Class.
Paolo Periotto
Paolo is our chief production designer. He joined the studio in 2010 and leads our group of talented designers and naval architects, acting as a liaison between the yards and the engineering team. His design experience spans over 35 years and includes working for Luca Brenta Yacht Design, and the Luna Rossa and ETNZ America’s Cup teams.
Santiago Cuervas-Mons
Santi joined our team in 2013, and has designed the deck layout and internal systems for various racing projects ranging from 40′ to 72′. He is usually involved in the construction phases of each project, in close contact with the Project Managers and yards.
Filippo Cravetto
Filippo joined the studio in 2017, after being the design responsible for the construction and development of several projects at PCT in Dubai. He collaborated in the design of the Melges 40 and Cannonball Maxi72 projects. His focus on detail and yard experience are really helpful for efficient project development and successful design.
He is currently involved in the design of all our racing projects, working with Paolo and Santi on the production side and technical drawings.
Jaume Triay
Jaume joined the studio in 2022, working alongside Adolfo to run the velocity prediction program. In addition, Jaume is also actively engaged in the development of cutting-edge tools for design.
He has been sailing for years, including optimist, foiling windsurfing, and sailing yachts.
Héctor Castanedo
Héctor joined the studio in mid 2024 to work on the design of deck layouts, interior layouts and components for racing and cruising yachts. His combined background in civil engineering and yacht design provides him with a multidisciplinary approach, that he complements with many years of experience in sailing dinghies and racing yachts in Santander.
Celia Gómez Gordejuela
Celia is in charge of the studio’s administration and marketing, web, and social media areas, ensuring that the office operates smoothly and efficiently.
She has worked in different multinational companies and has broad international experience in different sectors like consultancy, travel, finance, and marketing.