High performance inflatable dinghy wins prestigious design award

The TIWAL 3.2, a high performance inflatable sailing dinghy has won the Red Dot: Best of the Best Award 2014 for its groundbreaking design.  The product was amongst 4,815 entries in one of the world’s largest and most renowned product competitions. 

The 40-member expert jury judged thousands of products from 53 countries, over several days; the TIWAL 3.2 secured the highest distinction in product design, the Red Dot: Best of the Best.  This ceremony will be held on 7th July 2014, in front of 1,200 guests at the Aalto-Theater in Essen, Germany.

TIWAL 3.2 are different from similar products on the market, because they can reach speeds of up to 13 mph (12 knots) using its sail; nearly double the speed of other inflatable sailing dinghies.  The dinghy is also lightweight and foldable, which means users can store it anywhere, an important factor for the yachting industry. It is aimed at both expert and novice sailors and families alike.  The TIWAL 3.2 can fit either two adults or one adult and two children. 

Tiwal's designer Marion EXCOFFON spoke to Yachting Pages and explained, ”We are incredibly proud of the TIWAL 3.2, it took three years in the making and although we knew that it was unique, we didn’t quite anticipate that it would be this popular, this quickly.  Feedback from users has been incredibly satisfying and we are delighted to have won the prestigious Red Dot: Best of the Best Award 2014. All our hard work has definitely been worth it.”

In an interview with Yachting Pages Marion went on to say “The dingy is a truly unique product that is easy to use, maintain and store.  It can be folded into two bags, transported in the boot of a car and assembled in 20 minutes.  Its versatile design allows for both high performance solo use and leisure sailing in pairs. We’re hoping that our success will open up the world of water sports to new generations.”

After being launched at the end of last year, TIWAL 3.2 are already sailing in the USA, China, Russia, France, Italy, Austria, Greece, Spain and Switzerland.

The boat measures just over three metres in length and has a sail measuring 5.2 metres squared with a larger size of 7.2 metres squared available.

Weighing around 50 kg (111 lb), the TIWAL 3.2 has a patented V-shaped under body that makes the dinghy both rigid and stable when inflated. It is reinforced with a tubular aluminium frame that allows it to handle strong wind speeds.

The Red Dot Design Award is an internationally renowned product competition and is one of the most sought-after quality marks for excellent design. The Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen displays the award-winning products in the Red Dot Design Museum Essen for at least one year.

The TIWAL 3.2 inflatable dinghy retails from €4,590.30 excluding VAT.

The boat also won the Best innovation award at the Boat of the Year contest in the USA in December 2013.

TIWAL is working with Yachting Pages Media Group to expand the reach of its award-winning products to superyacht enthusiasts.

For further information visit www.tiwal.com

For information about Red Dot visit en.red-dot.org