Discover the winning hull design from the Shape the Species contest for the Nautitech 41 Type S, created by Paul Baudu.

Through the Shape the Species contest, Nautitech invited creatives to imagine a hull decoration capable of expressing the personality of the 41 Type S: a sporty, precise and boldly assertive catamaran.

The challenge was not simply to create an attractive visual. It was about proposing a graphic identity consistent with the Nautitech universe, able to interact with the boat’s lines, its black sail plan and its marine temperament.

Among the proposals received, Paul Baudu’s project stood out for its balance between movement, elegance and respect for the Nautitech DNA. Already revealed on the brand’s social media channels, this design has been selected as the launch hull decoration for the 41 Type S. It will dress hull #001 of the model before being made available in the catalogue as a signature decoration.

A second hull decoration, offered as standard, will complete this graphic identity. It will be revealed very soon.

Before designing his proposal, Paul Baudu carried out an in-depth observation process. His first step was to immerse himself in Nautitech’s visual universe: the brand’s graphic charter, existing atmospheres, artistic direction, and previous coverings.

Among his references, the Nautitech 44 Open played an important role. Its livery and graphic balance helped Paul better understand how a design can accompany the volumes of a catamaran without disrupting the reading of its lines.

He also analysed the graphic approaches used by other players in the market. Not to reproduce them, but to identify the sector’s visual codes, understand the territories already occupied, and propose a more relevant response for the 41 Type S.

The objective was clear: to design a hull decoration that would be immediately identifiable, expressive, and faithful to Nautitech’s identity.

The final proposal is built around one strong idea: visually translating the speed, fluidity and energy of the 41 Type S.

Paul Baudu worked with cut-out, stretched and structured bands to create a sense of motion. Their progressive formation evokes trajectory, acceleration and the tension of a boat launched across the water.

Certain codes recall the world of rallying: dynamism, precision and graphic rhythm. Yet the design never shifts into a purely mechanical or aggressive register. The curves soften the composition and bring back a more marine interpretation.

They evoke swell, the wake of the hulls and breaking waves. This tension between sportiness and fluidity gives the covering its balance: an assertive yet controlled design; visible, yet coherent with the lines of the catamaran.

Colour management was a central part of the creative process. The black or dark grey sail of the 41 Type S naturally led to the choice of a dark reminder on the hull. For Paul Baudu, black became an obvious choice: it creates visual continuity with the sail plan, while bringing elegance, contrast and graphic strength.

Gold echoes Nautitech’s identity codes. It brings a premium and distinctive touch, without excess. Combined with ochre, it reinforces the warmth of the composition and its connection with the brand universe.

This palette preserves Nautitech’s identity while affirming the specific character of the 41 Type S. Black structures. Gold signs. Ochre softens. Together, these shades give the design a strong, legible and perfectly integrated presence.

Once the final proposal had been selected, an adjustment phase began with the Nautitech teams in order to prepare its adaptation to the boat.

This collaboration took place after the design had been approved. It did not challenge the initial creative intention, but helped refine certain technical points to ensure a coherent application on the hulls of the 41 Type S.

The discussions focused in particular on the harmonisation of the curves, the line breaks and the overall geometry of the covering. The aim was to preserve the strength of the concept while adapting it precisely to the real volumes of the catamaran.

Paul Baudu first worked by hand, using pencil sketches, before moving to software to facilitate the transcription and adjustment of the design. This method allowed him to retain the energy of the initial gesture while ensuring a more precise execution, compatible with the constraints of the surface.

In the final reading of the design, another reference emerged: that of a striped animal totem.

This idea was not present at the beginning of the project. It appeared gradually, carried by the contrast of the bands, the graphic rhythm and the overall dynamic of the visual.

This evocation remains subtle. It does not take over the design, but gives it a more instinctive and organic dimension. The 41 Type S thus retains its nautical identity while gaining an immediately recognisable visual signature.

Trained in MANAA and then at Gobelins, Paul Baudu has built his career around design, illustration and drawing. He regularly works on visual identity, advertising and graphic creation projects for brands from a wide range of sectors, particularly media, entertainment and cosmetics.

With Shape the Species, he took on a new challenge: applying his designer’s instincts to a three-dimensional, mobile surface exposed to light, water and movement.

Designing a catamaran covering requires a different way of thinking from designing a fixed visual. The design has to work at the dock, under sail, up close, but also from a distance. It requires anticipating how the lines will live on the hull, accompany the boat’s speed and remain legible in a marine environment.

For Paul, this project was a personal challenge: testing what he could bring to a type of surface he had not yet explored, while integrating precise codes such as premium positioning, sportiness, movement and brand coherence.

With this hull design, Paul Baudu offers a graphic interpretation that respects Nautitech’s identity while affirming the character of the 41 Type S.

The result expresses several key dimensions of the model:

• • speed, through the tension of the lines;
• • fluidity, through the movement of the curves;
• • elegance, through a sober and distinctive palette;
• • marine spirit, through the evocation of swell, waves and wake;
• • brand coherence, with a clear reminder of Nautitech’s codes.
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This covering does not seek to conceal the boat. It accompanies its lines, underlines its temperament and strengthens its visual presence.

The 41 Type S thus gains a graphic signature aligned with its positioning: a contemporary, precise, sporty catamaran, true to the Nautitech spirit.

Discover the winning Shape the Species design and follow the next steps of the 41 Type S through Nautitech’s channels.